Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 138, 1 September 1927, Page 8

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

-{ By

“VELOS.”

The Auckland Athletic and Cycling dub’s entry for its Papakura race on Saturday was 26. Of this number, 21 faced the starter. This is a club record, 20 being the previous best. Now that the football season is drawing to a close, it is expected that a number of new riders, and some of last year’s older ones, will be seen on the Mangere

course, which is the finest of its kind in Australasia. The thanks of the club are due to Mr. White, the father of A. ‘ Putty” White, who donated £ 2 2s to Saturday’s prize fund. Other sportsmen might emulate Mr. White’s sportsmanlike action.

Alan Brennan, winner of the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club’s race to Papakura and back, sprung a surprise on everyone, including himself, lie was on a nice, handy mark, and with his experience he won a good race in a workmanlike manner. Alan is riding well just the same, and when the iiamilton-Auckland big event comes up for decision he will be worth watching. He has only just recovered from the very bad smash he had at Mangere two months ago. Jim Henderson put up a good ride to get fourtli place in Saturday’s race. Starting off the 3m mark he succeeded in finishing in front of all the back markers. “Hendy” will be hard in the Hamilton-Auckland.

Fred Lovvdnes, who finished second, had bad luck in falling when only a few miles had been covered. He pluckily re-mounted and chased the field, catching them up in half a mile, liad this unfortunate accident not occurred Fred must nearly have won. This is his second fall this season.

The third rider to finish was Rickman, 6m 30s. He has not figured on the prize list since winning earlier in the season. He is a promising rider and should have done much better than he has. His finish on Saturday was a good one, gaining him third place. RODE WELL, BUT PUNCTURED “Slater” Hayes, Auckland’s crack rider of last year, had bad luck in puncturing. Slater was riding well when the mishap occurred. He is riding better now than he has done during the season. Fit and well, he will keep Auckland’s best busy over any distance.

The handicapper for the Auckland Cycling Club produced a very fine finish in Saturday’s race. The .result proved that the limit riders, Dean and Rhodes, can be treated more liberally in the future. These riders ride every Saturday, and never get anywhere near the money. What about it, Mr. Oakes?

Frank Prior had no trouble in winning fastest time. Putty White had bad luck in allowing a stray pedal to find its way into his front wheel, which ripped out several spokes. This occurred about a mile from the finish and put White out of the race. Last week Prior pulled his foot out of his straps, so next Saturday’s fastest time should be a race worth seeing. Both riders are very fit. HILLS BREAKS HIS ARM

W. (“Billy”) Hills, one of the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club’s mainstays, has had the bad luck to break an arm. This is a particularly unfortunate accident, as the popular “Billy” was looking forward to the longer distanced races coming on shortly. J. Harcourt, Auckland's crack sprinter, may not be seen in action in the Auckland Club’s championship to be decided at Mangere on Saturday, September 10. He has been on the sick list and has not been able to do much training. J. Randrup is also out of action, having ricked an ankle. It is to be hoped both riders compete, as it would be interesting to see how they compare with the local talent. The 25-mile Auckland professional road championship will be decided on Saturday, September 10, on the Mangere course. The start and finish will bo from Mangere Bridge. This year’s event should prove a very interesting one, as several such well-known pedallers as Prior, Hayes, White, Harcourt, Sutherland, Matliieson and Henderson, are sure to provide a very close finish. It looks like being fought out between Harcourt, Prior and White, with Jerry Mathieson always to be considered. A review of the riders will appear in next week’s SUN. A PROMISING RIDER

The Manukau Club’s junior race was responsible for 11 starters. Owing to the amount of traffic on the course the time taken was not up to the juniors’ usual standard. The winner, F. G. Keenan, rode a heady race, winning fairly easily by four lengths. This rider was mentioned in THE SUN some time back as a likely-looking youngster with a good seat. His win on Saturday, and his second the previous Saturdays, proves that his wins were anticipated rightly. A. Reed, who finished second, paced well, lie and the midget Tolly were of the same mark. They made full us of their handicaps, but Keenan curried too many guns for them over the last bit. Catching them a short distance from the finish he beat both of them to the finishing line. L. Holden, who finished fourth, was the actual limit boy. Starting 3m 15s ahead of the scratch riders, he made every post a winning one. Rounding Robertson’s Road corner he was travelling some, missing a car by a few inches. He, however, tired over the last mile and finished as above. A. JSercombe again won fastest time. In a ding-dong finish he beat G. Rose by three lengths. The four backmarkers, A. Sercombe, G. Rose, S. Lichfield and D. Hope, were evidently only after time. G. Rose appeared to l)e the only rider of this bunch wanting to take pace. Watching each other, all were waiting for that final kick. These tactics nearly cost them "time,” as they only beat the winner’s actual time by 10s.

