1956 a good year for Southland Cycling......

 




The 1956 Cycling season was successful with the inaugural Tour of Southland. It was so well organised and received from the public that the sponsors were lining up to take part again the next year.
Here is Tony Walsh, winner of the final day of the tour, with Warwick Dalton and Geoff Lankow 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Warwick Dalton was the overall and first winner in 1956 for the "Tour of Southland"

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Two riders had remained consistently competitive in 1956, scratch riders, Harry Hubber and John Holloway.  The former took the fastest time in the Gore-Invercargill race, ahead of Otago's best, K. Hastie.
B. Lynn, the Dunedin veteran, won the Gore race from S. McKenzie and Brian Toomey of Invercargill.  Hastie (Dunedin) P. Wylie and G. Weddell (Christchurch) took aggregate honours on the tour.
The peoples' favourite was the 'flying greek', Alex Panagiotidis who provided entertainment in his electrifying bursts and comittment.
Plenty of talent came to light in 1956 in the way of Bill Coates, Ray Alcock and Brian Toomey.
A finale to the season was a race from Invercargill to Woodlands and return which started from the president's place, D. McKenzie in Ward Street.
Riders competing were:
John Holloway, Harry Hubber, Trevor Tindale, Bill Coates, R. Hardy, W. Agnew, R. Howie, Ray Alcock, Rex McCorkindale, G. Howie, S. McKenzie, B. Hardy, Brian Toomey, R. Jenkins, T. Ineson, John Healey, R. Taylor, K. Healy, T. Healy, J. Hall, P. Coates.