Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 210, 24 November 1927, Page 7

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS."

Saturday’s races will be as follows: At Blapdford Park Stadium, the Auckland Cycling Club will stage a mile and a three-mile open handicap. At Mangere, the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club will decide a 5?.-mile junior and a 28-mile senior event. The racing during the week-end has produced two riders who have shown great improvement in their riding. One is Harry Pelham in the professionals, and the other, H. G. Brewin, in amateurs. Both these riders show/.id exceptional speed on grass trac'fcjs, and although in neither case wa/s the winner up against the scratch risers, it would have made matters v<»ry much more interesting in the paces being contested if they had been. these two again appear, their riding will be followed with interest.

ROAD EVENTS STILL POPULAR At Mangere on Saturday the two races held by the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club both drew good entries, showing that the amateur riders are still keen on road racing. They have had a very big season. One and sometimes two road races have been held every Saturday, and in more than one instance, riders have “saddled up' 1 for both events. In the open event last week 31 riders faced the starter, and in the junior under 16, eight riders turned out. These figures prove that the sport has caught on.

A. Reed, winner of the junior Simile event, won as he liked. He made every post a winning post. With the liberal allowance of 4£min in 51 miles, he had no need to worry. Getting well away, he settled down to such a solid pace that he had 200 yards to the good when the finishing line was reached. He has been a starter in junior races all the season, running ' second in one, and third in another. Saturday’s was his first win.

13. Canard, the second rider in the junior race, was making his first appearance. In running second he put up a fine performance, but as a rule new riders do not get in the handicapper’s “good graces’’ so soon. £. Hall is another young rider who has plenty of pace, but does not seem to get in the prize list very often. He has one first to his credit this season.

B, Gardiner, winner of the senior open event, is a rider who has been a consistent performer all the season ; at Mangere, but Saturday’s was his j first win. lie also was well treated by the handicapper, having the nice j allowance of smin in the 31 miles. He rode a fine race and won well, with five iengths to spare. L. Walsh (also liberally treated to the extent of s£min), figures on the prize list for the first time. He rode the race of his life, but the winner had it on him all the way. RODE WELL The mysterious way F. Potter (2£min) got up into third place, is causing quite a number of riders some j concern. He simply rode himself into ! it by hard work. He was the only back-marker to get a place, and rode ; one of his best races. M. P. Byrnes did not intend to stait ; in Saturday’s senior event, but he. could not resist when he got out there.. With Wade on the mark with him, ijt was a foregone conclusion he wou'/d get “time.” He put up a wonderfpjl ride considering the day, averaging over 22 miles an hour for the II mijfc?s, but he never sighted the place-getters. The two-mile cycle handicap rut* by the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club at its evening meeting last week, was a very fine race.* The winner. H. G. Brewin. put up a line ride in the final. He was in a* handy position when the bell rang, ajid putting in his claim as he entered the finishing straight, he won nicely by a length, beating a very ckjussy field. Brewin’s riding in this race *was a big improvement on anything he has shown this season. PELHAM’S BEST EFFORT YET The racing at Blandfopd Park Stadium on Saturday afternoon was interesting. With the scratch riders not competing, the others bad a day out at least one of them did. H. Pelham won £he two races on the programme. He won his heat and final in the twomile open handicap event, and came out immediately after and won the

“Miss and Out” scratch race. His riding was miles ahead of anything he has shown us this year on the road. Judging by the way he handles the going at the Stadium he will keep the scratch men very busy when he meets them next Saturday.