The senior event saw 29 riders go to the post. H. Dwight was an absentee from the scratch mark. The race was handicapped in bunches, with up to lm 30s gaps. This system proved a great success, and had more riders started would have provided a better contest still. The final result proves that the limit could have been greater, us the pacing by the different bunches, which was particularly good, favoured the back markers. The pacing done by the lm 30s riders, which included L. Wilson, J. Wade, L. Chambers and K. Matliieson, was one of the features of the afternoon’s racing. Anothe.r rider who stood out head and shoulders above the others in the

front division was C. L. Russell. He paced well over the whole journey, tiring in the last few miles. A COURSE RECORD J. Wade, who won the senior handicap event on Saturday, established a record for the course. His time, 59m 3 1 3-5 s for the 22 miles, is a particularly smart performance. Wade’s last

three starts have been, three firsts, two fastest times and one course record. This is a performance that probably has never been done by any road rider. It will certainly take some beating.

L. Chambers*, who ran second, looked a winner 100 yards from the finish. He tired over the last 50 yards and was beaten by a length. He leaves for Wellington this week, and is taking his racing machine with him. He intends competing in any races that might be on.

Les Wilson was unlucky in striking two such brilliant sprinters as Wade and Chambers. His finishing sprint was the best he has shown this season, but the amount of pacing credited to him during the race took the sting out of it.

The scratch division, Byrnes, Casey, Galbraith and Dwight, looked to have a good chance of winning on paper. Dwight did not start, and when a lap had been covered by the other three, Galbraith dropped out. This settled whatever chances they had. Gradually losing ground, Casey—who beat Byrnes in the sprint—was beaten by a good margin for fastest time, by Wade, the winner of the race.

Snowy Baker, one of the Manukau Cycling Club’s senior riders, had a narrow escape from serious injury last week. He was struck by a motorcar while cycling at Royal Oak and, fortunately, was knocked clear of his cycle, which was completely wrecked. Baker was very badly knocked about and may not be seen in action till the New Zealand championships on September 10. ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS The 50-mile amateur championship of New Zealand will be decided on Saturday, September 10, over the Cleveland course. A better course could not have been chosen, as there is a concrete road to Papakura; and from there to Cleveland and back, there is a good undulating metal road. There are just enough hills in it, to make the racing interesting; none of them being of a really dangerous nature. The entries close on September 6, and it is hoped that a record representative one will be received. It is almost certain that Grose (Canterbury). Oakley (Wellington), and Byrnes (Auckland) will figure on the scratch mark. This will be the first field of amateur scratch riders seen in a road race in New Zealand. The meeting of these three champions should make the 1927, 50-mile New Zealand road championship, one to remember. The start and finish will be at the Alexandra Park trotting track, Epsom. A full programme of athletic events will bo submitted during the afternoon while the big classic is in progress.

Several alterations have been made in connection with the Timaru-Christ-church road race, to be decided Saturday week. The two most important being that the famous Maronau road will be cut out this year. Riders will go straight on through Hinds to Ashburton, thence on to Christchurch. The cutting out of this road will be welcomed by all riders. In previous years it was the riders’ nightmare. A heavy shower of rain the day of the race, or even the day before, made it next to impossible, to ride a bicycle over it. The blocking of all cars and motorcycles following and attending riders is also a, step in the right direction. This means that all riders must depend on themselves to get through. C. Austin won the South Island championship last week beating a field of 72 riders for fastest time, in the good time of lh 37m 375. The distance was 36 miles and the actual race was won by W. A. Muir (4m) with L. W. Hill (4m) second, and H. O’Connor (sm), third.

