CYCLE ROAD RACE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 270, 14 October 1929, Page 2

CYCLE ROAD RACE

PALMERSTON NORTH TO WELLINGTON. WIN FOR YOUNG FOXTON RIDER. The feature of the.cycle road race of 102 miles from Palmerston North to Wellington on Saturday was the success of the young Foxton rider, W. Hussy, who started from the limit mark and was never headed, finishing in the Basin Reserve at 3.25 p.m. Nearly 20 minutes later S. Webber (lOmin) and G. Lukey (scr) rode in together, the former speeding up over the last 200 yards to win second place. Lukey’s was the fastest time over the course. The weather conditions for the contest were satisfactory except that there was a slight southerly wind in the competitors’ faces. Tne limit man was despatched from Palmerston North by the Mayor (Mr A, J. Graham) just before nine, o’clock and..the others at intervals afterwards.

L. Beere dropped out with a puncture - fourteon miles out, the rest of the competitors making good speed. Hussy left his co-marker, Aldridge, in the race, and had placed seventeen minutes between the two at Foxton. For the rest of the race lie rode ahead and none of the others ever reached him. Tasker and Ericsson passed through Foxton about twenty minutes behind the leader, with several of the 35 and 40min hien not far in the rear. Bellman and Christenson were delayed by punctures. At this stage Lukey and Gane had pulled up two minutes on the lOmin riders. ißichards, the other scratch man, had been dropped. Hussy reached Levin at 11.7, Tasker and Ericsson at 11.26, Franklyn at 11.32, and the 40min bunch at 11.35. Fifty-one minutes behind Hussy came E. Blakeway and W. Collins. The fifteen ten-minute men and the scratch riders were not yet on the scene. At 12.50 Hussy took a hot drink at Paraparaumu, and rode on his lonely way. S. Puinti and R. Spencer passed through at 1.18, with Fawcett and Franldyn in close attendance. Christian came next, accompanied by Hill. By the time Otaki was reached Lukey was in the van of the scratch, ten and fifteen-minute men, who had drawn together on the road from Levin, Morris. Toomer, Bray, Wright, _ Gane and Ericsson accompanying him. Hussy made good time to the Paekakariki Hill, and, by dint of riding, running and walking up the worst pinches, gained the summit at 1.37. Tasker was next, passing this point at 1.51. Toomer. Bray and Gane fell back at the foot of the climb, but the back-markers were steadily closing up, and Lukey, Webber and Blakeway rode right to tne top, making 18 m.p.h. on occasions. Down the hill, and from Pahautanui on, Hussy kept up a steady 20 m.p.h. Up the Johnsonville grade he went without dismounting, and skimmed down the gorge and on to the Hutt Road, eventually reaching the Basin Reserve, to complete an easy circuit, riding “no-hands” in the manner of P. and T. message boys ever since there were bicycles. . Tasker felt the strain ascending Paekakariki, and was overtaken before long by Lukey and Webber, but going down the Johnsonville incline Tasker’s chain came off. Lukey hod had Webber at his hack-wheel from the take-off, and entering the Basin Reserve together they circled with the Christchurch man stilt in front; 200 yards from the line Webber accelerated, to,shoot home three- ojr four lengths in the-lead. Tasker was next, followed .by Spencer, Christian, Puinti and R. Ericsson in that order. •

TEAMS’ RACE. The Manawatu members had a day out, winning the teams’ race with. 13 points, Port Nicholson Club being next with 21 points. To gain the decision in this branch of the rate, the lowest number of points is taken as the indication, these being allotted: One for first, two for second, and three for third, and so on. The Manawatu members gained: First place, W. Hussey; fifth place, E. Blakeaway -. .sixth, R. Spencer; seventh, A. Christian; eighteenth., J. Hill; .nineteenth, R. Sowerby; and twenty-first, W. Collins. The Manawatu wininng team was: A. Christian (captain) (7th). W. Hussey (Ist), E. Blakeaway (sth). The fourth man, R. Sowerby, finished 19th. Three of the Manawatu No. 1 team also finished -and tied with the Port Nicholson No. 2 Club team for third place. This team comprised : Collins (captain), R. Spencer. J. Hill.

