Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 380, 14 June 1928, Page 10

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS"

The following road events are set I down for decision at Mangere on Saturday : Manukau Amateur Cycle Club. —31mile open handicap event, and junior handicap (open to all riders under 16 years of age). Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club. —l4-mile open handicap event. Both races will start punctually at 2.30 p.m., and riders are requested to help officials by being on their respective marks on time, so that all races are finished early and riders may reach the city without the aid of lamps. Impossible weather, as far as roadracing was concerned, prevailed last Saturday at Mangere. A bitterly cold wind blew across the course all the afternoon, greatly interfering with riders, and in many cases forcing contestants to retire. The racing—though the times recorded were slow —was of a very interesting nature, and the wins of H. Dwight in the amateurs, and the veteran W. Hill in the “pros.,” were two of the most popular this season. Both these riders put up line performances, the former riding a great unpaced race, while the latter showed a turn of speed that was easily his best seen at Mangere. RACING UNDER DIFFICULTIES The acceptors in the Manukau Club’s time trial on Saturday was an exceptionally good one. Twentyeight riders faced the starter and incidentally faced one of the worst afternoons ever experienced by the club for the holding of this class of race. Starting at one minute intervals, riders had to keep to themselves, and were not allowed to get within 20 yards of one another. This made the race a real unpaced one, and with the weather conditions prevailing, a very hard one to win. Last year's winner, H. Dwight, reproducing his best form, won again this year by a comfortable margin. The first six riders to finish in Saturday’s big unpaced event, with their respective times, were: H. Dwight. 62min 2sec, 1: J. H. Wade. 62min 25 sec, 2; F. J. Casey, 62min 51«ec, 3; L. Pinfold, 63min 7sec, 4: S. Baird, 63 min 13 4-ssec, 5; and L. G. Chambers, 63min 25 l-ssec, 6. It will be seen that the winner won fairly easily, as a 23sec defeat roughly represents a distance of 230 yards over the 22 miles. This is a big gap to open out on a rider of J. H. Wade’s calibre, but H. Dwight did it, and finished remarkably fresh as well. Over many parts of the journey he was averaging 30 miles an hour with the wind, and even when riding into teeth of it, went better than any of the others. This is the second year that Dwight has secured the unpaced crown of the Manukau Club, and on riders’ present unpaced capabilities, he is likely to hold it for some time. A GAME RIDER J. H. Wade put up a great ride on Saturday, but the odds were against him. The old saying—a good big man will always beat a good little one—-

came true with him. Dwight was too strong for him in that style of racing, and pushed him off his legs. He finished game, but was ridden to a standstill. No rider tried harder than F. J. Casey. From the word go he made every post a winning one, and with two laps to go, looked to have a good chance. Over the latter stage, however, the solid unpaced grind found him out, anci third was the best he could get. He rode better on Saturday than he has for some time, so it is to be hoped that the form which at one time made him one of the finest amateur riders in Auckland is about to return to him.

L. Pinfold (3m 20s), S. Baird (3m 10s) and W. Borland (6m 15s) filled the places, in that order, in the sealed handicap run in conjunction with the Manukau Club’s time trial event. The first two had a lot up their sleeve as the times showed. Both riders showed greatly improved form in their unpaced riding and will no doubt be remembered by the handicapper in future events. VETERAN’S GREAT WIN W. Hill was the hero of the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club’s 25mile event on Saturday. He simply made hacks of the field when it came to racing, surprising even the natives with his brilliant finish. In years gone by these finishes were quite common with him. but during the last two years he has been tied to his post at the Ponsonby Fire Brigade Station with little chance of getting off to train. Saturday’s win was most popular with the cash cycling fans, and “Billy” H. came in for many congratulations. Should he start next Saturday and ride with the same dash, he is sure to be a very hard rider to keep out of a place. X. Healey and F. Lowndes, who finished second and third in that order, seem content with these placings, as on the last three occasions on which they have started, they have filled these places. Both these riders are due for a win any time now. A GOOD RACE TO WATCH Saturday’s 25-mile handicap held by the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club was proclaimed by secretary Tonkin as one of the club’s most satisfactory races. The handicaps, which are the cause of most of the worries of a club’s committee, were for once satisfactory' for all riders. The race itself, as seen from referee Jerry Mathieson’s car, was a very fine one to watch. Particularly so were the efforts of the scratch men. Prior and Hayes, to J -shake off the lmin riders. Storey and | Ken Mathieson. whom they had j caught. The front markers, with Hill. ; Rae and Healey doing most of the hard ; work, paced a line race, and finally all • j finished within a few lengths of on« ! another. 'The back markers were

never in the hunt, and it was only b; sprinting all out for the finishing lir.? that Prior, one of the scratch ridergot up in time to dead heat with the* promising rider, L. Lindop. who we on the 3m mark. J. Blyth was th only rider to meet with a mishap ir the race. He bumped into Healey* wheel xvhen negotiating a bad scorblind, near the Black Bridge, ar/. came down heavily. He retired short! afterwards. This patch of loose scorhas been down for over a fortnigl now, and still has not been blindec In the interests of safety alone, should be attended to. W. Bray, Auckland’s crack amaU-t who recently left for Wellington. evidently been keeping the Souther riders busy. .Last week he romp*home in the Wellington Club’s 22-roii* time trial, finishing up his hard unpaced grind lm 24s ahead of J. Gan* the local champion. Bray, who va.* followed by a car. is credited with df’ ing the 22 miles in 58m 35s —a recc-r" for the course.