Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 250, 12 January 1928, Page 14

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS.”

The Hamilton Athletic and Cycling Club’s meeting on January 28 promises to be an exceptionally popular one. Already riders are putting the finishing touches on their training, and given fine weather the fixture promises to be a highly successful one. The Auckland provincial championships on the programme—half and five miles, look good things for M. P. Byrnes, the present holder, but with such good riders as J. H. Wade, F. J. Casey, C. Galbraith, W. Bray and C. Gainsborough as likely competitors, the results are by no means foregone conclusions. In the handicap events, the racing is sure to be keen, with the country riders keeping the town ones busy. • * • TOO MANY SCRATCHINGS The Manukau Cycling Club held a three mile open handicap event in conjunction with the evening meeting promoted by the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club on the Domain last Thursday. The race was a good one, but was robbed of much interest owing to the number of scratchings. The field of 11 who faced the starter was composed of the pick of Auckland amateurs. M. P. Byrnes was on scratch, giving away starts up to 400yds, to K. Glass, on the limit. Wade, on 30yds, got a “fly on the gun,” and soon picked up Casey on 40yds. These two set out to breach the gap of 110yds on to Gainsborough (150yds). Byrnes, in the meantime, had verhauled them, and together these three paced a very solid five laps, picking up the whole field when half-way had been covered, A. W Pinker (160yds), C. A. Clarke (260yds), L. Wilson (210yds) and J. H. Wade (30yds), the latter particularly, having put in some great work. S. Lichfield (200yds) ran foul of a back wheel, and came down in the eighth lap. Over the last mile the limit riders were done with, A. W. Pinker setting a merry pace. As the bell rang, he was still in the lead, but Wade rushed to the front with Byrnes, who had had an easy passage on his wheel, going down the back straight, and in a ding-dong finish the latter won by half a length.

Pinker was third, three lengths back, and Casey, who had made up a lot of ground over the last half lap, fourth. The time for the race, 7min 47sec, proves, they were moving. * * ONE MAN HANDICAPPER? The same trouble evidently exists in the South Island in connection with country handicappers, as is being experienced in Auckland. A southern critic gives it as his opinion that country clubs would be better served if the handicapping was in the hands of one man. He maintains that he would be in a better position to make the adjustments, as he would have each rider’s performances at his finger-ends. While one hesitates to criticise men Who so ably help the sport, it can be said that the work of handicapping should be centralised as much as possible. * * * The Manukau Amateur Cycling Club will hold a club run to Hunua Falls on Sunday next, leaving Grafton Bridge at 8 a.m. As the club wishes these runs to be a success, as many riders as possibly can should endeavour to make the trip. * * * The annual meeting of the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club will be held at Blandford Park Stadium on Saturday afternoon, at 2.30 p.m. Riders are particularly asked to attend, as the programme of races both road and track for next season are to be discussed. The report and balance-sheet show a very satisfactory state of affairs. Road racing proved a great success during the season, riders supporting the different events well. A PROGRESSIVE BODY The Paeroa Athletic Club has decided to hold a monster gala on the Paeroa Domain on Saturday, February 4. The programme includes one, two, three, three and a-half, and five miles open cycle events, with a one and a-half mile consolation “free entry” handicap to wind up the day. A special prize of £5 5s will be awarded the rider gaining the greatest number of points in the open cycling events. This young club is to be congratulated on its enterprise in putting on another meeting this year. It has also decided to eliminate the bad places in the track, and this work is being put in hand right away, so that when finished it will undoubtedly be a better track than it has ever been. Recent reports of T. E. O’Brien’s successes in the recent holiday meetings held in Canterbury show that he is a most serious rival for F. J. Grose, the present New Zealand champion. In 10 starts, O’Brien won four times, was second four, and third once. Included in the four wins was his success over Grose in the one and a-half mile [ scratch race, run at Halswell, when he

left the champion about 200yds from the finish and won by two lengths. * * * Phil O’Shea has been competing at Timaru Caledonian sports during the holidays, but was unable to score a win. He went good races in both the one and two mile championship events held at the meeting, but the best he could do was to score a second in the one mile to W. Wilmott (Timaru), and a third in the two mile to W. Mackie (Christchurch) and W. Wilmott (Timaru). • * * MACKIE BEATEN W. Mackie had his colours lowered twice in the one afternoon at Temuka during the holidays. W. Wilmott, the young South Canterbury pedaller, being the responsible party. He Avon the two championships on the programme of the Temuka Club’s meeting, proving that he is in the first flight as a sprinter. Mackie, however, had his revenge at Timaru a few days later, when he beat him in a hard finish in the two mile South Island championship. * * * So far, H. G. Watson, New Zealand’s representative in the Tour de France road race, appears to be being sent by Australia. The New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union, in the interests of the sport of road racing, will no doubt interest themselves in the matter, but time being the essence of the contract, New Zealanders who would like to subscribe .to the fund now being raised have little or no time to do so. as the team is due to leave next month. No doubt the money will be forthcoming in Victoria alone, as the sport has again caught on wonderfully in that State, but it certainly does not seem right to allow any outside money to take our champion rider to this big event, particularly as he undoubtedly has a chance of winning it.