FIRST PLACE TO SOUTHLANDER

Southland Times, Issue 23931, 25 September 1939, Page 5

FIRST PLACE TO SOUTHLANDER

Road Championship

Race

FASTEST TIME SECURED BY C. M. HANSEN

34 COMPETE IN 50-MILE SOUTH ISLAND EVENT

The South Island 50-mile road cycling championship was held on Saturday afternoon and a big entry and fast times made the event most successful. Overhead conditions were good and the road surfaces were also in good order. The course was to Edendale via Rimu and Seaward Downs and then back to Invercargill along the main road. K. Baxter, a Southland rider, was first home, and C. M. Hansen won the championship by making fastest time. Hansen, a Dunedin rider, was on scratch and beat two co-markers, D. Smart and W. Clough, by a very narrow margin in a thrilling finish. C. Flowers, of Dunedin, who left four minutes after Baxter, went close to heating the latter in a keen finish. The competitors met a strong wind on the return journey from Edendale and this slowed them down considerably.

Tire competitors included six from Dunedin and three from Christchurch. The race was well controlled by officials of the Invercargill Amateur Cycling Club and was productive of some fine cycling. The public displayed great interest in the championship and there were big crowds at the start and finish of the event. The field numbered 34 and all the competitors were despatched promptly by the officials. J. O’Connell, an Otago ■rider, had trouble with one of his pedals a few hundred yards after the start and was dropped by the scratch bunch at Oteramika. The riders had a following wind and were averaging about 30 miles an hour at Kennington. The field was fairly scattered and about Rimu both A. Annard (4min) and P. McDonald (9min) were riding alone. The competitors flashed through Seaward Downs, but found the Edendale Hill a stiff test. The leaders, among whom were H. Mitchell and A. Waddick (both on the 24min mark),-were going well, although their speed was reduced considerably when they faced the strong wind on the return run. The scratch men gained considerable ground, but they were still 13 minutes behind the front bunch at the Edendale Hill and it was apparent that they

could not catch the leaders. At this stage a number of men retired, including A. Jones, H. J. P. McDonald and E. Boyd. At Dacre M. Burgess. M. Toole, J. McKenzie and K. Baxter (all off 18lmin) were out in front and were setting a good pace. Then followed Mitchell (24min), riding alone, and A. Waddick, N. Haslemore and L. Johnson in a bunch. C. Flowers (14Jmin) was rapidly improving his position and was the next order to pass Dacre. At this stage Mitchell retired after leading the field for about 35 miles. At Woodlands the four front cyclists were Imin ssec ahead of Haslemore and Flowers. The latter rider was still pedalling strongly and was closing the gap between himself and the leaders. Ten miles from the finish Toole was unable to maintain the pace set by the other three and gradually dropped back. The final dash was an exciting one and although Burgess maintained his position at the head of the field the order of the following riders changed rapidly. Flowers came up with a strong burst and fought out a close finish with Baxter, the latter succeeding by less than a cycle length. Burgess was close behind in third place. Tie next riders to cross the finishing line were Patton and Rubber. Haslemore, McKenzie and Toole followed at intervals. Three scratch riders, Hansen, Smart and Clough, had a keen tussle for fastest time and Hansen had little to spare at the finish. A. Drury, the only Southland rider on scratch, was dropped on the run from Edendale and finished in sixteenth place. The placings were:—

K. Baxter (18£min) 2.26.50 2-5 1 C. Flowers (12min) 2.20.20 1-5 2 M. Burgess (18jmin) 2.26.51 1-5 3 P. Meehan (12min) 2.23.55, 4 H. Patton (12min) 2.23.56 2-5 5 H. Rubber (12min) 2.23.56 3-5 6 N. Haslemore (14Jmin) 2.26.31 2-5 7 J. McKenzie (18£min) 2.30.41 2-5 8 M. Toole (18|min) 2.31.12 9 C. M. Hansen (scr) 2.13.55 10 D. Smart (scr) 2.13.55 1-5 11 W. Clough (scr) 2.13.55 3-5 ' 12 The other riders who completed the course finished in the following order:— T. Waddick (9min), R. Duncan (9min), L. Johnson (14£min), A. Drury (scr), B. Ross (181 min A. Waddick (24min), M. McLachlan (14|min), C. Nicholson (12min), A. Armand (4min), N. Richards (scr), D. Milne' (24min). The three fastest times were secured by:

C. M. Hansen (2hr 13min 55sec) 1 D. Smart (2hr 13min 55 l-ssec) 2 W. Clough (2hr 13min 55 3-ssec) 3 Special prizes were won as follows:—

Fastest unplaced Otago rider.—A, Drury (2hr 16min 16sec). First unplaced visiting rider.—W. Clough (Christchurch). Fastest unplaced .junior.—W. ’Clough. Youngest rider.—A. Waddick. Oldest rider.—C. Nicholson.

In the evening visiting riders and officials were entertained at a dance, where Mi- W. Jenkinson, president of the Invercargill Club, presented the trophies.