CYCLE RACING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 231, 30 September 1929, Page 14

CYCLE RACING.

N.I. CHAMPIONSHIP. HALL'S EASY WIN. HARCOURT FASTEST MAN. The North Island cycling championship, decided over the road from Hamilton to Auckland, a distance of 87 miles, on Saturday, resulted in an easy win for G. Hall, a 19-year-old Aucklander, who recently joined the professional ranks. F. Taylor (Auckland) was second, W. Francis (Papakura) third, and the fourth man, J. H. Harcourt (Hamilton) also gained fastest time, winning the championship. His time, 3h 49m 37 l-ss, set up a fresh record.. Hall, the winner, rodf the last 25 miles of the race on his own, and after passing Papakura he went all out, not knowing how far the others were behind him. He entered the ground at 3.35 p.m., and rode half a circuit to the linishing line. The second man, Taylor, did not appear until 3.42. Two minutes later Harcourt and Francis came in. the gate, Harcourt being a wheel in front. The pair gamely sprinted to the post, and in a thrilling finish Francis got third, with only 3in to spare. Clarke appeared on the scene to get fifth three minutes afterwards, and then Jacob, the sixth man, who had ridden gamely throughout, checked in. Pinfold finished at 3.47, and the others finished at intervals. Pinfold experienced bad luck nearing hoiue, for when in a handy position going through Mangere with Francis and Harcourt he had a bad spill, injuring his right leg. Bellringer's Lone Ride. Bcllringcr, last year's North Island champion, had a lonely ride most of the" way. He started off from scratch on his own, and to a ''Star" reporter he said that he did not catch sight of another rider until he was ascending the steep Razorback Hill. Harcourt, this year's champion, said he had a good ride, and relished the task. He was glad he had won the blue riband, for he had not taken on many long-distance road races. He started in hist year's race, and was fourth in 1920, but this was his first big success on the road. He added that must of his work had been on the track. "I only got off my bike once during the race," he stated. Winner is Pleased. Hall was naturally pleased at his win and the good time he put up, for he only recently left the amateur ranks, this being his first big professional ride. ' The manner in which -he rode throughout and the condition in which he finished showed that this lad had been training well for the contest. This year's race was promoted by the Auckland Cycle Club. The number of entries was rather disappointing, but the whole field engaged in the championship was rich in quality, every man being particularly fit. The limit men, with a start of 42m, Whyte and McDonald, were sent away at 11.18 a.m. by the Mayor, Mr. J. R. Fow. There was a keen south-west wind, with bright sunshine. A large crowd assembled at the starting point and cheered the riders as they left. Sellringer, of New Plymouth, who won the race last year, started alone from scratch at noon. roads were in better order than ever,, with over half the distance, either bituminisqd or concreted. Excellent arrangements were made by the officials.of the club for the 'ontrol of the championship. Feeding and checking stations were provided at Huntly, Te Kauw.hata, Mercer and Papakiira. ' ■ The riders and handicaps werp:—N. Whyte (Auckland), J. McDonald (Auckland), 42m; J. Jacob (Auckland), G. Hall (Auckland), K, Rae (Auckland), F. Lowndes { Auckland), W. Archer (Auckland), 34m; C. Slack (Papakura), R. Clarke (Papakura); 32m; D. Aberhart (Whakatane), N. Healey (Auckland;, W. Hills (Auckland), 30m; P. Aberhart (Whakatane), F ; Taylor (Auckland), A. Griffiths (Whakatane), L. G. Penfold (Auckland), 25m; D. G. Fletcher (Auckland), L. K. Robert (New Plymouth), 20m; R. P.. Caulton (Te Awamntu), 18m; K. J. Mathieson (Auckland), D. Francis (Papakura), J. Henderson (Auckland), Ism; J. Lindop (Auckland), J. H. Harcourt (Hamilton), H. Hayes (Auckland), 8m; N. H. JBellringer (New Plymouth), scratch. At Ohinewai the official car came upon Coulter; who was riding better than anyone else in the race from Hamilton until he reached that spot, where his front tyre and tube blew out, and as hr had no spare lie had .>to retire, which was most unlucky. At two o'clock the car caught P. Eberhart and Whyte, half-way between Pokeno and Mercer. Going up the Pokeno Hill there was a. big bunph, and several minutes lajter the car crime up to Taylor, who was riding etrongly, with Slack ahead of him. Hall was leading Slack by half a mile at Papakura, with Taylor a similar distance behind. Following Taylor were. McDonald, Clark, Pinfold, Archer, and Griffiths, with the rest well spread out.

