TOUR DE SOUTHLAND

The 1935 effort lacked nothing in enthusiasm and the prize list of 70 pounds should have been sufficient in those days to attract the best talent.  The course covered most of the Southland province, from Invercargill through Winton, Castlerock and Lumsden, returning via Riversdale and Gore, a distance of 144 miles.

A small field of 21 riders competed, including five from Christchurch.  Four of these were on the scratch mark, including well known names in cycling circles, Frank Grose, Ivan Taylor, Jack Richards and Andy Lancaster.  The team riding of these men was a feature of the event.

The winner was Invercargill Amateur Cycling Club member and future president Harold Patton.  Riding off a handicap of 80 minutes, he put up a great performance in his first year of cycling.  Patton rode the last 11 miles solo with the scratch riders hot in pursuit of him from Woodlands.  He crossed the finish line with only 200 yards to spare from the chasing back markers.

1st     H. Patton    (80 min.)
2nd    I. Taylor    (Scratch)
3rd    F. Grose    (Scratch)
4th    J. Richards    (Scratch)
5th    G. Braxton    (65 min.)

Fastest Time
I. Taylor    7 hours 47 seconds.

© Copyright 2024 Cycling Southland. All rights reserved.
Powered by Flatout CMS v5