WINNER A TELEGRAPH MESSENGER. Interviewed after the race the winner, W. Hussey, of Foxton, said that he had found the roads “pretty rotten” all the way, especially the stretch to Foxton. The southerly was not troublesome on the first part of the journey, but was stronger after nearing Otaki. He stated that this was only the second occasion of which he had ridden in a race, the first time being in the recent 55. miles Palmerston North, Foxton, Shannon road event, when he had several punctures and was last man home. Hussey, who is only 17 years old, is employed as a messenger in the Foxton Post Office He has been trained by Mr E. Robin-, son. of Otaki. , Webber said that he had followed closo behind Lukey from Otaki. He had tried to take,a lap on the Hutt Road, but had found the effort too much'for him. It was only a dying effort which had given him the victory over .the last stretch in the Basin Reserve. * Lukey had been responsible for most of the work on the way home. The race itself had been hard. but Webber said that he had enjoyed every minute of it. r Both Webber and Lukev have this year considerably bettered their previous performances. Gordon *Lukey (Christchurch), by putting up the fastest time of the race, has done the “hat trick,” this being the fastest time recorded for the third year in succession. He also finished third in the record time of shr. 34mi»-v 20 lowering his own record'by 6 minutes.

IN DETAIL. Times were as follow: 1 W. Hussy, (Foxton), " 70min. actual road time 6hr 25min 20sec 3 24 20 23. Webber (Wellington), lOmin, shr 44mm 20sec -. 3 44 20 3-5 3L. G. Lukey (Christchurch), scr, shr 34min 20 2-ssec 3 43 20 4 C. R. Tasker (Wellington), 60min, 6hr 38min 3bsec . 3 47 38 SE. Blakeway (Palm. N.) 17min, 6hr 3min 6 l-ssec 3 55 6 6R. Spencer (Palm. N.), 45mm, 6hr 38min 30 l-ssec 4 2 30 1-5 7 A. Christian (Palm. N.), 40min, 6hr 39min 18 2-ssoo 4 8 18 2-5 BS. Puinti (Wellington), . 45min, 6hr 44min 18 2-sseo 4 8 18 3-5 9R. Griesson (Wellington), 50min, 6hr 49min 19scc ... 4 8 19 10 J. Campbell (Wellington), 30min, 6hr 37min 3 2-ssoc 4 16 3 2-5 11 D. Toomer (Wellington), 15min, 6hr 21min ssec ... 4 17 5 12 L. Y. Heatley (N. Plymouth), 25min, 6hr 33mm

58scc 4 17 58 13 D. Evans (Wellington), 20min, 6hr 30min, 15sec .. 4 19 15 14 J. L. Richards (Christchurch), scr, 6hr lOmin 16s ec 4 19 16 15 F. Franklyn (Wellington), 50min, 7hr Omin 17scc ... 4 19 17 16 W. Bray (Wellington), 15raii* 6hr 25min 17 2-ssoc 4 19 132-5

17 P. Sutherland (Wellington),- 25min, 6hr 35mm 185 co 4 19 15 18 J. Hill (Palmerston N.), 40min, 6hr 55min 28 2-ssec 4 24 20 2-5 19 R, A. Sowerbv (Feilding), 20 C. Fawcett (Wellington), 45min, 7hr lOmin soseo .. 4 34 54 21 W. Collins (Palm. N.), 35min 6hr 6min 20seo 4 30 20 CHRISTCHURCH TO AMBERLEY. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH. Oct. 12. . Fifty-two amateur cyclists competed in the annual Christchurch to Amberley road race to-day. W. J. Lamberton and F. J. Grose, both off scratch, dead-heated for fastest time and the thirty miles road championship of Canterbury, in the time of lhr. 21min. The race resulted as follows: K. G. Lange (2min.) ... ... ; ... 1 G. F. Browne (4min. 46sec.) 2 H. E. Young (3min.) 3

N. Berry (3min.) 4 Groso and Lamberton finished twelfth.