CYCLE ROAD RACE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 12 September 1935, Page 2

CYCLE ROAD RACE

WIN FOR WANGANUI RIDER DISLEY GETS FASTEST TIME lIAWERA CLUB’S EVENT. The second annual road race of the Haewra Ramblers' Cycle Club, which was held over a course of 62 miles yesterday for the Taranaki road championship, attracted an entry of 43 riders, of whom 40 left the mark. The first home was L. D. Georgetti, of Wanganui, who rode over the finishing line in Waihi road a length clear of J. H. Murray, of New Plymouth, with a Hawera rider, G. Gollins, in third place. Fastest time was secured by O. Disley, of Wellington, who rode the distance in 3 hours 4 minutes 27 seconds, to take the Taranaki championship. The course, which was from Hawera to Opunake, via Eltham and Kaponga, returning by the Main South Road through Manaia to Hawera, proved a difficult one under the weather conditions which existed yesterday, for, from the corner of the Main South and Te Kiri roads, where the riders turned for home, they were faced with a stiff head wind which reached half a gale at times. This accounted to some extent for the fact that the time for the race was nearly 15 minutes slower than it was last year. The rider who secured the fastest time last year was C. E. Hawkins, of New Plymouth, who was half a second behind Disley in the race yesterday. M. Green, who was first home last year, was the tenth rider to finish yesterday and fourth in order of time. The race started from Princes Street, opposite the Soldiers’ Memorial, punctually at 1 p.m. and the programme was rigidly adhered to for the scratch men to leave the mark at 1.31 p.m. On the journey to Eltham there was little change in the order, the limit men arriving there at 1.33 p.m. arid the (next bunch three minutes later. At the top of the big hill on the Mountain Road before the intersection of that and the main road Green pulled away from his co-marker (Williams) and set out after the 11) minute riders, who were just approaching the Rotokare Road corner. At Eltham the men on the llimin and 12|min marks had come together and passed through the town in a big bunch. Kaponga was reached at 2 p.m. by Mazuranich and Hayman, the two limit riders, the main bunch being nearly ten minutes behind, with the scratch and other short handicap riders making up the leeway fast. On the run to the Opunake corner much of the lost time was made up, and over this stretch of road the back markers began to make their presence felt. Approaching the corner Snook, off the 28min handicap, was ahead of Busby, Dombroski, Rae, Bryant, Gollins, Landers, Skedgwell, Bamford and Jewell, with Mazuranich and Hayman only a few hundred yards ahead. Approaching Pihama the last pair came back to the bunch, with Snook and Skedgwell in the lead and riding particularly well. Landers had started to move forward at this stage and was lajxping the main body of riders.

At Otakeho Snook was riding Sn front of a big bunch of riders, with Skedgwell in close attendance. In the bunch were Wann, Bryant, Georgetti, Busby, Bamford, Murray, Dombroski, Townsend, Rae, Gollins, Peters and Engest. When they reached Manaia they were out in more like' single file, with some of the younger riders .dropping back, L. Georgetti had taken the lead at this stage, the order behind him being Engest, Wann, Gollins, Murray, Rae, Townsend, Bryant and Adams. Coming up the Toliaora hill Gollins had gone to the front and was slightly clear of Murray and Georgetti, with most of the main bunch behind tiring quickly. The scratch men had gained about five minutes on the leaders as they came through Manaia and having practically little chance of catching them, they set about concentrating on the time for the event. It was the final stretch from Manaia to Hawera that found the weak spots and over that ten miles there were many to drop out. Georgetti, Murray and Gollins held out the distance well and had a great finish, only a length separating ' each rider when they flashed over the lino in that order. There was a gap to the next riders, who were Peterq, Townsend and Bryant. Then came Engest and Rae, ahead of the scratch pair, who put in a great finish, Disley beating Hawkins by a wheel for the time honours. Out of the 40 riders who started, only 16 finished. This was due to the adverse weather conditions which the riders had to combat on the final stage of the journey. The wind was such as to test the stamina of seasoned riders, and many of the competitors were only youths. There was an extraordinary large crowd at . the finishing post to welcome the riders home. Graham Gollins, who was in third place, is a son of Mr T. C. Gollins, who was a well-known road performer twenty years ago when Jack A rust and Phil O’Shea were riding in such events. Mr Gollins was.first home in the Taranaki circular road raoe of 1912. His son is only 17 years of age and finished only two lengths behind the winner. HOW THEY FINISHED. The placings were: L. D. Georgetti, Wanganui (15m), 3h 9m 9s 1 J H. Murray, N.P. (12*m), 3h 6m 42s 2 G- Gollins, Hawera (21£m), 3h 15m 57s t 3 I. Peters, N.P, (Him), 3h 10m 3s 4 T. Townsend, Wanganui (llim), 3h 20m 33s 5 J. Bryant, Hawera (201 m), 3h 19m 50s 6 V. Erigest, Hawke’s Bay (201), 3h 19m Sols 7 B. Rae, Hawera (20)m), 3h 19m 53s 8 O. Disley, Wellington (sm), 31i 4m 27s 9 O. E. Hawkins, N.P. (sm), 3h 4m 27is 10

M. Green, Hawera (9ni) 3h 8m 30s , 11 M. O. J. Hunt, H.B. (Him), 3h 12m 13s 12 Tlie others to finish were: G. Dombroski. Hawera (201 m), 13; A. Skedgwell,' Hawera, 14; O. Busby, Hawera (19)m), 15; B. Bamford, Hawera, 16. Hie fastest times were: O. Disley, 3h 4m 27s 1 C E. Hawkins, 3h 4m 27|s 2 J. H. Murray, 3h 6m 42s 3 M. Green, 3h 8m 30s 4 L. Geoi'getti, 3h 9m 9s 5 I Peters, 3h 10m 3s 6 The winners of special prizes were as follow: First Taranaki rider to finish other than placed riders: I. Peters (New Plymouth). First rider other than Taranaki rider: T. Townsend (Wanganui). First Hawera rider: J. Bryant. First Wanganui rider: T. Townsend. Consolation prize: B. Bamford (Hawera). PRESENTATION OF PRIZES. Before introducing the Mayor of Hawera (Mr J. K. Campbell), the president of the club (Mr W. V. Patterson) extended the thanks of the promoters to the visiting riders for their attendance. He made special reference to the fine sporting spirit shown by the winner, L. Geoi'getti, for his assistance to the other competitors in the gruelling run home from Opunake. It was Georgetti’s encouragement which kept the others going, and under the weather conditions which existed it said much that 16 riders were able to finish the course. A special cup had been presented for the fix’st Hawera rider under 16 to finish the course, but unfortunately no rider of this age was able to finish the course. Mr Patterson extended the thanks ot the club to the donors of trophies, the officials controlling the race, to the owners of the ears who had transported the road stewards and to the ladies’ committee who were responsible for the ball arrangements. In extending a weiccfme to the visiting riders to Hawera, Mr J. E. Campbell paid a tribute to the public spiritedness shown by the promoters of tlie l'ace. He said it was pleasing to know that for the second year in .succession such a race could be promoted in Hawera and be attended with such outstanding success. To the winners he extended congratulations, but at the same time he said he wished to say a word of' commendation to the losers who had made the race worth while. Mr Campbell then called on Mrs W. V. Patterson to present the trophies to the winners. Mi’s Patterson, after Mr Campbell had personally congratulated each recipient, decorated the winner of the race (L. Georgetti) and O. 'Disley, who secured fastest time, with the ribbon which accompanied the trophies.