FIRST AND FASTEST

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1934, Page 9

FIRST AND FASTEST

STEVENS WINS 100 MILES. NEW PLYMOUTH MAN’S SUCCESS. — ? TUFFERY WINS SOUTHERN RACE. A dozen cyclists raced up Green Lane to the finishing line of the Hamilton-to-Auckland race on Saturday afternoon, producing the finest finish the club has had for years, and L. Stevens, New Plymouth, with a final burst, crossed the line, the 1934 champion, with split seconds dividing the other eleven. This was the finish of this year’s Hamil-ton-to-Auckland road race for cash wheelmen. It was a great race, parts of it ridden under gruelling conditions. The Hamilton-Ngaruawahia stretch choked the riders with a penetrating dust, and this took the ginger out of a number. Then from Bombay to Drury the road was cut' up, and this accounted for others. ■ ■ - The limit men, Stewart and Reid, were still in the van at the Ohinewai checking station, with Green, Burr, Irvine, Banks, Hills and Harrison chasing them closely. Kamaru made Rangiri in 90 minutes and close behind were Ray, Hills and Andrews, with Gordon Hall dropping back. Through Te Kauwhata the middle-mark-ers were riding strongly, chasing the leaders. Stewart and Reid were still at the head of the field through Whangamarino, having completed the 36 miles in two hours. At Mercer, however, Mackrell had overtaken them. WHEN THE WINNER TOOK THE LEAD Drury was reached after a rough and tumble over a new formation at Bombay, Mackrell still leading the field with Lowndes, Reid, Stewart and Chisholm close handy. Half a mile further back were Ray and Wilcox, followed by a big bunch of ten, including Stevens. Along the Takanini straight 15 riders got together, with Chisholm leading. This lead he maintained through Otahuhu, with Lowndes second. Climbing up to Green comer the field began to close up and Stevens got into the leading bunch, among whom were Chisholm, Lowndes, Litchfield, Atcheson, Watson and Reeve. The pace was clapped on behind the showgrounds with Stevens sprinting to win by a fraction from Atcheson, with the rest dose up; : Results were: — • • L. Stevens, New Plymouth (10.0), 4h 31s 1 D. Atcheson, Auckland (17.0), 4h 7m 33s .....a D. Watson, Te Kuiti (10.0), 4h 34m 3 S. J. Litchfield, Auckland (10.0), 4h 35s ••••_ 4 T. J. Reeve, Inglewood (17.0), 4h 7m 35s 5 C. Johnson, Auckland (13.0), 4h 3m 38s 6 B. Bicknell, Auckland (13.0), 4h 7m 39s 7 W. L. Burr, Thames (23.0), 4h 13m 42s 8 W. Chisholm, Auckland (34.0), 4h 24m 26s 2 The scratch man, W. Pratney (Auckland), did the distance in 4h Im 50s. The winner, L. Stevens, also turned in ths fastest time—4h 31s.

PALMERSTON-WANGANUI

LAMBERTON 100 MILES CHAMPION. ' • : G. TUFFERY FIRST MAN HOME. By Telegraph—Press Association. Palmerston N., Last ■ Night. The cycle race of 100 miles from Palmerston North to Wanganui and back on Saturday decided the North Island pro- ”* fessional championship. The winner of this honour is the rider putting up the fastest time. He was W. Lamberton (Christchurch), his time being 4h 23m off scratch.) The race was won by G. Tuffery (New Plymouth) off 40m, his time being 4h 55m. A. Ellis (New Plymouth) gained second fastest time. H. Snowden (New Plymouth) fell.

BOND AT NEW PLYMOUTH

EVA-SECURES FASTEST TIME. BEST FINISH OF THE SEASON. ■ Probably the most exciting finish efi the New Plymouth league cycling season, was seen in the New Plymouth-Onaero-New Plymouth cycle race on Saturday. Ten riders competed in the event which was won by the promising B grade rider, Dug Bond, who, riding off the limit mark, finished more strongly than his co-markers and just held off a strong challenge from the middle-markers, Wylie and Oliver, over the last few miles. z The distance of the race Is 32 miles. and the time recorded by the junior riders was equal to A grade standard. A feature of the race was the brilliant performance of P. Dunn, an ex-amateur* who, handicapped on the limit mark, was unfortunate in having a spill soon after turning at Onaero. After losing valuable time he remounted and set off after the leaders and. was up with Bond and Pulford again by the time Big Jim’s Hill was reached. Fast pace making on the part of Dunn from this point home was largely responsible for the winner hold?* Ing off the middle markers. . Dunn eventually finished in' fifth position. Detailed results are:— D. Bond (9m), Ih 27m 25s > E. Oliver (6m), lb 24m 26s * M. Wylie (6m), lh 24m 27s -3 C. Pulford (9m), lh 27m 29s « Fastest time: H. Eva (2m, virtual scratch), lh 23m 31s. , A north-east breeze in the face of ths riders on the outward run accounted fo» slow times to the turn. At Waitara going out, the limit boys, Bond, Dunn, Pub» ford and Neighbour, still held, the lead, followed 2m 50s later by the representatives, Oliver, Old and Wy-te together, and 3m 10s later the backmarkers went by at a steady pace. Positions were the same at the turn where the limit boys turned 45m 25s from tha time of starting. A little less than 3m later the middle markers set off for hoixu; 2m 45s ahead of Eva, Stevens and Wood. Soon after turning Dunn fell and Neighbour dropped back from the leaders. At Waitara coming home the Potion was Pulford and Bond together 25s ahead of Dunn followed by Neighbour. Wylie, Oliver and Old were still together. Nearing Bell Block Dunn, Pulford and Bond led by about 200 yards from Old, Oliver and Wylie. Strong lap* by Oliver gradually reduced the gap between the limit and middle markers, and at the golf links a distance of about 50 yards separated the leaders from Oliver and Wylie, Old having dropped beck soon after passing Bell Block. Once teX to the Waiwakaiho flat the leading trio set off for a long sprint but Oliver was not to be denied and with Wylie going with him the pair -finished with a great burst and overtook all the leaders but Bond, who finshed strongly to cross the line two lengths clear of Oliver who was a similar distance ahead of Wylie. -Theft following closely were Pulford and Dunn, Some time elapsed before the back markers appeared and, in a sprint which was somewhat marred by sheep traffic, Eva led Stevens by one and a-half lengths over the line for time honours.