FULL OF THRILLS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20455, 7 November 1934, Page 9

FULL OF THRILLS.

Watson’s Story of Centenary Thousand Race. CYCLIST'S EXPERIENCES. The story of his experiences in the Centenary Thousand Cycle Race, one of the attractions at Melbourne, is told by H. G. Watson in a letter received by a Christchurch friend. The New Zealand champion finished second in the championship section of the race, despite more than his share of misfortune. On the third stage he lost time with two punctures and finished over the last three or four miles with broken handle bars. lie lifted the handles up with one hand and with the other clasped the stem, but towards the finish of the Ballarat to Bendigo stage the handles broke completely off. Watson rode through pouring rain and on the fourth stage thunderstorms were encountered. The competitors rode through streams nearly to their axles. On the stage of the race which terminated at Mount Buffalo a detour had to be made, as the roads were flooded. Watson finished two or three hundred yards ahead of the bunch. On the next stage of the race big rocks and watercourses had to be negotiated, and going up to Ilotham the New Zealander ran into a gutter and damaged the front forks. Half an hour was allowed for dinner at Omeo, and then 200 miles j to Sale were ridden with a back wind. ! Watson overtook Borsari, Cruse and | Ammott, \yho had been eight minutes ahead, after riding fifty miles. The competitors finished at Sale with the ! aid of motor-car headlights for the last fifteen miles. Lamb and Borsari were first and second, with Opperman ten or fifteen minutes behind and “ dead to the world.” Opperman was injured in one arm, being cut to the bone. The final stage of the race was monotonous, with a bitterly cold head wind. Watson finished fourth in the final. Watson states in the letter that there was much dissatisfaction concerning the allotment of the prize money. There was also dissatisfaction with the . allocation of points in the handicap section of the race.