CYCLE RACE DISPUTE

Chronicle (Levin), 6 November 1946, Page 3

CYCLE RACE DISPUTE

TOT OF RUM CAUSES PROTEST Only on rare oecasious is it found , ai'ter a gruelling road race that a title I is in dispute. But it so happened last j Saturday week in the Taranaki road ! race round Mt. Egmont for the 100 miles championship of New Zealand. Two Aucklanders were involved, scratch | riders, Toin Davy and Jack Bicknell. I The latter lodged a protest against j Davy getting the title on the grounds j that he had infringed the rule which ! states that no competitor may acceiit ! outside assistance during the race. Erom a competitor in the race, yes; from a competitor retired from the race, no. This rule has been broken time out of number, but the culprits are always hard to catch. Bicknell was qulte within his rights to protest. Davy : admitted afterwards receiving assist- • ance from Ken Edkins, who had retired : from the race. I The ineidont happened between Strat- ! ford and Inglewood, at a vital stage of I the race,: 20 lniles from home, Edkins i getting out of the wagon carrying the ; retired riders and handing Davy a 1 bottle of rum. This he did against a ^ protest from those in the wagon and also Bicknell. At an-y rate tlie oftLcials dismissed the protest, considering it 1 " too trivial a matter to bother about." • There was a storm of protest, not only from riders, but others who vicwed the incident, considering Bicknell unlucky. Davy was making heavy weather of it 10 miles from home and with Bicki nell, doing the lion's sliare of the work, | was just hanging on to his wheel right ' up to the finish. Perhaps the stimulant , (for it was bitterly cold) had something I to do with his line burst 50 yards from i the huish, when he surprisingly downed j Bicknell by three lengths in 4hr. 38min. loscc.