Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 186, 27 October 1927, Page 8

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS.”

The Auckland Athletic and Cycling , Club will close its road-facing season on Saturday at Mangere, with a 7- , mile open handicap event. After the race, the cup and shield -presented by Mr. T. Pardington, Onehunga, will be handed to the winners. The silver challenge cup which goes to the winner of most points in road races held by the club during the season, is already won by A. (“Putty”) White, who has 3 firsts, 1 second, 3 thirds and 12 fastest times to his credit. The challenge shield, which goes to the second highest number of points obtained by riders, is yet to be decided. H. Pelham at present leads, but F. Prior lias a chance of heading him oft' on Saturday. Last Saturday’s race, won by the limit rider, J. Bryce (6min), was another case of “won as he liked.” Ho came over the Mangere Hill with 200 yards to the good, and taking things easy, won by 150yds. He is a promising limit man. In Saturday’s race he made every use of his 6min mates, Dean and Matthews, and at the right time left them. The race for second place was won by Harry Pelham, who beat F. Lowdues rather easily in a fast finish. Harry P. waited for J. Bryce to come back to him, not feeling inclined to jump his bunch and take the risk of picking him up on his own, but Bryce did not come back. F. Lowdnes was a real trier on Saturday for second money. He put in a great jump lOlfc yards from the finish, but Pelham beat him home by half a length. WEATHER AFFECTS TIME Fastest time was won by A. Sutherland oft the lmin mark. He beat Henderson off the same mark rather easily. The time. 36min 58sec, was an indication of what the weather conditions were like, being 36sec slower than for the same distance last week The Waihi Athletic and Cycling Club held its’annual sports meeting on Labour Day. The cycle races were the star items on the programme, the crowd taking great interest in them. S. Hayes, Auckland, put up a splendid performance by winning the two and three-mile open handicaps from scratch, beating in both cases M. J. Randrup (150 and 200yds) and R. Coulton (275 and 335yds). The winner of the two above races. Slater Hayes, is probably Auckland’s best handicap rider. His performances on Monday (Labour Day) were exceptional, as he was on his own practically all the way. Giving the next man, M. J. Randrup (a good young rider), 150yds in two miles and 200 yards in three miles, catching him, taking him most of the way, and then beating him —all this is just proof of what a good one Slater Hayes is. M. J. Randrup, who ran second in the two and three-mile open events, is a very promising young pedaller. He found the track heavy and was not seen at his best in that sort of going. R. Coulton, the rider who secured third place in both open events, had bad luck in striking two riders of the calibre of Hayes and Randrup. Had those two been out of the way he would have had no trouble in beating the other local cracks. The amateur road-racing season will be continued on Saturday, when the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club will stage two open events over and 22 miles. Last Saturday was an off day for riders, as the two track races set down for decision at Carlaw Park had to be abandoned owing to the state of the ground. LABOUR DAY EVENTS The track racing season was ushered in on Monday (Labour Day) at the Domain. The programme of cycle events included a mile junior, half, one, and two-mile open handicaps, and a “de’il tak the hindmaist” scratch race. The track was in a very bad state, the rain overnight making the ground very heavy. The officials had everything on the programme working like a clock, and the concluding item was little, if any, behind time. There were no complaints of any kind during the competitions, but riders indulged frequently in breaches of the rules, such as loafing, looking round, and not taking their lap. Sports promoters should see to it that the official appointed to deal with these breaches knows his job, and deals fearlessly and fairly with offenders. M. P. Byrnes was easily the star performer. He found the track very soft, but plugging into it, he won the half-mile, falling in the final of the mile when in a winning position, and winning the “de’il tak the hindmaist” scratch race. The best performance among the middle-markers was that of R. Foub-

ister. He rode the track better th.« | any rider, winning the final of thecne j mile junior handicap, was second i n the mile open, third in the two mii e? • and third in the scratch race. GOOD LIMIT RIDER S. Lichfield was easily the best limn rider competing. He ran Byrn«6 (acr» to inches in the final of the half-mii f and was second in the two miles open! He also won his heat in the half anc two-mile events. He wants to be in front all the time, making the pace. This cost him one final on Monday. Other riders who rode well were A. G. Baird, winner of the two-mile op*n event; I. V. Gore, who ran third lathe* half and one-mile finals; and H. Dwight, who won the one-mile. The majority of the riders could not handle the going, notably among these beir.j J. 11. Wade, the New Zealand 50-mik champion road rider. The handicaps in some cases placed riders in a false position, but them right through some good racing was witnessed. The finishes in several at the races were very close, limit and scratch riders lighting it out in some cases. The old boys’ three-mile handicap, held on the Domain, proved to be a fine race, with a limit of 560yds it looked very open, but once Byrnes fo: going C. Stewart on the limit was soon caught, and retired. The race between Brewin (140yds) and Byrnes (scr) over the last lap was a splendid one, Bvmes winning by four lengths. The “schools” sports included several cycle events, which w ere well contested by a good number of schoolboys. The principal winners were Hope (in the under 16 class), who showed a great turn of speed, winning the half and mile handicaps; and Gatland, in the open events, who won the half and the mile. Both riders were in a class by themselves. R. W. (“Fatty”) Lamb, Victoria.and J. Standin, New South Wales, have both been suspended by the Union Cycliste Internationale of France, the governing body for cycling in the world, for competing at a carnival months ago promoted by Melbourne Carnivals, Ltd. The Australian Olympic Federation and the International Olympic Council, which latter body controls the Olympic Games, meet on October 28 to discuss the position. There seems little doubt but that th* suspensions will be lifted. Lamb is riding exceptionally well on the roai at present, having won the olymr: test over 126 miles. It is almost certain he will be asked to represent Australia at next year’s games.