Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 262, 26 January 1928, Page 7

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS”

The Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club will hold a one and a-half and a three-mile open handicap at Blandford Park on Saturday afternoon. There is a good entry for both events, and the handicaps which appear in to-day’s papers make it look like a middle markers’ race in the one and a-half mile event, while in the three-mile the back markers, if they both start, have only got to stand up to win. The new secretary for the club, Mr. H. Tonkin, is determined to do or die in an attempt to put professional cycling in Auckland on its feet. He is, we know, a grafter of the first water, but without the assistance of riders and officials, he will find he has a hard row to hoe. MACK IE IN FORM Willie Mackie had no trouble in beating W. R. Wilmott in two straight heats in their match race at English Park Stadium last week. In the first heat —a half-mile paced by singles— Wilmott took the pacers’ wheel round up a long 300 yd. sprint, but Mackie came round him on the home bend to win by half a wheel. The second heat —a quarter mile unpaced—saw Mackie force Wilmott to the front, and after making three feints to jump, finally got one in and won by a wheel. Though beaten, Wilmott was not disgraced, and the opinion now is that he may turn the tables on Mackie at any minute. OAKLEY BEATS GROSE T. Oakley, the Masterton crack amateur rider, put it all over F. Grose at Masterton on Monday. The triple New Zealand champion could not pedal it with the local boy, being beaten by him in every start. In the one and a-half mile nivitation scratch race, Oakley got a jump in a.t the bell and won by 30yds., while in the two-mile wheel race the Masterton boy beat Grose by four lengths in 4m. 39 l-ss. In the three-mile Walker and Hall Cup race Oakley put up a fine ride, winning from scratch in the exceptionally fast time of 7m. 3 2-ssec. Grose did not start in this event. CHAMPIONS MAY MEET J. Harcourt, Hamilton’s crack rider, is competing at Blandford Park on Saturday if track conditions are suitable. He will be meeting Slater Hayes, Auckland’s best all-round rider, in both events, and the meeting of these two fliers can be looked forward to with interest by all cycling fans. The last time they met was at Te Aroha during the New Year holidays, and the honours were with Jimmy Harcourt, who beat Hayes in all events in -which they started. Saturday’s races may put a different aspect on the case, as Hayes is used to Blandford Park track. The two ex-amateur riders, J. V. Gore and I. George, who joined the cash ranks recently, are welcome additions. The former is a most promising back marker, having already made good in two races, while the latter is the best limit rider competing at Blandford Park at the present time. Both these riders will be hard to beat in any events in

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which they start, during this season. There is no doubt that the most improved riders in the cash ranks in the Dominion at present are ex-amateurs. PAEROA’S BIG DAY A record entry of 40 cyclists has been received by the Paeroa. Athletic Club for its meeting on February 4, and included in the number are such wellknown speed kings as “Slater” Hayes, Auckland’s crack rider, J. H. Harcourt, Hamilton’s brilliant young sprinter, Sid McCann, North Island champion, who recently returned from a racing trip to Australia; C. B. Parker, champion of New Plymouth, C. Tippens, who scooped the pool at Paeroa during the holidays, and H. A. Inch, who ran second to C. Tippins in round the mountain race last year. With such noted riders competing, this meeing promises to be one of tie finest held in the North Island this year. The meeting of the above-mentioned riders in the four open events should satisfy the most exacting cycle fans, aid it is also safe to say that, given a fine day and the track in good order, one of the finest day’s sports of cycle racing ever seen in the Auckland province will be witnessed. The chief topic of conversation among cash cyclists at the present time is who will be on scratch at Paeroa, Sid McCann, C. B. Parker, J. H. Harcourt, or S. Hayes? “Velos” thinks there is a chance of handicapper Charley Morrison favouring J. H. Harcourt, as t.ais young rider is undoubtedly a brilliant beginner, and that’s what counts in cycle racing. His last appearance at Te Aroha also warrants him being alone on the mark of honour. The Utiku Sports Club has just held a very successful annual sports meeting, and it has also just discovered a cyclist who could hold his own in the best company in D. Treadwell. He started in three races, one, two and three miles, and giving away big handicaps, he won all three. He is an attractive rider, sits his machine like a racing man should, and also can go fast. AUCKLAND CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS The Hamilton Amateur Athletic Club is holding its annual meeting on Saturday, January 28. The pieces des resistances the half and five-mile should attract the cream of Auckland’s amateur cyclists. With ouch well-known riders as M. P. Byrnes, J. H. Wade, F. J. Casey, C. J. Galbraith, H. Dwight, K. J. Mathieson and W. T. Bray likely to make the trip, the racing—provided the track will stand it —should be of a high order. The Te Awamutu Amateur Athletic Club’s meeting on January 30 has attracted a good entry of cyclists. In the three races on the programme there is an average of 20 in each race, wiich is very satisfactory from the committee of the club’s point of view. The field comprises the best amateur riders in Auckland, and if the riders handicapped face the starter, and do their work fairly, there is nothing to stop the back markers from getting up and being in the picture in each race. The souvenir programme to be issued on February’ 25 —the jubilee of the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club —promises to be one ot the finest of its kind ever compiled ir New Zealand, The president (Mr. W

