Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 500, 1 November 1928, Page 7

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

By

“VELOS”

The 1928 professional road racing season closed last Saturday, with a race to Papakura and back, staged by the Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club. The day was a perfect one for road racing, the wind, if any, not interfering seriously with riders. W. Francis was the hero of the afternoon, winning not only the event, but fastest time as well. He showed greatly improved form right through the race. Coming from the 2m 30s mark in brilliant fashion, he won as he liked at the finish.

The season just closed, from the Auckland Club’s point of view, has been a most successful one, showing —thanks to Secretary Tonkin—a useful credit balance. Riders have been most consistent in their attendances at road races right through the season, and it is also pleasing to know that quite a number of new riders joined up with the club, and in some instances made good. The feature of the racing was the total absence of any infringement of the rules during the year. This calls for special mention, as also does the support given by cash riders to the Hamilton-Auckland road race, handled by the club for the first time. In this race a record entry of 43 was received, and despite the fact that it was held on one of the worst days ever experienced in the Auckland province, there were only four actual scratch ings. Collectively, riders showed a big improvement on their previous year’s form, but individually—with the exception of J. Lindop, who won the club’s championship —no other rider showed any outstanding merit. The small band of officials as usual stuck to their guns right through the piece, and riders at the annual prize-giving were loud in their praises of the manner in which the races had been carried out by them. The thanks of the committee, too, is due to all who by cash or kind helped

to make season 1928 the success it has been. HENDERSON AND HEALEY

The points prize, which carries with It the Pardington Challenge Cup, was won by J. Henderson by the narrow margin of one point. Henderson’s performances right through the season have been of a very consistent nature, and though he only managed to land one win, he made his points up in seconds and thirds. He also won outright the Tonkin Cup for winning the previous race to Papakura and back. Mr. P. Faithful’s trophy for the winner of most fastest times during the season was won by Frank Prior, with 12i wins to his credit. He also won the club’s special trophy. N. Healey, who finished up the season only one point behind Henderson, won the Pardington Shield. He was unlucky in losing the cup, as he has three wins to his credit against the winner’s one. However, he was not so successful in securing seconds and thirds. F. Potter who won Gerry Mathieson’s Cup, is an ex-amateur who only joined up with the Auckland Club this year. He showed good form early in the season, but toward the end he rode too unselfishly to get in the prize-money at the end of the season.

W. Francis, winner of Saturday’s race, is probably the most Improved rider among the middle markers this season. His recent performances in the Hamilton-Auckland and the big Taranaki fixture. ‘Round-the-Moun-tain,” have done much toward making him the rider he is to-day. Saturday’s ride, when, with a start of only 30s from such good ones as Mathleson and Henderson, he cleared right away from them to win easily, stamps him as the makings of something extra special later on. At the conclusion of Saturday’s Papakura race at Mangere, the trophies won during the season were presented to the different riders securing them by Secretary H. Tonkin, and G. Mathieson. In traversing the season’s work just completed. the secretary paid tribute to those who had given the

different, trophies and also congratiilated riders on their efforts during the road season in helping to make th--racing the success that it undoubtedly was.

Amateur riders at the present time are having a spell. The Manukau Amateur Cycling Club, to whom most of them belong, is at a loose end as to what to do to popularise the sporl. With no tracks available, this is a very serious question. Should the directors of Blandford Park Stadium Company decide to do up their track, the rest would be easy, but in the meantime there is nothing to report from here. A meeting of the company’s sporting heads is being held on the ground to-day, so something definite may be announced soon.