ROAD CYCLE RACES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21007, 19 October 1931, Page 3

ROAD CYCLE RACES.

NORTH ISLAND CONTEST. WATSON CAINS THE TITLE. The North Island road cycling championship for professional riders, held on Saturday over a course about 80 miles from Cambridge to Papakura, attracted the best field for many years. In an exciting finish C. V. Harris (To Kuiti), with a handicap of 45 minutes, beat another Te Kuiti rider, E. A. Peterson, (40 minutes), by five yards. Eenfell (Hamilton) was third. Both Harris and Peterson are only youths. H. G. Watson, of Christchurch, who was on the scratch mark with J. H. Harcourt, of Hamilton, was eighth, beating Harcourt by a length in a great finish to win the blue riband for fastest time and North Island championship. Harcourt got second fastest time. The competitors were started promptly to time, the limit men leaving the Town Hall, Cambridge, at 11.5 a.m., and the scratch men being despatched at noon. There were 34 starters. Messrs. H. Edwards and J. Wilson acted as starters, and Messrs. A. C. Herring, P. Eickman and F. Appleton assisted. The race resulted: — C. Y. Harris (Te Kuiti), handicap 45m, 4h 20m 30s . . . . .. 1 E. A. Peterson (Te Kuiti), handicap 40m, 4h 15m 31s 2 C. H. Benfell (Hamilton), handicap 40m, 4h 16m 31s 3 G. Hall (Auckland), 23m, 4h lm 25s 4 G. Tuffery (New Plymouth), 32m, 4h 10m 30s 5 S. Kara (Auckland), 36m, 4h 16m 5s 6 M. Hibburt (Auckland), 36m, 4h 24m 35s . . . . 7 H. G. Watson (Christchurch), scr, 3h 50m 30s (fastest time and champion) 8 J. H. Harcourt (Hamilton), scr, 3h 50m 31 3-5s (second fastest time) 9 N. H. Bellringer (New Plymouth), 6m, 3h 57m 50s . . ~ . •. ." ". .10 H. Lewis (Waharoa), 36m, 4h 28m 43s 11 W. Pratney (Auckland), 18m, 4h 13m 30s 12 A. Gooch (Gisborne), 10m .. ..13 A. Sutherland (Auckland), 23m .. 14 Watson is this year's New Zealand champion and a rider who has taken part in the famous Tour de France race. Other notable riders were Harcourt, 1929 North Island champion, Bellringer, who won in 1928, J. Stack, of Kaikoura, Cowman, winner and champion in 1928, Hall, winner last year, and A. Sutherland, winner and champion in 1926. Interviewed after the race, Harris said it was the hardest ride he had ever had. " Peterson would have won had ho not had two spills," he said. " I thought the Timaru to Christchurch road race was a hard one, but this journey from Cambridge to here is frightfully rough," said the new champion, Watson, on being interviewed afterwards. "Yes, the 30 miles of tar-sealed road was all right, but the loose shingle on the Razorback and Pokeno hills is bad!"'

EVENT AT WELLINGTON. PORT NICHOLSON CLUB. [BY TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION. 1 WELLINGTON, Sunday. The 60 miles road race,< from Peton* to the Rimutakas and back, for members of the Port Nicholson Amateur Road Cycling Club, was held yesterday under good conditions. The event was Won, by L. W. Sowerby (handicap 91, minutes), whose time was 2h 57m 17s. G. Puniti (scratch) recorded fastest time, 2h 45d* 335.