AMATEUR FIFTY MILF RACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 238, 8 October 1928, Page 16

AMATEUR FIFTY MILF RACE.

WON BY WHITTEN. j •k FIRST AND FASTEST TIME. I £• In perfect weather the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club staged their .first, .provincial cycling cliampionship onSaturday. In previous years the Aucklarid centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association has bad control, but very rightly transferred tbeir authority this: year to thii live club, who have in no un-j certain manner revived this popular! sport; There were'3l starters in Satur, day's event, on marks ranging from 15j minutes to -scratch. The results, as; forecasted in this journal, turned out] correct, as the raee was won from the; iharkof honour by J. Whitten, who rode,: a remarkably <well judged race. He' also won the championship. The arrange-: ments were well, carried out by Secretary; Wilson and his energetic band of officials, who saw to it that the roadj both on the out and home journey! was 1 well patrolled by mot^atik

The following is the result:— j J. Whitten, scratch 1 C. A. Clarke, 8m 2 W. Dwight, 0m 3 A. Sercombe, 6m 4 H. Borland, 10m „.. 5 C. Harris, 10m 6 L. Pinfold, 3m 7 W. Borland, 11m 8 Time, 2hrs 31min. Fastest Time.—J. Whitten (scr), 2hrs 10m. Second Fastest.—W. Dwight (6m), 2hrs 22m 22sec. Following the Riders. Punctually at 2 p.m. the limit riders, Wliitehouse, W. Clark and Francis (15m) were sent away, followed at intervals by thd remainder of the field. Little or no change took place in the order of starting till nearing Clevedon, where H. Russell, J. C. Stewart and H. Dwight had their chances spoilt by, the two former having machine trouble, and the latter skidding in some loose metal and falling heavily. Rounding the turn at Clevedon the front markers, with G. A. Clarke, H. and W. Borland putting in some great pacing work, led by just on nine minutes from the sci'atch bunch. The going up to here had been good, a slight following wind assisting the riders. Once round, however, a different tale was told. A stiff breeze ahead was encountered which practically gave the back markers the race. Leaving Clevedon the riders bunched up, and at Bulls there were seventeen, composed of back and middle markers, all spread over the road. Here Whitten, Wade and Casey commenced to force the pace, and with the exception of Pinfold, the other 14 were all sitters in. Nearing

PapaWtlra Hinwood cried enough, so did ■Fletcher and Currie. Francis .also retired here punctured, while a bunch of five, including Baird, Taylor and three others'all 1 came down in a heap, one going over the other, necessitating the Press car jamming on all brakes to pull up. Passing through Papakura the limit bunoh with Clark and .the two Borlands poing well, were 3m .< 45s to the good. He>e the back markers commenced to pjieod up and here it was' Wade commenced to feel the pinch first. Coming into Manurewa the first of the limit, bunch , was sighted, and here Whitten j asserted himself. Leaving, the p others' nearing Wiri he simpjy picked up first one and: then another of the front markera: who. by this time had strung out with Borland leading. Clarke was also going well here, but the other back, markers, Dwight, Wade and Pinfold; were losing groUnd. Shortly afterwards Wade and two others came down, and Whitten, riding strongly, passed the win-ning-post, a winner by. ten lengths. A similar distance separated second/ and third.

AUCKLAND CLUB.

FOURTEEN-MILE EVENT. There, was a field. Qf ,16 starters for the Auckland Club's fourteen-mile handicap rare on Saturday afternoon. The winner. C| Slack, won rather easily, but his victory! was popular. | Result:— C. Slack,..4m ;. l N. Whyte, 4m 30s 2 K. Rae, 3m s H, Lee, 4m ;.Ui... 4 Time, 40m 455. Fastest time: J. Lindop (scr), 3Cm 245. Tlie winner, won comfortably after being well placed all the way. He has been- a consistent performer at Mangere, and deserved his win. There was a closc finish for second and third -places. J. Lindop riding alone from scratch, had no difficulty in winning, fastest time.