Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 102, 21 July 1927, Page 8

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS”

SATURDAY’S EVENTS M.A.A.C. Races.—26-mile Handicap to Papatoetoe; SJ-mile Junior Handicap. A. A. and C.C. Event.—l4-mile Open Handicap. Saturday was an ideal day for cycle racing. A fairly strong wind blew across the course during the afternoon; but judging by the times recorded it did not interfere seriously with the racing. The course, in the opinion of many of the riders, was never better. There were three spills during the afternoon, all of a minor nature. J. G. Stewart, K. Mathieson and V. Baker were the unfortunates who came to grief. After being attended to by a member of the St. John Ambulance Brigade they seemed none the worse for their experience. Mr. E. Tolley, the handicapper for the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club, has produced some very excellent finishes this season. On more than one occasion he has had the limit and scratch divisions in the finishing picture. Last Saturday’s finish in the 16A-mile senior event was another triumph for him. Ten riders finished in a bunch, with inches only separating them. The s£-mile junior event proved to be one of the hardest races ridden by the juniors at Mangere this season. Jumping each other and getting breaks on which could not be picked up, the contestants provided a real ding-dong tussle throughout the race. The result of this sort of racing was that the winner got in one of these jumps over the last mile, and won by 60yds. HIS FIRST WIN

S. Lichfield, the winner of Saturday’s junior race, made no race of the opposition. Once he hit the front it was good-bye to the rest of the field. He is a strong rider, and although this was his first win, he is due for another any time now.

C. Maxwell, who finished second in the junior event, rode a gruelling race. Over the last 300 yards he was very tired, but when within sight of the finish he looked round and saw he was sure of second place. Having no hope of catching the winner he eased up. He has had one third to his credit this season.

D. Hope, one of the favourites in the race, did not ride up to expectations. With a first and a third to his credit in the same company this season, he was looked on as a likely winner. He was giving the winner 30sec, but was beaten by him by more than that. He did not seem to be riding in his best form on Saturday, looking off colour.

L. Pinfold, who finished fourth, is one of the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club’s most enthusiastic riders. His only success so far this season is first prize in a sealed sj-mile time trial handicap, run a few weeks back. He had a hard ride on Saturday to get into fourth place. He is inclined to do too much pacing, thereby spoiling his chances at the finish.

E. Tolley, on the 3min mark, again put up a good performance. The wind over the first two miles was against him. but he plugged into it, and was mainly responsible for keeping the limit boys away from the back markers. Over the last mile he tired — and was beaten out of a place. He did not ride in his best form on Saturday. Saturday’s senior race was responsible for one of the best finishes seen at Mangere this season, ten riders crossing the finishing line together in the /M:e event. There were 28 starters, and the front division set such a merry pace that they collected all the money. The time for this race (43min 31sec) proves that a fast pace was maintained all the way. DWIGHT’S RECORD H. Dwight, who won the fastest time prize in the 16&-mile event on Saturday, established a record for the course. Starting on the 30sec. mark with Casey and Galbraith, these three riders put up one of the finest exhibitions of race riding seen at Mangere. Pacing each other all out over 500 yards stretches, they established a course record that will take some beating. Dwight stayed out the fast journey better than the other two riders, and won by half a length. The winner of Saturday’s 16£-mile senior event, E. Taylor, has been a consistent performer in races held by the Manukau Cycling Club this season. Starting off the 3£ min. mark, he secured his first win. He rode one of his best races to date, and now he lias broken the ice it is on the cards tlint another race will come his way shortly.

C. Rolleston (4min), who finished second, and A. Davies (3min), who finished third, in Saturday’s senior event, were two riders who did their share of the pacing right through the race. Their riding shows a big improvement.

Eddie Grant (3min), who finished fourth, is one of the M.A.C.C. greatest supporters. He has been a starter in nearly all open events this season, but so far has not met with much success.

One of the most consistent performers competing at Mangere is A. C. Baird. He has not had much luck this season, a fastest time prize only coming his way. Many races that he starts in, lie can always be depended on to do his bit. A win by this rider would be popular with his club-mates.

M. P. Byrnes, on scratch, in the Manukau Club’s races, is having a very quiet time at present. The gaps he is asked to pick up do not appear to be impossible, but to a rider on his own, they are very formidable. His last three starts seem to have been three good “work-outs” for him. With Byrnes among the back-markers in a race, the event becomes much more interesting.

All junior riders should make a point of changing from their racing togs into dry clothes as soon as they have finished their races. This should be made compulsory by the club on wet days. Riders should also know that to hang around in damp and sweaty clothes is one of the worst things they could do. A very few Saturdays of this sort of thing will soon play havoc with a rider's constitution in after-life. The Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club’s 20-mile open race, held at Mangere on Saturday, resulted in a win for “Jerry” Mathieson, off the 3min mark. The race attracted a field of 17 starters, and the finish was a very fine one. The racing was spoilt by riders dropping out early in the race. The limit riders are certainly not in their best form at present, as they tire badly when two laps have been covered. MATHIESON IN FORM “Jerry” Mathieson, who won Saturday’s open race, rode his best race to date. He has it on any of the riders in a slow-run race, or a race where he has not to make the pace. Frank prior, winner of the second prize, and also winner of the fastest time prize, rode well. He looks a little short of work, so Saturday’s race should do him some good. Jim Henderson was not in his best form on Saturday. He did not seem to be pacing in his usual free style. P. White rode a great race from scratch. He dropped Hayes early, and although Sutherland took him along for a lap, he must have put in some great work to only miss fastest time by 14sec. Slater Hayes has not struck form yet. In Saturday’s race he was missing from the scratch brigade the first time round. This is something very unusual to happen to Slater. NOTES AND NEWS A. C. Ritchie still wins the fastest time prizes in Christchurch. He has had a wonderful run this season, winning practical ly every fastest time prize he has started in, with the exception of the 30-mile championship of Canterbury. Ritchie looks the “goods” for the Warrambool-Melbourne trip in October. The Dunlop 100-mile North Island Road Championship may be run earlier to give the fastest time rider a chance of competing in the TimaruChristchurch event. This course was advocated by THE SUN some time back. A meeting of the directors of Blandford Park Stadium Company, Ltd., was held on Monday, when it was decided to open the stadium in October. The cycling track will be repaired and topdressed, while the 100 and the 400 yards running tracks will be specially prepared. Both tracks will be available to train on early in October. A Southern paper has the following skit: “Absence does not make the heart of the North Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union grow • any fonder of Willie Mackie.” Six Australian sprinters in America are competing in the American National Championship. With Harris Horder, Cecil Walker and Jack Fitzgerald among them, Australia’s chances look particularly rosy. At the present time Harris Horder is sprinting better than ever in his career, so he much be given a great chance. There is a proposal on foot to stage the first “Continental” cycle race in Australia on similar lines to the world-famous Tour de France. It is intended to stage the race from Sydney to Melbourne, 565 miles, under Continental conditions—all starting from scratch, with the riders graded into two classes. A suggestion has been made that the field should be limited to 100 selected riders, including interstate and New Zealand representatives. It is also probable that a “sealed” handicap will be decided simultaneously with the scratch event, to encourage all starters to finish.