CYCLING ROAD RACE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 469, 30 March 1909, Page 8

CYCLING ROAD RACE.

HAMILTON AUCKLAND. (BT TELEGUAPH-SPECUI, COItEESFONDENT.) .-..'., : , ' Aujkland, March 29. A ninety mile cycle road race, from Hamilton IL'V- r U k or ° auised , h y '*"> management of firi ln s? tl ' 0 ' aDd I'i'tt wider tho auspices of tho Lden Cycle Club, was decided on Saturday in hne weather, but over bad roads ihe heavy rains of Friday had left portions of the.clay roads sticky masses, through which it was almost an impossibility to drive a biey. ; i T !? 0 st ? op hills t0 bo negotiated also altected tho riders, four of tho gradients (in■eluding the famous Hazorback Hill) being too steep to ride. One of the live competitors who finished ostimated' that of the 90 miles covered he walked or ran 20 miles of the distance. The morning broko heavy and dull, and the competitors were alive to a severe task. Sixteen starters assembled at ten o'clock, the limit man going away punctually to time. One after another, all were dispatched to their respective time, the scratch men anxiously awaiting their turn at 11 a.m. The road to Ngaruawahia was fairly good, and tho riders travelled fast, the scratch men gaining twenty minutes on the limit. ■ The Hamilton representative, Twidle, was making a great eliort, and pushing through his men. Travelling down through Taupiri andiHuutly the men wore encouraged and cheered by the spectators. The ltnngirii'i Hills were now approached, tho heavy rains having left the clay roads in such a state that tho riders experienced great difficulty in oven walking, their-bicycle-wheels positively refusing to revolve,. while knives and sticks had to bo employed to dislodge tho clay. The.fortunes of the race were decidedly against the back men, who previously to this had come up well, but found that broken handles and punctures wero going decidedly against them. The front men, making the best of their advantage, arrived at Mercer a long way ahead of anticipated time, having, taken 3 hours 10 minutes from the start. -Nearing Penrose, Twidle, Maberley, and M. Scott were racing strong. Travelling along the back of tho Eoyal Oak and coming through Avondale, they entered the last stretch of their journey well ahead of all- other competitors, M. Scott winning from Twidle by about two lengths, with Maberley third, 20 minutes behind, p. Scott finished a strong fourth, and V. Scott sixth. The remaining competitors, having given up hope of any win, joined the train at Drurv, and arrived at eight o'clock, haying had varied experiences. The results were:—M. Scott, handicap 15min., riding time, 6 hours 45 min., 1 (fastest); A. Twidle, handicap lOmin., 2; B. Maberley, handicap 25min.,3; D. Scott, handicap 12min., 4; V. Scott, handicap 25min., 5. Also startedFlewellyn, Benyon, Wadman, Wickstead, Herring, Kitchen, A. Flewellyn, W. Scott, Viall, Lynch, Brennen, V. Scott. The fifth man to finish hnd a nasty fall on the other sido of Drury, and lay unconscious on the road for ten minutes. After some friendly attention he remounted and resumed his journey. When ho finished ho was found to bo suffering from cuts on tho head and shoulders as well'as grazed arms and legs. Of tho four brothers Scott who started, threo finished, while tho other is reported to have como a "cropper".over a sheep, and injured himself.