CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 235, 4 October 1928, Page 16

CYCLING.

MANUKAU CYCLING CLUB.

50 MILES CHAMPIONSHIP,

AMONG THE AMATEURS.

FIFTY MILE CHAMPIONSHIP.

. Auckland's 50 mile amateur cycle i championship will 'take place next Satur- i day, over the Clevedon out-and-bome i course, recognised as, one of the best 50 i mile road stretches oVer this distance in i the Dominion. The start will take place at Sir John Logah Campbell's statue, . and riders will go via the Great South j Road to Papakura, thence to Clevedon, ' • and return over the, same course to the l starting, point. . There.are just enough : hills in this 50 miles to find out the ] weak spots in riders. Last year the { event was held in pouring rain, the championship being won by J. H. Wade, j /who beat M. P. Byrnes by inches in a ' desperate finish. This year Wade is ] again a starter, being on the mark of > honour with J. Whitten, who ran fourth ] in the New Zealand "50" last month and ] who, incidentally, beat F. G. Lukey in ; the sprint home by several lengths. This ( year's contest will undoubtedly be be- j tween these two riders, and if Whitten , can produce his New Zealand "50" form,. 4 then it looks like Wade havihg to suffer ( defeat. M. P. Byrnes and H. Dwight will not | be starters in Saturday's big race, so Wade and Whitten will be together and fan be depended on to ride a great race. 1 Both riders are at the top of their "form , and will see to it that the pace is a fast one all the way. To pick the winner of the handicap looks like C. A. \ Clarke, if he has the' riders to carry him along, as his finish on Saturday was ' a long way ahead of any of the riders ■ who finished with him. Others who 1 must also be given a chance are J. C. ' Stewart, W. Tomlinson and F. J. Casey. 1 As the handicaps do not appear till Thursday further comment would be useless. The Cotter Cup handicap, competed for each year by riders belonging to the Manukau Amateur Cvcle Club, ai«d carrying with it a valuable trophy, is looked upon by riders as one of the "titbits" of the season. Saturday's race was contested by 43 riders, which included all of the club's best, with the exception of M. P. Byrnes. T'.ie limit, smin., did not appear beyond the scratch man, but the pace set was such a solid one that when the placed riders were announced it was found- that 47 seconds separated them. The time, 42in 325, establishes a fresh record and works out at just on an average speed of 24 miles an lioxir over the full journey. The winner, C. A. Clarke, started off the 2m 30s mark, and -rode a heady race. He was well paced all the way, and getting a lucky clear run 200 yds from the finish got up in time to win by inches. Clarke's performance was a good one,] and is easily his best thift season. He can be depended on to stay out a hard racc. as he was the winner of the Mercer I to Auckland road race in. 1026, .which carried with it the championship blue ribbon. He is a starter in the Aiick* land 50-mile championship on Saturday a * ■ lik© running a good race. . t A. Sercombe, who finished second, was nlsojji! the 2in 30s mark, and did his ? N* e Pacing. He finished well, vut It his run. too late. W. Tomlin- .;■ . . r.N-v.;'J., ~ , ...

'son looked the winner a hundred yards from the finish, but faded, out. He had tidden a hard race, putting in good pacing work', which evidently found him out at the finish. He was thought to be second by many on the finishing line. There was only one in it when it came to the sprint for fastest time amongst the three Bcratch men (Wade, Whitten and Dwight), the first-named winning easily. Wade has had a remarkable run of fastest times this season, no less than ten coming his way. Over intermediate distances he seems invincible. .. The following is the prize list for the Auckland 50-mile provincial championship, .run next Saturday:—First prize: Trophies to the value of £5 5/, donated by Farmers' Trading Company, P. Faithful and H. Clarkson; the Faithful challenge shield also goes with this prize. Second prize: Trophies to the value of £3 3/, donated by F. R. Hutchison and Skeates and White. Third prize: Trophy to the value of -£2 2/, donated by ; Clarke's Cycle Works. Fourth prize: Trophy to the value of £1 7/6, donated by Butler Cycle Works, Christchurch. Fifth prize: Trophy to the value of £1 5/, donated, by -T. Faithful. Sixth, seventh'and eighth prizes; Medals by P. Faithful., Fastest time prize: Trophies valued at -£6 6/, donated by Auckland Centre. A.A.A. (medal), Manukau Club (championship blue ribbon), E. H. Cucksey and C. Taylor. Second fastest time' prize: Trophies valued at £3'3/, donated by Auckland Centre A.A.A. (medal), Mersort Bros., Pioneer Cycle Works, Auckland Cycle and Motor Depot. The race will start at 2 p.m. from: Sir John Logan Campbell's Monument, Epsom, and should be finished by about 4.15 p.m. Mrs. G. W. Cleaver will present the winner of the championship with'the controlling club's (the Manukau Ama'teuf Cycle) sash at the finish of the race.

The following handicaps have been declared by Mr. R. Jackson for the 50mlles Auckland provincial amateur championship cycle road race, to be 'conducted y Manukau Amateur Cycling Club next Saturday afternoon, over an "out and home" course extending from -Sir' John Logan Campbell's statue. Epsom, to Clevedon and back, the limit men being sent off 5, p v?V, : ~ J H. Wade. -J. Whitten, - scr; F\ .T. Casey. 2m; C. G. Galbralth, A. W.;Pinter. U Pinfold; F. T*v-' Foublster, .D. Hope, A..G.. S V 4m: w - Dwight, F. E. C. Stewart, A. Sercombe, W. rSSiI r' S" £.* J? en ""od. 6m; K. G. dfi * • I>evlln, W. Rowe G W Rollerson. E. Cleaver. 7m: H. EusselL C. R Wm™ C L. RnnseU. D. Fletcher. 8m ; *y , fttson. K. Sprajtj?. H, Borland TT J "iit&Ka, frttiSSttriA. Rpp,(], 'D. H. Butterworth 14m • t w»' Donald W. CTarreUy F K .Glass, C. Francis. G, Whitebouse ikm th^ ha il? plons ? lp . hononrs will be' gained by SLrfrt.'Sl 1 ' festwt time.^rre^pp^ Iti • tJj? handicap mark .from which he starts. Cycling enthusiasts wishing; to witness the finish, which will be staitl should be in attendancejaot later