Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 310, 22 March 1928, Page 12

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

"VELOS"

Phil O’Shea. New Zealand’s veteran cyclist, will be a competitor in the principal events set down for decision at the Auckland Domain on Saturday, March 31. The presence of such a wonderful rider should in itself ensure a s?ood gate, but with the entries promised some of the finest handicap riding ever seen in Auckland will be witnessed. With S. McCann on a short mark, the efTort of these two pacing each other to pick up the field will be eye-opener to both professional and amateur riders alike. The principal race of the day. the Auckland W 1 Vel Race of 2 miles, will give the public some idea of what the word pacing means, should these two be drawn in the same heat, or get into the final together. A special committee meeting of the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club will be held at Blandford Park on Friday evening to finalise the arrangements for the club’s grand athletic carnival to be held on the Domain on Saturday. March 31. All cyclists and runners who intend competing at the fixture are invited to attend, as matters of importance relative to the conducting of the carnival are to be discussed. The meeting is timed to take I place at 7.30 p.m. sharp. Riders are reminded that all entries

n for tho big professional meeting to be e held at the Domain on March 31 close n with the secretary, Box 561, G.P.0., yr. Auckland, on Saturday next, and must i- be accompanied by the necessary fees a McCANN TO RIDE Sid McCann, the greatest handicap rider in the North Island, will be a competitor at the forthcoming carnival, -t The meeting of the New Plymouth ° champion and Phil O'Shea, the New Zealand champion, in the piece de re d sistance —the Auckland Wheel Race — l 5 should be a race worth remembering. J. Harcourt, the Hamilton crack c rider, will be a competitor at the big fixture. He will be hard to beat over n any distances. Other riders who have signified their intention of competing are A. R. (Putty) White, Slater Hayes. Jim Henderson, Harry Pelham, J. Gore All are riders well known to the Auckland public, while as far South as Taumarunui comes entries from Pat Rear G don and three others. Already over n 20 entries have been received, so that * by the closing date, Saturday next, a c record entry is anticipated. The handicappers, J. McAneny for running and S. Oakes for cycling, have • a trying task in front of them, as e already several “never competed before” entries are to hand. All handicaps will appear in The Sun on Weds nesday.

OLD-TIMERS’ RACE The Old-Timers’ race should cause a fair amount of amusement, but should also be well worth seeing if all the “real old-timers” who are in Auckland face the starter. Some idea what the calibre of the field could be, can be formed if the following riders, who are in Auckland, could only be induced to start: G. Sutherland and T. Clarkson, exNew Zealand champions; S. Draffln, Adlam, N. Brooks, T. Partington, Auckland’s cracks of years ago: L. Lloyd, Manawatu champion; T. Thomson. Oamaru champion; and J. E. Blade, Masferton champion. The prizes for this event have kindly been donated by the Continental and Dunlop Rubber Companies. An entry has already been received for the Hamilton to Auckland Dunlop North Island championship road race, to take place in October, from F. Barry, who finished sixth in the GoulbournSydney race two years ago. This event, which is being freely talked about already among riders, promises to eclipse last year’s in the matter of nominations. UNLUCKY HARCOURT J. Harcourt, who was the only Auckland representative in the New Zealand professional championships held at Greymouth recently, had exceptionally bad luck. His first start was in the heat of the half-mile New Zealand championship, in which he met O’Shea, : Mackie, Wilmott. Austin and Weir. He came from the back of all these good ones, caught and beat W. Mackie on the line. In the final he had the outside position and through too many riders being allowed on the track, was prevented from getting up. In the mile championship event he ran foul of a mix-up and went into the fence, breaking his machine and cutting himself badly, necessitating withdrawing from all other events. Harcourt will be meeting O’Shea here in Auckland on grass next Saturday week, and must : be given a great chance of beating i him. A circuit that cash riders should not j miss is the Auckland Athletic and!

Cycling Club’s meeting on March 31, , £39 10s cycling, £25 running; Waihi r Athletic Club’s meeting on Saturday, I April 7, over £3O in cycling; and Te . Aroha Athletic and Cycling Club, on j Easter Monday, with £ 67 in cycling J and £35 in running prizes. Clubs who cater for riders in this manner are deserving of every support from competitors. The following officials have been ai)pointed to control the Auckland Athletic and_.Cycling Club’s fixture; Presi- ’ dent, G. Henning; superintendent of sports, P. A. Richards; referee, G. ! Sutherland: judges, C. H. Parker, T. i Pardington, G. Herring, H. Rickman: ‘ timekeepers, J. E. Fitt, J. Douglass, F. Galvin; official announcer, C. Marriott; chairman of executive committee, B. ‘ Herring; secretary. H. Tonkin. GENEROUS DONATIONS The committee has decided to allot , the two cups so kindly presented by W. Morton and P. Faithful as special . prizes to the winners of the most points in running and cycling. It is most pleasing to see such good sports in amateur athletics coming forward in such a sporting spirit to help the Auckland Club on its first effort. The St. Patrick’s Sports Carnival may have been all right as a children’s picnic, but when it came to holding cycle races in conjunction with it, then the fun began. When the cycling events were due to come on the ground was covered with children from two years upwards. To clear the cycle track of this mass of humanity caused President Morton and his little band of officials no end of worry and unfor--1 tunately they got nothing but abuse * for it. The number of prams, too, floating about the cycle track must have easily been a record for the Domain. With the exception of two narrow squeaks, the races passed off without anyone being hurt, a postponement of a few minutes only being necessary to clear the track at one time. The hero of the day was undoubtedly j J. H. Wade, who, though he won the i three heats in which he started, found I thft or»r>nsitinn too stronr in tho finals

and had to be content with two seconds, one in the half and the other in the mile event. Though he qualified for the two-mile final he could bridge the gap of 60yds. on to H? Dwight, and pulled out after going three laps. The New Zealand “50” champion was never riding better. Hamilton riders are more than holding their own with Auckland pedallers at the present time. At the Auckland Amateur Club’s jubilee meeting, held recently, F. P. Tapper, a Hamilton rider, won the cup given for most points in cycling, while at Saturday’s gathering F. C. Hen wood, another - Hamilton rider, won the best race of the day. beating a select field of Auckland’s best amateur riders. The principal event on the pro- , gramme was the S. W. House Cup. The distance being five miles, and the cup a valuable one, it was named after the donor. For some unaccountable reason the riders refused to start in it, owing to having had too much racing during the afternoon. If this sort of thing is going to be allowed to take place by the Auckland Centre the sport of amateur cycling in Auckland will soon be doomed. The public on Saturday waited to see that five-mile race, and judging by the remarks passed as the crowd was leaving, it was quite evident amateur cycling had received a severe knock-back that afternoon.