R. (“Jimmy”) Beer. who won the N.S.W. League of Wheelmen professional road championship, competed at English Park, Christchurch, last season. He did not meet with startling success, our riders keeping him busy. The distance of the championship was 40 miles, and Beer’s figures were, lh 58m 265. The finish was a very clpse one. Beer winning by half a length. GENEROUS PRIZE-GIVERS

The first prize in the Dunlop Grand Prix has been donated by C. B. Kellow. a former champion cyclist, and winner of the famous Austral Wheel Race (£500) in 1896. C. B. Kellow has given £250 in cash, and a cup to the map putting up the best time over all stages. It is pleasing to note that though Mr. Kellow was greatly engrossed in business and racing pursuits these days, he had not forgotten his first love—cycling. His action is a fitting example fo~ other sportsmen to emulate. The second prize, £IOO has been donated by A. G. Healing and Co., and it certainly looks as if the prize list will eclipse anything so far seen in a road race in Australasia.

Willie Mackie, New Zealand champion, who left for America a few months back, has evidently struck form. At Hartford, U.S.A., he won a three mile scratch race, ran third in a State championship, over five miles; fourth in a half mile handicap off a short mark; and won a three-sided pursuit race. The same report says, he is beating Jack Fitzgerald in sprints, although recovering from three bad spills within a month.

R. W. (“Fatty”) Lamb had his colours lowered by the young Sydney crack road rider, Jerry Gould, in the most popular amateur road cycle event held in New South Wales, the Speedwell 50. The scratch division comprised R. W. “Fatty” Lamb (Victoria), Jerry Gould, and N. Gilroy (N.S.W.). The presence of Lamb added considerable interest to the race. Gilroy had bad luck to puncture early in the race, leaving Lamb and Gould to carry on. Both rode finely, and took the pace in turns, but could not overhaul the limit—23 minutes. The battle for fastest time honours was particularly keen, Gould beating Lamb by l-5s in 2h 10m 31 2-ss. Both Gould and Lamb broke the amateur 50-mile record in this event by nearly lm.

Scenes of tumultuous enthusiasm marked the finish of the great 24 hours’ bicycle race at Herne Hill, when the Polytechnic Cycling Club achieved what they were told was impossible—a successful revival of all-day track racing. The race was started by F. W. Shortland, one of England’s greatest 24 hour riders. Weather conditions were against the riders, cold winds, with heavy showers prevailing during the night. The following riders with the distances travelled, competed: J. E. Holdsworth (517 miles 630yds), 1; W. Perkins (489 miles 2: G. Sibthorpe (469 miles 120yds), 3; E. J. Winn (459 miles 63yds), 4; A. G. Keen (45omiles 1,540yd5), 5: W. G. Hazel (407 miles 1,255yd5), 6.

Holdsworth used an SS-gear for 22 hours, when it was reduced to 84 without his knowledge. He had two punctures, and broke every record from 12 hours onward. The previous 24 hour record stood since 1909 at 513 miles 1,430yds to the credit, of J. H. Bishop. It was this record riders were trying to break.

CYCLE ROAD RACE HANDICAPS

SATURDAY’S EVENTS Following are the handicaps for Saturday’s cycle road races at Mangere:— Auckland’s Club’s 4-Mile Consolation.— Henderson, Sutherland, scr; Dufty,

P.min; Archer, 2min; Reid, Davis, Matthews, 3min; Boulter, Dean, Rhodes, 3min 30sec.

Auckland Club's 14-Mile Open.— Prior, White. Hayes, scr; Henderson, Alathieson, 1J min; Storey. Sutherland, 2min; Brennan, 2 5 min; Rae, Healey, 3min; Dufty, Lowdnes, Stansfield, H. Pelham, R. Pelham, Francis, 4min; Rickman, Archer, Blythe, Jackson, smin: Reid, Davis, Matthews, 6lmin; Boulter, Rhodes, Dean, 7imin.

Manukau Amateur Cycling Club’s 11Mile Junior. —G. Rose, R. Foubister, A. Sercombe, scr; S. Litchfield, D. Hope, I min; F. Pinker, L. Aldred, C. Constable, C. Capp. F. G. Keenan, 2min 30sec; G. A. Hughes, A. Powell, H. Brown, S. Smithson, A. Rose, 3min SOsec; E. White, K. Keane, C. Alaxwell, L. Rollerson, 4min 30sec; T. Alunro, A. Reed, E. Tolly, smin 30sec; L. Holden, W. Johnson, 7min 30sec.

Handicaps for the Alanukau Club's 22£ mile, four laps, time trial are sealed.