CYCLING

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2650, 4 November 1909, Page 6

CYCLING

TIMARU-CHR ISTCHURCH ROAD RACE.

Reporting on the race of Saturday last the Christchurch “Press” says: The winner, O’Shea, rode a very good race and finished with a sprint that could hardly have been expected from one who had ridden such a hard race. He joined a good solid team early in the race, and his success was due in a large measure to the pacing he got from Birch and Jones. J. Arnst’s performance was a brilliant one, when all the circumstances are taken into account. The weather was fine, but the strong north-easterly wind that prevailed almost from the. commencement of the race made the long ride an exceptionally hard one, and those who were not woll seasoned had to “throw up the sponge” before they had covered half the distance. The roads, as a whole, were in splendid condition, though in portions they were liberally strewn with gorse which had been blown from adjacent hedges. Consequently, tyre troubles were numerous. The Marnonan road, which has proved such a trial to riders in previous races, presented the greatest difficulty. It was shingly here and there, and pools of water lay in at least half a dozen places, and this, combined with the strong wind, made th© race a very trying one. THE FINISH. By two o’clock there were fully a couple of thousand spectators on the ground to see the finish, and another thousand arrived at later intervals. Shortly after half-past three a motorcar dashed on to the course, practically at the head of a little procession of first arrivals. There were five dustgrimed, straining toilers in the jbunch, and they entered the gates in the following order:—P. O’Shea, L. Maw, G. Birch, E. M. Morris, and j. McTeague. Each was flying signals of distress. The men maintained their positions into the course and along the back stretch, all fighting against the full force of the head wind, crawled along with painful slowness. Rounding the eastern corner, still wheel to wheel, the competitors began to draw upon their little remaining reserves of strength, and opened out somewhat. Coining into the straight they all spurted magnificently. O’Shea jumped away twenty yards from. Maw, with whom Bireli fought out a desperate finish, the latter losing second place by a bare length. Morris finished fifteen yards behind Birch. O’Shea was carried off shoulder-high by his admirers, and was loudly cheered by the assemblage. W. Hill finished alone a few minutes later, followed shortly after by F. W. Croeisman, W. Walsh, and W. J. Garrett. Little groups appeared at odd intervals until live o’clock, when thirty-five riders were accounted for, and no further record was taken. The appearance of J. Arnst in twelfth position was loudly cheered, and he appeared to finish strongly and well. THE WINNER INTERVIEWED. The winner, P. O’Shea, is a sturdy Christchurch lad of twenty summers. He is employed as a packer in the warehouse of Messrs Henry Berry and Co., and states that his work suffices to keep him in good nick. He indulged in little or no special training for the big event, nor did he adopt any particular form of dieting. When the opportunity served he took a hundredmile spin -during his week-ends, but beyond that be made no extra preparation for his task. Interviewed after tlie race, and before be bad an opportunity of removing the grimed-from Ins youthful features, O’Shea said he had never Avon a race in his lit© and. it was not until recently that he had entertained serious thoughts of the racing path. His only other achievement was to com© sec.nd in a race on Labor Day. Speaking of Saturdays, contest, -O’Shea-said he had a hard, struggle all the way through. He had. a spill at Rangitata which buckled his’ wheel and cost what he felt was a considerable time in effecting repairs. He had another spill on this .side of Asnburton which shook him a good deal, but which did no serious damage. He and the group with which he was nditirr caught the limit men at Hinds, and from that point on they were- never troubled, and fought out the finish among themselves.