F. Lawler, who ran Pelham to a wheel In the final of the two-mils open handicap, and A. Sutherland to inches in the “Miss and Out’’ scratch race, also rode well. He is a strong rider with a good position, and had the track been able to carry the speed he should have been a winner on Saturday. K. Rae, who finished in thirc. place, has been a strong supporter of his club during the road season just closed. His p lacings for the yeai have been a first and a second in road events. His form on Saturday give - promise of more prize money coming his way before the season closes. A. Sutherland just managed t«» squeeze into second place by Inches in the “Miss and Out” scratch ra« •• event. He also started in his hca of the two-mile open, but burnt oft early. A SPEAKING SILENCE? Xo reply has been received by the Blandford Park Stadium Company from the Auckland Centre of the x>r Zealand Amateur Athletic Association to its three applications for a perryiU. to hold amateur races, in conjunction with the meetings to be held at the stadium next month. As this permit was applied for some months twick. surely the least the centre can do to send a reply. As amateurs and professionals compete on programmes all the world over, it seems thje writing on the wall reads: “No reply; no business.’* Anyway, a rcrply to that effect would be betffer than th© present unsatisfactory method adopted by the Auckland Centre. MACKiE IN FOftM Willie Mackie had tl\o race of his life in the first distance f 1-mile) of his match race with J-«ck Bearman at the English Park Stadium last week. The finish was one the moot exciting that has ever Hren seen at the Stadium, for although Bearman gave Mackie a length eijrgering the straight, he finished with 'Sjuch a great kick that Mackie, goin 7' all out, won by inches only. Ia the second distance Ci-mile) Mackijs jumped 300 yards from the finish and won by a length, thus winning Vhe match. The cabled results of the big classic —the Dunlop Grand Prix —must be very gratify *7ng to New Zealanders generally, aiayi to racing cyclists in particular. For our two representatives, Lfe Watson and W Rennie, to win th*3b Teams Championship oi £6O. for Batson to win second prizof £IOO, -icnd Rennie to win fifth prize of £2O, it: the big event: and for Rennie to um-n out to h* the winner of the £sottirst prize in the scaled handicap in conjunction with the race, is a touly wonderful performance. CYCLING HANDICAPS SATURDAY’S RACES The tollowing handicaps -have been declared for Saturday’s cycle races: Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club'* events at Blandford Park Stadium: — One-mile Open Handicap.—S. Haye.-, P. Prior, A. White, scr.; J. Henderson. A. Sutherland, J. V. Bore, H. Pelham. 30yds; G. Mathieson, 35yds; D. Storey. W. Hill, 50yds; IT. Rae. N. Healey, F. Lowdnes, 60yds; J. Blyth, W. Francis, B. Dufty, F. Lawler, Ken Rickman, 80yds. It. Pelham. W. Bryce. F. Stansfleld. 90yds; G. Reid, L. Davis, W. Roth well. 100yds; L. Matthews, X. Archer, 120yds: J. Dean, H. Rhodes, 140yds. Three-mile Open Event. —S. Hayes, F. Prior, A. White, scr; J. Henderson, A. Sutherland, H. Pelham. J. V. Gore, 60yds. G. Mathieson, 80yds; D. Storey, W. Hill, 110yds; K. Rae, X. Healey, F. Lov/dne? , 130yds; J. Blyth, W. Francis, B. Dufty, 140yds; F. Lawler, K. Rickman. 160 yd?; R. Pelham, W. Bryce, F. Stansfleld, 180yds; G. Reid, L. Davis. W. Rothwell, 220yds; L. Matthews, X Archer. 240yd*; J. Dean, H. Rhode*. 280yds. L. Kelly will he handicapped on the course on Saturday. Manukau Amateur Cycling Club's events at Mangere:— 28 Mile Open.—M. P. Byrnes. J. H ! Wade, TT. Dwight, scr.; C. G. Galbraith. A. G. Baird. C. I. Gainsborough, lmin: If. G. Brewin. K. J. Mathieson. R. Foubister, L. Wilson, 2min; P. Platt, S. Lichfield. W. Dwight. J. Whitten, J. H L. Devlin. J. C. Stewart, 21min: A. W. Pricker. A. C. Clarke, K. Roe. R. Capp. "min; H. McKlroy. A. Sercombf. G. Rose :’.min 20sec; W. Rowe. K. M. Taylor, P. C. Addison. 4min; X. Fisher. A. C. Steen. T. Faithfull, 4min 30sec; C. L. Ruasell, F. Grogan, V. Baker. smin. G. Hall, W. Parkes, R. E. Wright. F. Bowman. W. Tomlinson, D. Ching, 11. Russell. F. W. J. Potter, smin 30sec; J. Wakefield, W. McCollum, H. Borland. H. Webb, R. Gardiner, S. J. Baird, 6min: H. J. McLaren. G. W. Rollerson, K. Spragg. 6nin SOsec: W. Boreland. I. Gear. F. Harvey, D. O'Connell, W. Grogan. L. Pinfold. L. Welsh, Tmin; H. V. Hamilton. C. Culpan, D. Anderson. F. Butcher, Tmin 30*ec; L. Hall. R. Watson. G. Young, L. H. Mabbs. J. Welsh, F. G. Hughes. «min: W. Welsh. G. Herron. D. L. Paltridge. L. H. Grafton. gmin SOsec; D. Bleacley, F. White, G. Rejd. C. Man son, 9min; G. M. Kelly. W. Clark, P. Birch, 9min 30soc. 5X- Mile Junior. —S. Lichfield. A. Sercombe, R. Fonbister. scr.; L. Aldred, A. Rose, E. Hall. A. Reed, 2m in, F. G Keenan. C. Constable, E. Canard. F. E Pinker, 2n.in 30s**e; A. Powell. W. Smith - son. H. Brown, H. Clay. 3min; F. Munrn. E. White. L. Rollerson. 3 min 30sec: C. Maxwell, L. Holden, W. Johnson, 4mia»