CYCLING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 145, 20 June 1931, Page 11

CYCLING.

PAPANUI AMATEUR RACE. The Papanul Amateur Sports Club continued its weekly series of road races this afternoon when a twentyseven miles race was held. The race was held around a block of approximately five and a half miles, this block being traversed five times. The roads were In good order for racing. The weather conditions were fair, the cold wind causing many riders to retire. Thirty-one riders were dispatched by the starter, Mr T. A. Grose, the scratch bunch comprising F. J. Grose, J. L. Richards, S. Campbell, INI. F. Pearl, A. J-». Stevens and K. W. Stevens. The limit was 7J minutes. At the end of the first lap the three limit men, Elands, Cusack and M’Alister Jed 2J)sec from Lay cock, Skidmore and Kiernan. The riders followed in groups of three and four riders. Giles, Weir, Harper and Basher, off the twominute mark, were riding well lmin 24 sec behind the leaders and 2min 23sec in front of the scratch men, who were smin 12sec behind the leaders. Dunlop, off the three minute mark, fell owing to his wheel collapsing and was cut about the face. Grose and Richards had dropped behind the scratch men at the end of the first lap. With two laps covered, about twelve miles. Hands, Cusack and M’Allster still led. The second bunch comprised Brett (3). R. Richards (3). Skidmore (oft), Barlow (45) and Stewart (45), Lester (-11). Laycock (sft) and Kiernan; (sft). The scratch men, Campbell, K.; W. and A. L. Stevens and Pearl, were only Srain 14sec behind the leading bunch.

With two laps to go there were only eighteen riders left in the race. The limit men were caught by the second bunch and the leaders were Lester, Skidmore, Brett, Hands, Stewart, M’Alister, Barlow, R. Richards and Kiernan. Fiftyfive seconds later Basher, Weir, Ling and Harper followed. Weir fell at the corner and retired. One minute fiftytwo seconds behind the leaders, Campbell, E. Stevens, Giles, A. Stevens and Pearl passed. Grose was still riding about three minutes after the leaders. With six miles to go Richards, one of the scratch men, was riding well. The leaders with a lap to gx> were:—Kiernan, Skidmore. Brett, R. Richards, Stewart, Barlow, M’Alister and Lester. These riders were 43sec in front of Ling, Basher and Harper, who led Campbell, the Stevens brothers, Pearl and Giles by lmin 3seo. The scratch men were not riding well and were lmin 46sec behind the leaders.

The back-markers eased up in the last lap and Campbell passed them. Six riders took part in the final sprint, Lester winning easily. The scratch men, riding slowly, finished well behind Richards.

The race resulted: I. J. Lester (Sftmin), time, 76rnin

28sec 1 C. M’Alister <7smin), SOmin 30sec .. 2 H. M. Stewart (4£miti), 77min 15

1 -ssec 3 H. W. Skidmore (Gftmin), 7Smin 30 2-ssec 4 G. W. Brett (3min), 76min 0 3-ssee 5 J. IT. Kiernan (sJmin), 7Smin 3-0

S. J. Barlow UUmin), 78min 30sec 7 J. L. Richards (scr), 74min 25sec . . 3 Fastest time was registered by J. L. Richards and second fastest time by G. W. Brett.

UNREGISTERED RIDERS.

Twenty-five riders faced the starter for the road race from Marshland to Woodend and return, a distance of twenty-eight miles, held to-day for unregistered riders. D. Aitken and F. Bradbury occupied the scratch mark, and were giving away seven minutes to the limit men. At the turn the leaders were: E. Rhodes. L. Keneh, G. Glubb. S. Brown and S. North. A bunch, consisting of Sutherland, Swanston, Taylor, Pone and Burke turned lmin lOsec later, and T>. Aitken. riding unpaced, was 40sec further behind. Rhodes broke away soon after the turn, arid, despite determined efforts of Keneh and Wild to bridge the gap. he held the lead, winning by two seconds from the fastfinishing Keneh, with Wild some distance further back third. Aitken, riding well unpneed, finished fourth and.secured fastest time. The placings wefe: H. fill A. 1W iOSee 1. L. (Smln), lhr ,£Tfttin 2**4 \ . 2 H. Wild lhr &Bmlh 55s*c .. 3 E>. AitJten (scr), Ihr £smin £os*c . . 4 S. Brown Mrnln >, lhr 28min 35see . . 5 R. Burke (2Jmin), lhr 29m5n 0 .1. ovkwcll (85min), lhr 30min .... 7 I>. Swanston (IJmin), lhr 2Smin 45sec S