Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 280, 16 February 1928, Page 9

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS"

Les Wilson, the popular secretary of the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club, has just concluded a tour of the North Island by push-bike, going via the West Coast to Wellington and returning by the East. He found the roads in good order, and looks upon the trip as an ideal one. While ’he was in Wanganui he saw the two Australian Amateurs, J. Standen and D. Gray, in action. He was very favourably impressed with them both. That their sprinting powers over the last hundred yards far exceeds that of R. W. Lamb, who raced here last year, is the opinion of Mr. Wilson. At Wellington he witnessed a night meeting on the Basin Reserve when over 6,000 people paid for admission. T. Oakley and F. J. Grose were the star artists. Both meetings were well conducted, but the Wanganui track was the better lighted, being similar to Blandford Park Stadium in Auckland. Both amateur and professionals competed at Blandford Park on Saturday. The Manukau Amateur Cycling Club held a one and a two mile event, while the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club held a one and a-half and a three mile. The first race decided was the Manukau Club’s one mile event. The heat winners were J. H. Wade, F. J. Casey and L. Aldrid. The final turned out to be only a training sprint for L. Aldrid (155 yards) on the limit, who went such a fast unpaced six laps that nothing at the back of him had a chance. He won easily by four lengths, S. Lichfield (80yds) being second, and J. FI. Wade (scr) third. The next event was the Auckland Club's one and a-half mile event, which was run straight out. The winner turned up in W. Francis (100yds) who just beat N. N. Healey (100yds) by inches. H. Lawler (80yds) finished third, six lengths away. The Auckland Club followed on with their three mile event, which was won by H. Lawler (160yds) off virtual scratch, with W. Francis (210yds) and K. Rae (180yds) in that order. The last race to be run was the Manukau Club’s two mile event. This was the best race of the day and was won in convincing manner by W. T. Bray (100yds), with J. H. Wade (scr) second and F. J. Casey (40yds) third. The racing in all the events was good, and the times registered proves that Blandford Park Stadium grass track is just asTast as any other grass track in the Auckland province. A GOOD PERFORMANCE L. Aldrid, winner of the one mile amateur event put up a sterling performance when he went the six laps on his own. He never looked like being caught, winning easily by four lengths. He did not start again during the afternoon. W. T. Bray, the -winner of the two mile amateur event surprised himself. He has never ridden a better race on the track than he rode on Saturday. The big gear he was pushing seemed to suit him, and in pacing lap and lap with C. G. Galbraith he simply raced him off his legs. Hitting the front at three laps to go he was never troubled afterwards winning easily by ten lengths. J. H. Wade was in the prize money in both events, finishing second in the three mile and third in the one. In all his races he had hard rides, and although he was riding well, he could not pick up the handicaps. H. Lawler was the most successful rider in the professional events. He won the three mile handicap after a

great battle with W. Francis over the last lap. but could not get up in the mile and a-nalf. He is a very much improved rider, and should go better j as the season advances. PAPAKURA MAN S WIN W. Francis (Papakura) scored a most! popular win in the one and a-half mile , event. He has been a consistent performer at every road and track meet- | ing that he could get to during the j season. This is his first track win. j and as he is getting into his best form 1 it should not be his last. Had he beaten Lawler in the three mile event it would have been the most popular of the day. Mr. W. Morton, president of the 1 Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. was! present at Blandford Park on Saturday and assisted in the management of the amateur events. Although as keen as mustard in the interests of field athletics, W.M. had to admit that Saturday’s cycling events were splendidly conducted and the racing was of a very high order. February 25 (Saturday week) is the jubilee of the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club. To celebrate the occasion in a fitting manner a grand jubilee sports carnival will be held on the Domain cricket ground on that afternoon. The only championship event on the programme is the 100 yards ladies. The other 22 events are all handicaps, with the exception of the “Deil Tak' the Hin'-M aist,” cycle race, which is a scratch one. Nominations for all events close on Friday of this week. AUSTRALIAN RIDERS’ VISIT March 10 is the date set down for the two Australian fliers, J. Standen and D. Gray, to appear in Auckland. That these two riders are in a class by themselves in amateur cycling is proved by the fact that at Wellington recently they made hacks of the best riders in the North Island, including T. Oakley, who defeated F. J. Grose, the new Zealand champion, on two occasions recently. Their next appearance will be in Christchurch where they will be meeting T. O’Brien, who has repeatedly defeated Grose in the South. They will be on a good track, so the results from the Southern city will be awaited with interest. The fall brought about by J. Standen while training at English Park on Tuesday, in which D. Gray, F. J. Grose and W. Mackie also came down, was a most unfortunate one for the visitors, as both of them were just recovering from spills received in the North Island. Grose went to hospital seriously injured. „ The Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club will hold a one and two mile handicap event, and an old timers’

