Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 168, 6 October 1927, Page 8

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS"

The Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club will hold a 10-mile open handicap at Mangere; on Saturday. This should prove a very fine race, as the entry is a big one. J. Henderson, the winner of last Saturday’s Hamilton to Auckland race, together with A. Suth-' erland, S. Hayes, W. Francis and P. Rickman, who rode prominently in the big event, will be competing. The promoter of the Dunlop North Island championship event, Mr. P. A. Richards, has every reason to feel satisfied at the result of Saturday’s race. The Dunlop Rubber Company of Australasia has been a good friend to the road-racing cyclists. It distributes thousands of pounds yearly all over the world in the interests of road racing, and is prepared to keep doing it, so long as the enthusiasm of riders is such that a good field faces the starter in each event. In Saturday’s race the entry as far as Auckland province was concerned, was representative of Auckland’s best; but with the exception of two New Plymouth riders and one from Taumarunui, no outside riders competed. Next year will see a change, and it is on the cards that as this Auckland classic gets better known, it will compare more than favourably with the big New Zealand championship event, the Timaru to Christchurch race. The success of Jim Henderson in Saturday’s big event was not unexpected in certain quarters. Velos had the tip some weeks back, but although the information came from the right quarter, he could not then agTee with the tipster. “Hendy,” as he is popularly known among “the boys,” when discussing his chances before the race said: ‘“l’m quite satisfied with my handicap, and I am after that £20.” When he won he was just as candid, saying. “Well, that’s that; and it will come in very handy.” No more modest a rider ever won a big event, and no other rider that Velos ever heard of gave the scratch man 4min in the last 20 miles, of an 84-mile race, or any other race, and caught and beat him. When presented with the winning prize by the president of the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club, Mr. G. Henning, his modesty was truly shown when he was called on to make a speech. His “speech” consisted of the one word, “Thanks.” NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN

Ask Alex Sutherland how the favourite got beaten. He looked a winner at Mercer, and allowing for having a hard ride up till then, he was one of the fittest looking riders climbing the Razorbacks.- Hayes, Henderson and himself were together here, but they let Henderson away, and never saw him again. W. Brewster, winner of the blue ribbon, which carries with it the Dunlop North Island championship, is another very modest young man. He is only 19 years old and has been riding four seasons. He put up a great ride in Saturday’s race, and had bad luck in striking a rider like Henderson. Leaving Hamilton, he like the other two scratch men, Prior and White, soon settled down to his work, and for miles the trio were averaging 23 miles an hour, and in places 25. Brewster had bad luck to have a spill this side of Huntly and lost three-quarters of a mile on the other two scratch riders. He picked them up again, but the effort told on him at the finish of the race. His prize list was a very fine one, being £2O cash, 30gn cup, £5 5s gold medal, and champion blue ribbon. W. Francis, who finished third, has shown good form at Mangere ail the road-racing season, and was one of those fancied for the big event. He rode a heady race, working with Brewster from the Razorbacks. and it was only his sheer lack of strength that let Brewster get away over the last few miles. “ZAMBUK’S” WORK APPRECIATED The St. John Ambulance Association’s wagon was very useful on the road during the running of the Hamil ton-Auckland road race on Saturday. Leaving Auckland at 4 a.ra., it arrived in Hamilton in time to see the race start and followed it right through. It. attended to several minor cases, such as cuts and abrasions; but there was; nothing of a serious nature. The riders and committee were loud in their praise of the whole-hearted manner in which the “Zambuks” attend to their work. Secretary Frank Galvin deserves the greatest praise for the manner in which he carried out the duties of secretary for the big event. He saw to it that nothing was left to chance. When he heard that the limit rider, E. Breckon. was through Papakura, he motored out at once to meet him, going without his lunch. It was just as well he did, as the veteran was not too sure of the latter part of the course. Willie Mackie’s young brother has won his first fastest time prize. Last

Saturday in a 25-mile open handicap event run by the South Malvern Cycling Club, he won the fastest time prize for riders under 18. Phil O’Shea is in great demand for the big Dunlop Grand Prix to be ran in Victoria next month. A first-clas-

offer of expenses had to be turned down by the vet•’ran, owing to the act that injuries eceivec. on the Vshburton track ast Labour Day to lis shoulder would aot allow him to sit down on his nandle - bars for any length of time.

