Some Good Times In Monday's Cycling Events

Chronicle (Levin), 9 December 1948, Page 9

Some Good Times In Monday's Cycling Events

IBy Don Yeaies) Last ' Monday 's' Spbfts mefeting produced some very close finishes and satisfactory times. Noel Parker continued his winning way an'd annexed. the first five ifiile race of the season; as well as the mile. Pat Roa'cli ledi thfe( Otaki ihr vasion with- two gddd wins, ah'd Levin's John Taylor and Keith Broadbelt scored a win each. It was pleasing to note Ross .Harper's win and. Geofge C'aldfer's place, as each of these bpys Was; involved in last week's pile-u]d, andi a quick return to competition can1 restore jsonfidence afcer such a shaking. ' A splendid f eature of the sport in Horowhenua is the co-opera-tion and friendly rivalr'y. which exists between each centre. Otaki, Shannon, Foxton and Levin . have worked out a system of reciprocal visits, which keeps up the size of fields and retains thfe interest of both the public and c'dihpetitdrs ih the sport. Foxton is altering and improyiiig its hard track and Shannon has embarked on the huge task df clearing its track of gfass an'd then resurfacing it. Wxth Levin's track improved and these other two once more in use. the district >wiil be very well placed' for hard tracks, and the game will receive' a much ne'eded boost.

An indication of the support acorded by vidtors to Levin's fey'eling meetings is given by the totals td.date of points in the handicap trophy aggrcgate. Ndel. pafker leads the seniors with 3'6 points t'd Malcolm HUfper's 19 and Chum Bloomfield's (Palmerston Ndr.th) 11. In 'the junior competition, Otaki 'riders show up rhuch more. Ross Harper and Ste'wart Bonner lead with 24 points each and then come Bill Wilton (Gtaki) 17, I. Mudgway (Otaki) 16, Ray Coilis (Otaki) and John Taylor (Levin) 12, and Pat Roach and Dfes. Smith (Otaki) 11.* In each section, riders from Foxton and Shannon are included, lower on the USts. "" Perhaps the juvenile stars will have noticea that I am no longerj featuring their events, . as earlier. ; Increasing popularity of these 1 epic ' struggles has ma'de the reporting of them altdgether too ffermidable a task. Ld'st weektherfe were two tricy'cle events apd five roadster »races. From results so far we have an outstanding tricyclist in Cheryl Gillespie, while amcng the older boys Jtihn Ogier has been pre-eminent in the roadster cycie. An early winner in this class, ^Keith Broadbelt has joined the ranks of racing cyclists prdper, and has scored his first success, so that one ob.iect of the boys' raceS, the diS'c'ovefy of riatural talent, has been achieved. They will be continued in thfe future, but most prdbabiy at an earlier stag'e df the meeting, fierhaps even the first i-ace.