race at Blandford Park Stadium on Saturday. The old timers are not satisfied with the result of their last race and have asked the club to put on another. As these “has beers" refund the prize money won by them to the club their action is a highly commendable one. BENEFIT TO WATSON H. G. Watson, who is leaving New Zealand shortly for France where he will compete in the Tour de France, the world’s greatest road race, was tendered a benefit meeting by the North Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union at Christchurch recently. The meeting was a highly successful one. and the fund to send Watson away will benefit very considerably. The feature of the evening's racing was the riding of Watson, who scored a popular win in the two mile scratch race, besides being placed in both the handicap events. Watson, in company with Phil O'Shea, competed at Oamaru last week. The handicaps were impossible in all the open events, as they were conceding starts that gave them no chance of getting up. Their only success was in the mile scratch race in which O'Shea beat Watson by a wheel. THE AUCKLAND CLUB HANDICAPS FOR SATURDAY Handicaps for the Auckland Cycling Club's races next Saturday are as follow: One Mile.—S. Hayes, J. H. Harcourt, scr.: H. Pelham. 30yds; J. Henderson. J. V. Gore. J. Mathieson. 30yds; H. Lawler, IX Storey. W. Hill. 70yds: V. Lowdnes, R. Caulton, K. Rae. 90yds J. Blvthe. X. Healey, W Mathieson, R. Pelham, H. Bryce, 100yds: J. Reid. F. Rickman. L. Kelly, XV. Francis. 130yds; I George. W Davis. H. Rothwell. 170 vds- W. Matthews, X. Archer. 140yds; j. Dean. 190yds. Two Miles Open.—S. Hayes, J. liarcourt, scr.: H. Pelham. 50yds; J. X Gore. J. Henderson. SOyds; J. Mathieson. 90x-ds; H. Lawler. 100yds; D. Storey. XV. Hill, llOxds; K. Rae. F. Lowdnes, R. Caulton. 140yds; J. Blythe, N. Healey. XX' Mathieson, 150yds; R. Pelham. H. Brvce, 170yds: J. Reid. P. Rickman. L. Kellv XV. Francis. 1 SOyds: I. George, x\ . Davis. H. Rothwell. 190yds: XX' Mathews X. Archer, 200yds; J. Dean, 290yds. CYCLING AT DOMAIN

MANUKAU CLUB’S MEETING . Two cycle races, a lialf-mile liandicap and a two-mile open handicap, under the control of the Manuka u Amateur Cycling Club, were held on the Domain last evening. Following are the results: Half-mile Handicap.—First heat: S. S. Lichfield, SOyds. 1: M. Taylor. 40yds. 2; F. J. Casey, 15yds, 3. Six started. Time. 1 S 3-5. Second heat: J. Reid, 80yds, 1; C. G. Galbraith. 20yds. 2; A. Watt*. 40yds. 3. Six started. Time, 1.10 2-5. Third heat: W. Dwight, 25yds. 1: H. Russell. 65yds. 2; L. Aldred, 55yds. 3. Seven started. Time, 1.10. Final: S. Lichfield and M. Taylor, dead-heat. 1; F. J Casey. 3. A great finish. It was Lichfield s race until lOvds from the finsh, when Taylor finished’fast and got up in time to make a dead-heat. Casey was close up third. Time, 1.8 1-5. . .. _ u Two Miles Open Handicap.—J. H. Wade, scr., 1; H. Dwight, 40yds, 2; A. Sercombe, 220yds, 3. Wad® rode a fine race and won by two lengths. Sercombe and Dwight wertj separated by inches _* or second and third places. Time, 5.4 4-j.