CYCLING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 109, 11 May 1931, Page 4

CYCLING

WANGANUI ROAD CLUB FIRST RACE OF SEASON SATURDAY’S EVENT Apart from the south-east wind Saturday was marked by fine weather for tho opening raco of the season for cho Wanganui Road Cycling Club, and the riders who turned out provided a good race for the occasion. The course was over 10 miles of road, entailing a start at the Royal Hotel, a circuit of the Kaimatira Block, and a finish at the starting p„int. The loose metal over a good portion of the distance made tho going rather hard, and thus the riders appreciated all the more the tarsealed portion along Anzae Parade. The riders were started in four bunches at half-minute intervals, while j tho scratch men had a minute to make ' up on those on the 1J minute bunch Tho latter bunch did well from the , start and soon caught up to aud passed Anderson and Springer, whv had start- . cd off 30secs ahead of them. At this j stage they noticed that one of their co- j markers, Bonner, had been dropped. t Still going well, tho bunch soon began * | to pass lone riders of the limit bunch, ( which had broken up int •» units. First Hewgill and then Renshaw, a new . rider, wcer overtaken just before reach- j ing Sparrow Cliff. Although Renshaw . was riding well, Miller, also off the - limit, had made a break on him and ] was riding on his own in the lead j From there on tho three riders loft in t the lAmin bunch funod it necessary to , ride hard in an attempt to overtake j Miller. About chreo miles from tho finish Cresswell wa.s dropped and Smith ‘ ( and Stewart still pedalled with great i t determination and finally overtook Alii- ’ 1 ler not far from tho finishing point, j i Tho trio rode together for the rest of t tho distance, and made a final sprint i for the first three places. They were 1 followed shortly by the two scratch t men, Alp and Constantine, who wcr»» v still more than their handicap behind i the place-getters. Smith and Stewart t had ridden a well-judged race, while i Aliller is certainly entitled to a great < deal of credit, for he had to ride alone i for tho greater portion of tho journey I r Stewart gained first place and fastest j time, jis follows. Placings:—Stewart 1. Miller 2,1 Smith 3, Alp 4. Times: Stewart. 24min. 56sec. 1; • Smith, 24min. 57scc. 2; Alp, 25min. < 2Gsoc. 3. i Stewart’s dual placings give him a c good lead for tho trophies. I