PLACES AND RIDING TIMES.

G. Hall (Auckland), 34m 1 F. Taylor (Auckland), 25m .... 2 W. Francis (Papakura), 15m 3 J. H. Harcourt (Hamilton), 8m .... 4 R. Clarke (Papakura), 32m 5 J. Jacob (Auckland), 34m 6 L. G. Pinfold (Auckland), 25m .... 7 C. Slack (Papakura), 32m 8 J. McDonald (Auckland), 42m " 9 The others finished in the following order: —L. R. Roberts (New .Plymouth), K. J. Mathieson (Auckland), J.'Henderson (Auckland), W. Arclieu,-' (Auckland), N. •H. Bellringer.. (New ), K. Rae (Auckland),. Healey* (Axicicland)/ Lindop (Auckland), Lowndes and Hill. Fastest Time. ' J. H. Harcourt (Hamilton), Bm, '3h 49m 37 l-ss. Second fastest time, W. Francis (Papakura), 15m, 3h 56m 375. Third fastest time, N. H. Bellringer (New Plymouth), scr, 3h 57m 18s. Riding Times. The following were the riding, times of the-placed men:—

ROUND THE GORGES RACE.

WON BY N. BERRY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. A cycling race round the gorges resulted: — N. Berry (Christchurch) 1 L. Buckley (Christchurch) ........ 2 D.J.Richardson (Christchurch) <5 F J. Grose (scratch) made the fastest time (4 hours 40 minutes 15 seconds). Berry, the winner, rode a great race',' and although he came in looking very tirecl, he was able to put a spurt on to beat • Buckley by a length. Grose s time broke his last year's record by approximately Bm.

MANUKAU AMATEUR CLUB.

A junior race of five miles and a-half, and a senior race over four laps of the Mangere circuit—22 miles—were decided by the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club at Manegere Central on Saturday. A high northerly wind taxed the riders over the portim of each circuit, and consequently no fast times were recorded. In far>t the times all round were very slow._ Seven riders competed in the lumor race, which resulted as follows: — W. C. Paul, 4m 1 K. L. Francis, 45s ~ L. Oxton, lm 10s *J 11. V. Gordon, lm 45s * Fastest time was recorded by R. L. Francis, off 435, in 15m 525. Lethaby, off 2os, was only a second slower. Thirty contested the 22 miles senior race. There were far too many retirements, and only 14 wero left at the end of lap three. For the first three laps M. It. Carter, 6m 30s, held the lead, but at the beginning of the fourth and final lap he was closely followed by a bunch of six, who were fast overhauling him, and only 52 seconds behind. The scratch trio, Dwight, Roberts and Mackie, the latter of Christchurch, who finished in that order, wero then 3m 3os behind and hopelessly out of the placings. When the final sprint commenced Galbraith shot ahead early and sustained a long and spirited sprint to finish with nve lengths to spare. The placed men were: — C. G. Galbraith, 2m 50s 1 X. Casey, 5m f A. W. Maekrell, 5m 30s o S. Baird, 2m 50s 4 11. R. Dwight (scratch) beat Roberts by a length for fastest time, which he recorded in Clin 3Ss.

Hrs. Mins. Sees. Hall .A 9 3 Taylor ..>...,.*. > 4 0 12 Francis 3 56 37 Harcourt ;....... 3 49 571-5 Clarke ........:. 4 14 2 Jacob . .. 4 . 18 ! 26 Pinfold 4 13 50 Slack 4 22 5 Roberts 4 13 28 Hayes .....,....'. 4 , 1 ,281-5 McDonald 4 ..36 40 M.athiesbn:• \. i '.'... 20 ■ Henderson : ..;,. i.., ' 4 10 28 Archer 4: 30 ■■ -51 Bellringer ♦......» 3 57 18