Morton) is handling its compilation, along with members of the committee. To go back 50 years and rake up runners, jumpers and cyclists’ performances is no easy job, but this has been done, and so also have the visits of all the “world’s greatest,” who have competed in New Zealand for the past 50 years, been specially written up. That the finished article is being awaited by a large number of athletes is a w r ell-known fact. The cycling events on this programme are one. two and three-mile open handicap events, while a mile race is set down for riders who have never won a cycle race.

“Fatty” Lamb Loses Olympic Nomination

: Road Performances ! Not Good Enough I * c STIR IN AUSTRALIA 1 R. W. (“Fatty”) Lamb, Australia’s » champion amateur road rider, has been 5 turned down for a place in the Aus- ' tralian Olympic Games team, and J. • Standen and D. Gray, both of New L South Wales, were recommended m- • stead. „ _ 3 The general opinion of the Austrat lian Amateur Cycling Association, the i governing body of amateur cycling in t Australia, was that Lamb’s perfonn--3 ances as a road rider did not warrant him being sent, and as he had the best I road performances of any rider, the - association had then to only consider a the chances of the track riders, i In the tests both J. Standen and D. e Gray had beaten Lamb decisively, so i the association recommended them. =r There is a big outcry in cycling circles in Melbourne over this decision, e but it was the president of the vicr, torian Amateur Cycling Association. Mr. George Pirugia, who proposed Lambs’s exclusion, it can be taken for granted that having seen Lamb in action for the last two years on Victorian roads, he had come to the conclusion c that no amateur road rider in Austran ha had a chance against the contlnens tal amateur roadmen.

e _ l AUCKLAND CLUB RACES

t, HANDICAPS FOR SATURDAY t * c • Handicaps for the Auckland Athletic - and Cycling Club’s races on Saturday n are as follow: One and a-half Miles.—S. Hayes. J. H. Harcourt, scr; H. Phelan J. \. " 30yds; J. Henderson, J. Mathieson, 50yds; - r> storey, W. Hills, K. Rae, F. Lawler, d N Healey, 70yds; J. Blythe, N. Rickman, n 80yds; R. Pelham, F. Bryce, 90yds; A. _ Reid. F. Davis, T. Roth well, 110yds; L. r Matthews, N. Archer, 120yds; H. Rhodes, _ J. Dean, 140yds. Three Miles Open Event.—S. Hayes, J. d h. Harcourt, scr; H. Pelham, J. V. Gore, 50yds; J. Henderson, J. Mathieson. 70yds; d D. Storey, W. Hills, 110yds; K. Rae, F. e Lawler, N. Healey, 120yds; J. Blythe, N. Jj Rickman. 150yds; R. Pelham, F. Bryce, * A. Reid. F. Davis. T Rothwell. 170yds; L. ,l Matthews. X. A ;•«•!.< r. 200yds; H. Rhodes. n J. Dean, 220yds. I. George will be handi7. capped on the ground.