Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 48, 19 May 1927, Page 12

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS”

COMING FIXTURES May 21.—Manukau Cycling Club’s road race, Mangere course. May 21.—Auckland A. and C. Club’s road race, Mangere course. All road races were postponed owing to the weather last Saturday. WITH THE AMATEURS r PHE Manukau Cycling Club does not postpone a road race if it is possible to run it, but last Saturday’s rain made no other alternative possible. Secretary Wil son, and four other competitors “in oilskins” made their way to the starting post in the middle of the heaviest rain, only to find that there were no officials present to take charge. They were therefore compelled to miss the race, and* made their way back to town in a deluge of rain. The 22-mile open handicap, promoted by the M.C.C. for last Saturday, will take place this coming Saturday on the Mangere course. The same handicaps will hold good. This should be one of the best races of the season, and there is nothing to stop the back markers, if they work together, to be there or thereabout at the finish. Byrnes should catch Bray on lmin and these two then should have no trouble in picking up Casey and Galbraith on the 2min mark. Once these four back markers get together, the limit of Bmin should not be too much of a handicap for them to overhaul. It would not be a surprise to see the winner come from one of these four. It should be the best race of the season to watch. There are 76 riders handicapped for this race, so it looks as if a record field will face the starter. With an entry this size, it looks as if the M.C.C road races will soon have to be run in heats. MERCER TO AUCKLAND The Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association should not let the Mercer-Auckland fixture lapse this year. Last year, the interest created in it was very considerable, and with a decent day, this year’s race should be a great drawing card. The New Zealand 50-mile road cycling championship has been allotted to the Auckland centre. Should the Mercer-Auckland course be used, the centre could probably see its way to run its provincial 50-mile championship, say a fortnight before the big event. This would give the riders a chance of trying the hills on the journey, and getting used to them. F. Grose, the N.Z. amateur cycling champion, is competing in road races In and around Christchurch, but barring fastest time prizes, he has not seen much prize money. He is riding better than ever this year, and there Is no other rider at present showing anything like the times he has been putting up on the roads. Every effort should be made to get him to start In the 50-mile New Zealand road championship held here later in the aeason. The council of the New Zealand A.A.A. has been notified that the world’s cycling sprint championship will be held on a “hard track.” As the New Zealand championships this year are to be held on English Park Stadium track, the council can then see who the “hard track” champion is. THE CASH RIDERS Owing to a consistent downpws of rain the Auckland A. and C. Club had to postpone its 14-mile open handicap last Saturday to this coming Saturday. The same handicap goes with the event, and the race will start at 2.30 p.m. With four scratch men all starting In tha 14-mile road race on Saturday and each man doing his bit, there should be very litde between the riders a t the finish. The limit men, Rickman, Gallagher and Matthews, on Bmin. 30sec., have only got to pace one an-

