Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 537, 14 December 1928, Page 11

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

_ By

"CYCLOS."

Whatawhata Sports The annual sports meeting of the Whatawhata Amateur Club is to be held on New Year’s Day. At this gathering Auckland riders in particular are well catered for, and the cycling events have always proved the feature of an attractive and enjoyable programme. In all, six events, with distances ranging from half a mile to three miles, will be contested. Three of Auckland’s best in Wade, Casey and Whitten intend to compete, and to other Auckland riders who may be lured by a good day’s outing it may bo mentioned that Whatawhata is only six miles out of Frankton Junction in the direction of Raglan. Bring Cricket Gear Next Sunday the Amateur Club’s run will be to the Avondale reserve. The party will leave the Ponsonby reservoir at 9.30 a.m., and the committee wishes all who can obtain cricket gear to bring it along, as it is intended to play a scratch match during the day.

At the opening of Sydney’s board track, an endeavour will be made to

match Standen and Gray. It is the' intention of the controlling body to run amateur and professional races on all its programmes. Amateurs’ Next Tour The amateurs’ next tour will take place on the week-end commencing December 22, when it has been arranged for a trip to Karekare, on the West Coast. Karekare is certainly an ideal spot for a week-end, there being good surfing, swimming, tramping and other branches of recreation. Numerous facilities are offered for camping, but if desired good accommodation can be obtained right on the beach. The distance to Karekare is 2G miles, and it could be reached comfortably in less than four hours. This short tour is bound to prove most popular, and should attract a large muster of cyclists. Jack Wade Again Thirteen competed in the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club’s three-miles race staged at the Domain last evening. Results:—J. H. Wade, scr., 1; S. Litchfield, 250yds, 2; K. Nankivell. 100yds, 3. Time, 7m 53s It was indeed another great victory for the Auckland crack, J. Wade, for he rushed through to clinch the honours by a good six lengths Whangarei Club The Whangarei Cycling Club will open its season with a race to Kauri on January 19. This was decided upon at the annual meeting of the club held last Tuesday evening. The election of officers for the year resulted: Patron, Air. A. J. Alurdoch, AI.P.: presidents, Alessrs. I. J, Brake and C. >l. Chissell; vice-presidents, Alessrs. B. Walker, Slade Clark, D. Garton, B. Bray and H. Preebe; secretary and treasurer. Mr. T. Cross; assistant secretary, Air. C. W. Chissell: judge. Air. B. Weir; timekeeper. Air. 11. Hannam; handicapper. Air. Slade Clark; management committee, Alessrs. W. Stewart, If. Preebe, H. Hannam. Slade Clark. T. Cross, C. W. Chissell vnd B. Weir. Cash Riders Again As a result of the enthusiasm shown

■ ovex* last week’s race, another event for cash riders was staged at the Domain last evening. when 10 riders faced the starter in a 1£ miles race. This race resulted as follows: —N. Healey, 100yds, 1; G. Hall, 150yds, 2; R. Clarke, 3 80yds, 3. . Time, 3min 54 sec. The three placed men rode together over the last lap but Healey put in a good sprint and won by two lengths. # J. Lindop, who went on the back mark in the cash race at the Domain last evening, failed to get near the limit men and retired in the fifth lap. * * * Single Tube Tyres Harry Watson, the New Zealand cyclist who competed in the Tour de France and returned to New Zealand some time ago, writes a short account of his experience with single tube tyres over New Zealand roads:— “So far, I have not had a puncture. Single tube tyres are used by all English and Continental cracks, and the time is now here when New Zealand and Australian cyclists must seriously consider their use in road races.” * * * Records Go After standing for 18 years, E. APearson’s Sydney-Atelbourne bicycle road record of 49 hours has been twice reduced within the past few weeks. First, the Queensland crack, L. Cecil, riding from Melbourne to Sydney, succeeded in just getting under Pearson’s record, Cecil’s time being 48hr 48min 30sec. Not long did the Queenslander retain the coveted honour, for G. AlcLeod, a first-class Victorian rider, starting from Sydney, reached Alelbourne G.P.O. in 47hr 46min 20sec, thus reducing the recently-estab-lished new figures by 62min. Despite' the fact that the Victorian’s feeding arrangements failed at a critical stage he, after leaving AJbury, gradually “picked up” and, at the finish of his arduous undertaking, he was in a remarkably fresh condition. He lost 91b weight in his 568 J miles* ride. The performance was observed and checked by officials of the New South Wales and Victorian Leagues of Wheelmen. McLeod, who is 30 years of age, had no sleep during the ride. His actual time in the saddle was 39hr 26min. Tour de France Hubert Opperman, the champion cyclist of Australia and captain of the Australian Tour de France team, returned to Alelbourne recently, where he received an enthusiastic welcome. Discussing the Tour de France, Opperman described the contest as a nightmare. Many of the stages were begun in darkness, he said, and the riders had to grope their wav t without lights, along mountain passes with the i sound of a river hundreds of feet below. The variation of climate—hot. dusty road and snow-clad mountains — and thousands of miles of gruelling riding over all kinds of roads, demanded almost superhuman strength and determination. “The only way we can improve the standard of road racing in Australia,” : said Opperman, “is by introducing the French style of racing. The present i handicap system is considered obsolete [ in France. Free wheels, single tubes i and compressed air pumps for quick - puncture repairs will have to be adopted here if we hope to reach anything like the standards attained Ly European riders. Cycling is the : national sport of France. For big races such as the Tour de France, the populace in the town uses the haltholiday granted it to line the streets as the riders pass through. The Euro- . peari public was most generous in its - criticism of riders’ performances. It I did not lavish all its praise on the winner; but was most liberal to the competitor. who, in spite of ill-luck and i difficulty, finished gamely.”