Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 150, 15 September 1927, Page 8

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

The Auckland Automobile Association decided at its meeting last night to donate £ 5 toward the big cycle road ch impionship. It is many years since ar Auckland rider won a road championship of Ncv; Zealand. In the palmy days of cycling in 1900 Teddy .Reynolds, as an amateur, won many New Zealand track championships, but the writer does not remember any Aucklander ever having won the 50-mile road championship of New Zealand. Saturday’s race has brought Auckland into the limelight of the cycling world in no uncertain manner, thanks to J. H. Wade. A year ago a road ra :•« was a novelty, with probably only halt' a dozen riders competing; to-day it’s a popular sport, with over 15') racing cyclists. T. H. Wade, New Zealand’s 50-mile champion, is only lf‘»i years old. He w s tipped by THE SUN to win fastest time as soon as the handicaps appeared. He was also commented on j some weeks back as a coming cham- 1 pion in the same paper. Both these tip* have won out. The writer will go further, and say that properly handled there is no saying to what heights in tli* cycling world he may climb. His last four starts in local races make interesting reading. On September 10 in the 50-mile New Zealand championship he was placed first, and also won fastest time prize. At Mangere on August 27 in the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club’s 22-mile handicap race he won first place and also fastest time. On August 20 in a 55miie handicap race, he won first place and also fastest time, and on August 13 in a 27-mile hand.cap, he won first place and also fastest time. This performance has probably never been equalled, or if it has, then Velos would like to see the receipt. a severe: test Auckland’s worst weather attended both cycle races on Saturday. Riders were game to ride at all, as apart from the fact that it was unpleasant, it was also dangerous. Great care had to be used in swinging round corners on the cement and tar-sealed roads, as they are very slippery when wet. Riders were all pleased with the surface on the Auckland-Cleveland course, but at Mangere the potholes that are allowed to exist there, are not only liable to upset a cyclist, but would make a 10-ton truck look silly if it happened to hit one. “WATER EVERYWHERE, BUT NOT A DROP TO DRINK” When N. Fisher finished in second place in the 50-mile on Saturday, he had had enough. Only 17 years old—and he doesn’t look it—he was dying for a drink. His only trouble was that there was no chance of getting anything to wash tha mud, etc., out of his mouth over the whole 50 miles. The favourite, Les. Wilson. got beaten. He found C. A. Clarke and K. Howe on the same mark no good to him. He pulled in with the 4-minute

riders when they caught him, and was responsible for some solid pacing on the home journey. He beat Galbraith for third place. C. G. Galbraith has nothing but praise for the May Wade rode. He says he could not gain an inch on him, even when he and Les. Wilson were lapping it out ;o try and catch him. C.G.G. was quite satisfied to get fourth prize. W. Rowe has only to hear the name of N. Fisher mentioned to feel sore. That he has some reason for getting like this may be so, but why blame Fisher? He was riding to win the race, not to lose it. W.R. When L. G. Lukoy gets back to < ’hristchurch there are two things that he will remember in connection with his Auckland tr.p. One is our concrete roads, and the other is his two punctures. The rule home in the ambulance waggon, and his reception : t the smoke concert, should have helped to cheer him up a bit. M. P. Byrnes rode well up to the time .he pulled out. He was responsible for a lot of solid pacing going » ut, which told on him on the return journey. To climax matters, he got cramp and dropped out this side of Papakura. THE WELLINGTON CONTINGENT The three riders who represented Wellington, H. J. Morris, IX McFedries and J. Carswell, proved themselves to be riders capable of holding their own in any company in New Zealand. Morris was unlucky in having a spill near Otahuhu, but eFedries, the first scratch rider to finish, rode a great race. Ten miles from the finish, he sprinted, and leaving Carswell, rode strongly on his own to the finish. He deserves every credit for his performance. Wanganui was represented by C. vEricksson, who put up a good ride on the outward journey. He looked to be riding easy till after leaving Papakuru on the return trip. He gradually dropped back and finally pulled out. Riders who struck rrouble on Saturday were: C. Ericsson (spill); H. J. Morris (spill); R. Fountain (spill); P. Platt (spill); T. G. Lukey (punctures); A. C. (puncture); L. G. Chambers (broken chain); L. Pinfold (puncture). SATURDAY’S BIG EVENT Saturday’s event will be the 50-mile amateur road championship of Auckland Province. The c ourse will be the one used on Saturday last for the New Zealand 50. A big entry has been received, ai. I the handicaps are due to appear to-day. The race starts and finishes in Alexandra, Park, weather permitting. The hero of Saturday’s 25-mile cash championship of Auckland was Frank Prior, who won the event at Mangere. A very select field of seven riders —J. Harcourt, Hamilton, A. Sutherland, F. Prior, A. White, H. Pelham, IX Storey and A. Brennan —started, and, considering the day, the time recorded

“VELOS.”

must constitute a record. The attendance of the public was remarkable, considering the heavy rain that fell during the whole of the afternoon. Could Frank Prior have heard the “Come on, Frank,” “Come on, Frank,” that were screamed at him in the finish of Saturday’s championship, he would certainly have gone much faster. No race at Mangere this season has created such interest as this event. That Prior was not fancied by the heals was not surprising, as White’s performances this season made his chance look good. But Velos thought otherwise, and said so in THE SUN. Prior took White over the last mile, and when Harcoiart jumped at the top of Mangere Hill it was Prior who bridged the gap, and went on to win by two lengths. A. White, who ran second, was recovering from an attack of the ’fiu. which probably accounted for his defeat on Saturday. He must have felt all right during the running of the race, as the time shows an average of over 21 miles an hour fo.r the journey. J. Harcourt made a big mistake when he jumped Prior and White at the top of Mangere Hill in the finish of the 25-mile championship on Saturday. With the gear he had on, his onlychance was to “sit in” till the last 50 yards. He could do with his gear up a bit. The four riders who rode disappointingly were A. Sutherland, who was shaken off in three miles, and D. Storey, H. Pelham and A. Brennan, who only saw out 10 miles. These riders all found the pace too fast for them. Entries close for the HamiltonAuckland Dunlop North Island championship race on September 24. The entrance fee is 5s and there is no acceptance. The race promises to be the best held in Auckland. The final prize list has been adjusted and posters will appear to-morrow with the latest particulars.. A cable received from Melbourne announces that the prize money in connection with the Dunlop Grand Prix road race to be held in November will probably exceed £I,OOO. A teams prize is being awarded for the best team of three riders—two to finish—competing. New Zealand should have a say in this. With Harry Watson, Paul O’Shea and C. Austin fit and well, there is no team in Australia to-day that could beat them.