other decently and they must have a mortgage on the race. The winner may ultimately be found around the 3min. 30sec. mark. J. Harcourt, the crack Hamilton rider, will not be a competitor in any of the road races held at Mangere until the Auckland championships. He intends to compete in all of them and should add considerable interest to these events. Now that the Auckland Cycling Club is interested in the Dunlop North Island championship road race, it seems almost certain that the Hamil- ! ton-Auckland road championship race controlled by it last year will be allowed to lapse this year. It seems a great pity if this should happen, as last year’s race created tremendous interest. One hopes that something will be done to retain this fine event. The proposal to hold the finish of the North Island championship at Onehunga does not meet with general approval. This year’s race will be on a much bigger scale than last year’s. There is always the chance of a crowd taking charge of the road and seriously interfering with the riders. The risk is too great in a race like this. For the sake of the riders and the public it .is hoped the committee responsible for the final arrangements will secure a ground to hold the finish, where the public can see it in comfort. W. Mackie has arrived in Newark, America, and in a letter received the New Zealand champion states that ho is more interested in six days’ races than racing behind the rollers. It looks as if Mackie will be going in more for long grinds than fast work behind motors. He is sure to give a good account of himself in whatever line he takes on. and New Zealand cyclists will await further news with interest. Phil O’Shea will race again on the road this season. So says a Southern paper. As Phil has improved with age on the track, it’s possible he may do the same on the road. If he does, Watson, Laskey and the rest of New Zealand’s road champions should take a trip for a time away from Canterbury. AUCKLAND-WELLINGTON RECORD A. Sutherland, winner of the Hamil-ton-Auckland championship last year, will attempt to put up a record between Auckland and Wellington m about a fortnight’s time. Sutherland, who has been doing some long rides lately, preparing for the 480-mile journey between the two cities, is confident he can get through under the three days, including all steps. It is proposed that a closed car will accompany him the whole of the journey, in which will be fixed a bed, which the rider can make use of any time he feels inclined. The official time-keeper and a press representative will be the other occupants of the cor, and will also give Sutherland every assistance over his long journey. Talking to “Velox” he appeared to treat the matter of riding 480 miles in anything but a serious way, merely remarking that “if you make up your mind to do a ride like this, you’ll do it, and that ends it.’* It is to be hoped that the organisation controlling the attempt will see to it that all the arrangements are well thought out. Given fine weather and the roads in fairly good order, Sutherland should put up decent time. He is the class of rider who' can be depended on to do his best, and with proper assistance the ride should be an interesting one. THE MANUKAU CLUB SATURDAY’S ROAD RACE The following handicaps have been declared for the Manukau Cycling Club’s 11-mile road race at Mangere on Saturday: M. P. Byrnes, scr.; W. T. Bray, 30sec.; C. Galbraith, F. Casey, lmin.; H. G. Brewin, K. Rowe, K. J. Mathieson, H. Dwight, V. Baker, J. Whitten, lmin. 30sec.; L. Wilson, J. V. Gore, J. H. Wade, C. Gainsborough, A. G. Baird, 2min.; J.

C. Stewart, W. McCullum, W. Rowe, 11. McElroy, C. A. Clarke, E. Grant, 2min. 30sec.; N. Fisher, L. Chambers, W. Tomlinson, D. C. Stewart, H. Bowman, 2min. 45sec.; D. O'Conne* W. G. Jeeves, J. Whelart, C. Faithful], H. Gargan, E. Botterill, E. M. Taylor, V. Sanders, A. Green, E. Boucher, H. C. Stansfield, Smin.; B. Titchener, R. Pelham, H. Russell, R. A. Mclntyre, F. K. Glass, E. Andrews, W. Dwight, W. B. Worboys, A. W. Pinker, L. Devlin, H. Deakin, B. Clark, P. Platt, Smin. 15sec.; A. Sercombe, L. Bickerton, C. L. Russell, J. S. Beard, F. Grogan, R. E. Wright, I. Gear, F. Harvey, IT. Webb, 3min. 30sec.; S. Baird, H. Stewart, R. Foubister, F. Gibbons, F. A. Reid, A. Watson, C. Heron, J. Commons, D. Anderson, G. M. Kelly, O. Felton, T. George, H. Caves, G. A. Young, A. Davies, A. Dickey, C. Manson, 4min. The junior handicap race, 5 h miles, is open to all riders under 16. The big race will start at 3 p.m., and the junior event at 2.30. AUSTRALIAN SPRINT CHAMPION LEAVES FOR UNITED STATES By the Aorangi last week, Australians fastest sprinter passed through Auckland on his way to Newark under contract to appear in cycling races at tracks controlled "by J. Chapman’s management. “Fitzie,” as he is popularly known by, is ridingi better this year than ever. He has had a wonderful season, winning championships over all distances; and finishing up by winning the six days’ race run in Sydney recently, with “Ken” Ross as his partner. He is accompanied by brother “Mick,” J. Longcake, Grant Pye, who, with Rogers, ran third in the six days’ event, and R.. McKelvie, who will act as trainer. The party was disappointed that Blandford Stadium was not in order for a meeting, but they were pleased with the shape and banking of the cycle track, and when they are returning will make arrangements to compete at one of next season’s meetings.