ROAD CYCLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22399, 22 October 1934, Page 5

ROAD CYCLING

ROUND-THE-MOUNTAIN RACE WON BY NEW PLYMOUTH RIDER g (Pes United Press Association.) | NEW PLYMOUTH, October 20. 5 In an exciting finish the annual Roundf he-Mountain Road Cycle Race of 120 miles resulted in a win for the New Plymouth rider, L. Wood (handicap 15 minutes), whose time was shr 15min 15sec. L. Pittams, Midhurst (15min), shr 15min 15 l-ssec, was second, and L. Reeve, Inglewood (30min), 6hr smin 15 2-ssec, was third. Fastest time was gained,.by Wi Pratney (Auckland), scratch man; with shr 35miu 31sec. ■ \ r . '%'■.■ ; The New: Zealand 120-mile Junior Road Championship, .was won by L. Stevens (New Plymouth) In shr 35min 31 2-ssec. '; . ;: ■ The weather was rattier boisterous at the start at 9 a.m. and a strong westerly wind called upon the riders for a great effort over the first section of the' route. The distance of the race was increased this year by about 20 miles and the route was made to traverse Manaia and Hawera in a detour from Kaponga and back to Eltham. The race carried with it for the first junior rider home the New Zealand 120-mile Road Championship, and for this there were 15 entrants. The whole course was over bitumen roads with an excellent surface. Forty-four riders started, and the official result was as follows: ti. Wood, New Plymouth (15min), £ shr 15min 15sec 1 L. Pittams, Midhurst (15rain), shr C 15min 15 l-ssec 2 It. Reeve, Inglewood (30min), 6hr smin 15 2-ssec 3 Fussell, Inglewood (15min), shr > 50min 25sec 4 W. Pratney, Auckland (scr), shr . 35min 31sec 5 .L. Stevens, New Plymouth (15min), shr 35min 31 2-ssec 6 A. Ellis, New Plymouth (scr), shr 35min 35sec 7 M. Jones, Christchurch (lOmin) .. S £B. Old, Waitara (35min) .. .. 9 W. J. Seelan, Christchurch (18min) 10 W. Ireland, New Plymouth (55min) 11 D. Watson, TeKuiti (lOmin) .. .'.' 12 PALMERSTON NORTH-PETONE ■{% RAGE : FINISHMARRED BY COLLISION. : (Put United Peess Association) WELLINGTON, October 21. What would have been an extremely close finish to an excellent contest was marred when the three leading riders in the Palmerston North to Petone Road Cycling Race on Saturday collided at the entrance of the Petone Recreation Ground and fell. J. Hegglun, of Blenheim, off the 45min mark, was the first to remount his machine, and he gained an advantage of about 20 yards over W. Sinclair, of Wellington, who was on the same handicap, and held it to the finishing point. The third man, R. T. Grey, of Levin, who had led all the way from the top of the Paekakariki Hill to Petone, finished about 30 yards behind Sinclair. i The fastest time was put up by O. Disley, of Wellington' (15min), who completed the distance in 4 hours 52 minutes 5 seconds. L. J. Richards, of Christchurch, who started from scratch, took 5 2-5 seconds longer, and the third fastest time ..went to F. Frankly n, of Fahiatua (20min), who took 4 hours 52 . minutes 14 seconds. Disley's performance was exceptionally good, as from Paekakariki onwards he rode unpaced.-.-.; -, ; The. ; accident at the end of the race was caused through Hegglun turning to the left at the entrance of the grounds g instead of to the right with the others. : When all three straightened up going towards the track, they rode into one another and could not avoid a collision. The weather conditions were excellent for the race at all stages of the journey. A light southerly wind was the only natural handicap with which the competitors had to contend.