MANUKAU CLUB EVENTS The Manuka u Amateur Cycling Club had an off day last Saturday. Many of the club’s leading riders rode out tc meet the Hamilton-Auckland professional race and riding In with the leaders. The club will hold an 11-mile senior event, and a SJ-mile junior race on Saturday at Mangere. The junior race will start at 2.30 pjn. sharp, and the senior at 3 p.m. A very large entry has been received, and in the senior event the meeting of M. P. liyrnes and J. H. Wade will be looxM forward to with interest. The race for fastest time between these two should be interesting. Byrnes, over the shorter distance, should win. A combined road championship over a -o-mile course was decided last Saturday at Christchurch. Great interest centred in the meeting of F. Grosse and _ G * L ukey on scratch. The handicap *as won by K. Nankeviil (4min), and the fastest time and championship by who beat F - Grosse by a length m a desperate finish. Lukeyis riding m his best form at present, - be a hard man to beat in the forthcoming Palmerston to Wellington ev ®®t to be held this month. The Dunlop great amateur cycle road from Palmerston, via Foxton, to Wellington, will take place this month. The winner of fastest time in this event is to be sent to Melbourne to compete in the Colac Melbourne amateur race, run in conjunction with the Dunlop Grand Prix professional event vrluch will be held from November 14 to 19, inclusive. It will finish on the Melbourne Show Grounds on November 19. The amateur event will act as a curtain-raiser to the big professional event. SATURDAY’S ROAD RACE HANDICAPS The following handicaps have been declared for Saturday’s cycle road races:— Manukau Amateur Cycling Club's 11 Miles Senior Race.—M. P. Byrnes, J- H. Wade, scratch; H. Dwight, C. G. Galbraith, 30s; L. Wilson, L. G. Chambers, lm; 11. G. Brewin, W. Dwight. C. Gainsborough, K. J. Mathieson, ljm; K. LL Me Elroy, J. Whitten, A. C. Clarks, A. G. Baird, J. L. Devlin, lm 455; S. JBaird, W. Rowe N. Fisher, V. Baker, T. Faithful, 2m; P. Platt, A W. Pinker, T. R. Deakin, A. Davies, R. Capp. FTaylor, C. L. Russell. 2ra 30s; F. Grogat, W. Borland, 11. Borland, A C. Steen. 3m; R. E. Wright, W. McCallum, F. Bowman, W. Tomlinson, 3m 15s; E. Ormon, K. Spragg. I. Gear, F. Harvey, G. W. Rollerson, 3m 30s; H. Russell. G. Young, L K- ! Mabbs, G. Hall, B. Pinfold, 3m 45*; * i Potter, R. Watson. F. G. Hughe*. ! Welsh. 4m; W. Grogan. D. O’ConnelL Welsh, C. Culpan. D. Anderson, N. «J*?" kins, H Freeman, 4m 15s; G. FeU:. L. Welsh, W. Clark, D. Bleakley. F. White, G- Reid, C. Manson. B. Gamine * 4m 30s; W. T. Bray s handicap i* held. . . Manukau Club’s Mile Junior Handicap Event.— S. Lichfield, A. scratch; R. Foubister. G. Rose, D--30s; L. Aldred, A. Rose, lm: C. testable, F. G. Keenan, F. E. PhikeT. D 30s: K. Keane A. Powell, W. Pmithw'' H. Brown, 2m: E. White. C. Maxwell, -JRoller&on. 2m 30s: T. Munro, A. 3m; L. Holden, W. Johnson, 4m . Auckland Athletic and Cyct in ß ~ , 14 Mile Race.— A. White. A- Sutter F. Prior, S. Hayes. J. Henderson, scrawny T>. Storey, J. Mathieson. A. Brentar. . Hill 11 in: H. Pelham. W. K. Rae, N. Healey. SJrr: Blythe, S. Stansfleld, W. Pram. u Rickman, F. Lowdnes. 4m: G- r. ‘ • Davis. Roth well. A. Matthews. >■ -H, * 6m; L. Matthews, H. Rhodes, Sim.