Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 204, 17 November 1927, Page 7

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS.”

The following are the races set down for next Saturday: The Manukau Amateur Cycling Club will hold a 51mile junior and an 11-mile senior open handicap road race at Mangere: while the Auckland Cycling Club will hold two track races at Blandxord Park Stadium, a two-mile open handicap and a “miss and out” scratch race. The opening of the cash track racing season was held at Blandford Park Stadium on Saturday afternoon by the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club. There was a fair attendance of the public, and the two races decided were both good to watch. The delay, between the events was not the club’s way of conducting its meetings. The racing generally was of a high standard for an opening fixture, and it certainly looks good for the coming season to see the imprvement shown by so many riders in the short time they have had to train on the stadium ti|ack. When riders get used to the going, some exciting finishes can be looked forward to. The casualty list was small, only two riders coming to grief, and neither fell through the fault of the tiack. J. Bryce, who fell in his heat of the mile, had no one to blame but himself, as he simply leaned over too far, striking his inside pedal on the track, and coming doAvn. G. Mathicson, who fell in the final of the mile, was unintentionally cut short on the corner by Slater Hayes. Both were attended to by the St. John Ambulance men. HAYES IN FORM Slater Hayes, scratch, was the hero of the afternoon’s racing. Starting in his heat of the one-mile handicap, he paced Gerry Mathieson all the way, and over the last half-lap made the pace so hot that the redoubtable “Gerry” was content to sit in and qualify, Hayes winning the heat by two lengths. In the final he was slightly interfered with by Mathieson running into him when he (Hayes) skidded on the northern corner. This undobtedly cost him some ground, but he had no chance of catching the winner, J. V. Gore. In the three miles he rode his best race. Giving Mathieson, his nearest man, 60yds, he soon caught and passed him. Riding practically unpaced all the way, he was in front «n the fifteenth lap, and from then to the finish (although three good ones had him on) he stayed, winning by a narrow margin. It was a great ride, but lie should have been beaten for allowing Lowndes to come up on the inside. J. V. Gora, welcome t<s the cash ranks, and congratulations on your first win! He rode a fine race in the final of the mile, winning in a convincing manner. His performances as an amateur did not make him out a champion in last season’s road races, but his successes on the track in the races so far decided this season are now inclined to point that way. He will be a useful performer in the cash ranks, as he is not afraid of putting in a good lap. Had F. Lowdnes one more kick left, he would have been the winner of Saturday’s three-mile open event, but Fred did not have it, and his stablemate, Slater Hayes, won all the money. It was one of the best finishes seen this year, and Lowdnes is to be congratulated on the heady manner in which he handled the going. The trouble between the cash riders and the North Canterbury centre,

Christchurch, has been fixed up, and all the best riders are now competing at English Park. Last Wednesday night W. Mackie, the quarter and three-mile New Zealand champion, made his first appearance since his return from America. That he

lias evidently benefited by the trip was proved by the fact that he won his heat in the two-mile wheel race, but in the final was called off for ••loafing.” lie won his heat in the mile scratch, and won the final of the same race by two lengths in the very fast time of 2min 8 4-ssec, beating a very select field.

