Wanganui Amateur Road Cycling

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 June 1948, Page 3

Wanganui Amateur Road Cycling

LAST SATURDAY’S 28MII.E RACE.

In the Wanganui Amateur Road Cycling Club’s 28-mile road race for the Spooner Cup, front markers filled the first founr places, Fred Clinton filling first place inches ahead of G. Pidwell, with W. Work and H. Hodson in third and fourth places. Practically the rest of the field finished in a big bunch less than a minute behind them. At one stage of the race the fast moving 2min. 15sec. bunch, comprising W. Pidwell, W. Beswarick, D. Mitchell, and Snow Mitchell, appeared to be well in the running for fastest time honours. However, their fast initial effort had taken the sting from their riding, and they Were finally caught by H- Pidwell, G. Wakely, and A. Higgs, less than a mile from the finishing line. In a fast finish H. Pidwell outsprinted G. Wakely for fastest time. Trevor Philpot, the outstanding junior rider, could not foot it with his co-markers and was dropped while climbing Ratanq Hill. This lad, who is only 16 years of age, has been asking too much of himself this season and at present appears to be overtrained. A spell of a few weeks from serious competition would be benecial in his case. A. Sharrock, who was penalised for first and fastest time last week by being put on the mark by himself, had a hopeless task. He never looked like overtaking the hard working bunch of 45sec. men- A. Higgs, who has not been riding for some weeks, performed well to stay with H. Pidwell and G. Wakely and register third fastest time.