CYCLING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 247, 18 October 1937, Page 5

CYCLING

“ROUND THE GORGES” : N.Z. AMATEUR TITLE AUCKLAND FIRST AND SECOND F. J. GROSE PUNCTURES [ Per Press Association. ] , CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 17. The New Zealand amateur cycling 100 miles road championship over the “Round the Gorges” course was won by E. L. G. Hughes (Auckland), who beat R. S. Triner (Auckland) in the sprint for fastest time. F. J. Grose, the Olympic reprei sentative, who holds the record for the course and who has gained fast- ; est time seven times, punctured after : about two-thirds of the journey. The race was won by C. W. Shilton , (Rangiora) off 45 minutes. He left ■ the field about halfway, riding the rest of the journey gamely by himself . to win by 16 ...inutes. He rode over the course every day for the last fortnight. K. Jones (Invercargill) was second, M. Harris (Invercargill) was third and A. Calder (Invercargill) fourth. This was the first trial for the Empire Games selection. Another trial will be held over the 100 kilometres course in North Canterbury on Wed- , nesday. Results are:—G. W. Shilton (Rangiora), 4hr. 58min. 34sec., 1; K. Jones (Invercargill), 18min., 4hr. 47min. 7 sec., 2; M. Harris (Invercargill), 21 min., 4hr. 50min. 7 l-ssec., 3; A. Calder (Invercargill), 31min., shr. 7 3-ssec., 4; M. Leaver (Kaiapoi) 60 min., shr. 29min. 20 3-ssec., 5; C. A. Robinson (Invercargill), 26min., 4hr. smin. 50sec., 6. Fastest time.—E. L. S. Hughes (4hr. 37min 17sec.) 1, R. S. Triner (4hr. 37min. 17 l-ssec.) 2, I. J. Taylor (4hr. 37min. 17 3-ssec.). PROFESSIONALS’ TITLE N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIP RACE PRATNEY’S BRILLIANT SPRINT [ Per Press Association. ] AUCKLAND, Oct. 17. [ The annual New Zealand professional road cycling championship was held on Saturday .over a distance of 100 miles, from Auckland to Morrinsville. The weather was fine and warm but a head wind proved troublesome and was against fast times. Forty-eight riders started but only 20 completed the journey. A few miles out from Morrinsville the cyclists encountered a rough metal patch about a mile long and this brought several to grief. There was a thrilling finish between the scratch men for the coveted championship and fastest time. H. G. Watson (Christchurch), W. Pratney (Auckland), E. L. Parker (New Plymouth), L. Lamberton (Christchurch) and L. G. Having (Christchurch) formed the scratch division. Watson entered the Morrinsville speedway first but once in the straight Pratney sprinted brilliantly to win by half a wheel from Parker, who just headed Watson, with Fleming another half-wheel away. Pratney finished remarkably fresh whereas Watson tired. Little failed to produce his usual dash at the end. The result was: — K. Knight (Auckland), 27min.; riding time shr. Bmin. 44sec., 1.

L. Barr (Auckland), 29min., shr. 12min. llsec., 2. N. Healey (Auckland), 27min., shr. llmin. 29sec., 3. E. C. Kinlsford (Waihi) 33min., 4. A. Brown (Auckland), 48min., 5. Pratney was sixth, Parker seventh, Watson eighth, Fleming ninth, R. Craig (New Plymouth, Bmin.) tenth. Lamberton was fifteenth. Pratney’s time was 4hr. 45min. 31sec. The junior New Zealand championship, from Rangiriri to Morrinsville, a distance of 50 miles, resulted:—D. Purdie (Waitara), scr., 2hr. 25min. 24sec., 1; J. Bicknell (Auckland), scr., 2hr. 25min. 25sec., 2; A. L. Moffatt (Waihi) 9min., 3.