Harry Watson, New Zealand champion road rider, is making history for himself, and also New Zealand. In the first stage Melbourne to Wangaratta, 183 miles, he finished second to the invincible Opperman, being 16min 43sec behind. This was caused principally by striking a puncture at Alexandra, 821 miles out, when he was, lying secohd, with a good chance of winning. The second stage is being run as this is being written, and it only wants Opperman to puncture and Watson can bo depended on to take the lead. No rider, even the redoubtable Phil O’Shea, will take Watson on over 150 miles in New Zealand, so he can be depended on to go better over the concluding stages than at the beginning. The two riders who were supposed to have linked up with Watson, K. McKenzie and Ron. Nicholson, so far have not been heard of, but it is on the cards that they are among the 6o competitors who started. It will be an interesting race to follow, and all those who are lovers of the sport will wish Harry Watson and his team-mates the beSt of luck. R. W. (“Fatty”) Lamb won the Olympic test road race, 120 miles, in Sydney last week, riding the distance in the fast time of 6hrs Smin 14sec. As this was a “time trial event,” the time was good. Lamb will now, in all probability, be asked to make the trip to the Olympic Games at Antwerp next year, with a view of competing in the big Olympic classic road race, held in conjunction with the game. T. G. Lukey, New Zealand’s amateur representative, is handicapped on the mark with R. W. Lamb (Victoria), C. T. Foster, T. H. Marshall (Queensland!, and L. J. Gould (Sydney), in the Colae-Melbourne race, run on Saturday as a curtain-raiser to the Dunlop Grand Prix, the big professional event. The entry is a record one, 190 entering at the appointed time, but another 60 late entries came in and were turned down, which would have made the grand total 250. Some entry for the amateurs! The fact that considerably over £2OO is being given in prizes naturally accounts for the large number of nominations. A B.S.A. motor-cycle goes to the winner, and several cycles filll most of the other prizes. Fastest time is an open order for £lO 10s. CYCLE HANDICAPS SATURDAY’S RACES Following are the handicaps for Saturday’s cycle races:— Manukau Amateur Cycling Club’s Miles Junior Handicap. —S. Lichfield, A Sircombe, R. Foubister, scr.; L. Aldred, A. Rose, 21m: H. Clay, F. G. Kunan, F. K. Pinker, C. Constable, 2m 455: A. Powell, W. Smithson, H. Brown, E. Hall, •3m 30s: F. Munro, E. White, E. Rollerson, 3m 455; A. Reid, C. Maxwell, 4m 30s: L. Holden, W. Johnson, sm. Eleven Miles Open Event. —M. P. Byrnes, J. H. Wade, H. Dwight, scr.; C. G. Galbraith, A.. G. Baird, C. J. Gainsborough, L. Wilson, 30s; P. Platt, H. G. Browne, K. Mathieson, R. Foubister, 4os; W. Dwight, J. Whitten, J. C. Stewart, L. Devlin, S. Lichfield, lm; K. Rowe, H. McElroy, A. C. Clark, A._ W. Pinker, A. Sircombe, R. Capp, lm 15s; P. G. Addison, S. Baird, M. Taylor, G. Rose, W. Rowe, lm 30s; C. L. Russell, T. Faithful, V. Baker, N. Fisher, F. Grogan, A. C. Steen, lm 455; G. Hall, W. Parkes, R. E. Wright, F. Bowman, W. Tomlinson, D. Ching. H. Russell, 2m; H. J. McLaren, J. Wakefield, W. McCollum, F. Potter, H. Webb, 2m 30s; E. Ormond, W. Boreand, G. W. Rollerson, K. Spragg, I. Gear, F. Harvey, 3m; H. V. Hamilton, D. O’Connell, W. Grogan, B. Anderson, L. Pinfold, C. Culpan, 3m 30s; L. Hall. R. Watson, G. Young. L. Mabbs, J. Welsh, F. G. Hughes, 4m; N. Jenkins, H. Freeman, W. Welsh. 4m 30s; D. Blackley, F. White, G. Reid. G. Manson, B. Gardiner, sm: W. j Clark. F. Welsh.. G. Kelly, 5m 30s. Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club's Two Miles Open Handicap. — F. Prior, S. Hayes. A. White, scr; J. Henderson, A. Sutherland, 40yds; G. Mathieson. A. Brinnon, H. Pelham. J. V. Gore, D. Storey, 70yds; K. Rae. J. Blythe. N. Healey, W. Francis, B. Dufty, F. Lowdnes, 90yds; P. Rickman. W. Mathieson, 100yds; F. Lawler. R. Pelham. J. Bryce, B. Stansfield, 120yds; G. Reed, Matthews. L. j Davis, F. Rothwell, X. Archer, 140yds; i H. Rhodes, Matthews, J. Dean, ISOyds. [