London
to Sydney Marathon
5th June - 4th July 2004
Day 29 - Glen Innes
to Port Macquarie
McANDREW AND McRAE
SPAR - LORIMER HITS BRIDGE
In the chilly early morning the streets
of Glenn Innes came alive to the unmistakable sounds of the
traditional kilted drum and pipe band. Competitors hurried
away eager to tackle three more forest stages and 57 kms of
full-on action on the penultimate day of the event.
TheFor some it was the signal to take things
easy and preserve their position without taking risks, for
others it was the opportunity to have a lunge and try and
fluster the man in front in the hope of gaining a place.
TheMcAndrew and McRae traded blows again like
a pair of prizefighters slugging it out with a vengeance.
Jimmy took the first stage by three seconds, Joe snapped back
with 17 second advantage over the second stage and Jimmy responded
with 39 second advantage over the last stage of the day. Phew!!
TheBut meanwhile Graham Lorimer’s third place
disappeared with a biff into a bridge going into the third
stage tucking his front wheel inwards at a wry angle.
The“The surface was really slippery and it
very nearly caught me out,“ said McRae. McAndrew’s co-driver
Murray Cole said, “Joe had a quick grab at the hand brake
to straighten it out otherwise we might have done the same
as Lorimer.”
TheSo Lorimer effected repairs, took a stage
maximum, and dropped to 4th place. That leaves the three Kiwi
Hondas in the first three places, almost a cert for the coveted
Team prize.
TheBut there are two stages yet to go tomorrow,
the last one called Fat Lady. And as the New York burlesque
theatres used to say .... it ain’t over ‘til the Fat Lady
sings. And that will be the case for tomorrow.
TheWalking wounded from yesterday on the return
– Gary and Rex Leeson repaired their gearbox and made it into
Glenn Innes at midnight and to the start line but penalties
drop them back to 14th.
TheLloyd Hughes in his battered Porsche 911
got most things pointing in the right direction and he surfaced
in Port Macquarie determined to make the last leg in to Sydney.
TheFreddie Preston and David Harrison in their
mangled Suzuki also appeared determined to get to the finish
again – they both made the finish 36 years ago in 1968. “Four
wheels are pointing the right direction so that’s a bonus,”
said Freddie. more...
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