Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 635, 11 April 1929, Page 13

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

- By

Fixtures Saturday, April 13. —Three-lap race, Mangere Speedway, 3 p.m. Saturday, April 13. —(If wet), 17-mile open and 11-mile novice road races. Sunday, April 14.—Club run; leave j I Newmarket, 2 p.nu Road Season Away Better racing conditions could not : havo favoured the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club for the opening of its road-racing season last Saturday afternoon. On account of the military par- ! aties it was not anticipated that the entry would be large, for the 11 miles senior race, but contrary to expectations 43 started, 11 better than the entry received on the opening day of j the 1928 season. Almost all the old ! riders were present along with a goodly muster of newcomers, all keen to start in the initial event. Besides the competitors a fair number of interested followers of the game were present and the roadside once again presented a scene reminiscent of that of last year. The Senior Event * As soon as the junior event concluded on Saturday the big field of senior riders was dispatched upon its 11-mile journey. The 2.30 men were prominent throughout. The leaders of the race at the end of the first lap were F. Berry, 4m. limit, and 11. Farrer, 3.30, accompanied by . sixteen others riding in close formation. Then followed the 2.30 group only 25 seconds behind, and returning the fast time of 14m. 15s, which eventually proved to be the fastest time recorded for any group on the first lap. The 2m men had at this stage lost 15 seconds on the 2.30 bunch, while Pinfold passed at the head of his 1.30 group, lm 31s behind the actual leaders. The oneminute men were unfortunate in losing

TT. R. Dwight in the iirst quarter of a mile when that rider had his rear tyre blown off the rim. F. J. Casey was suffering from the effects of a cola and found himself not in a condition to keep up the fast pace. He retired on the first lap. The retirement of Casey lef J. A. Dvkes, late of Hawera, and C. G. Galbraith to lap out together. They were able to maintain a pace just s.uificient to hold off the scratch man. .1 H. Wade, who was game enough to start alone, and, riding unpaced, did the first five and a-half miles in 14m 20s. the second best time for a circuit. m a ! Over the last lap the 2.50 nun j ! tained the lead, and H. Russell. rid- ; \ ing with his 88in. gear, the largest i goar used bv any rider in the field of j 43. along with G. J. Whitehou.se and C. j Harris, put in some stinging pacing ; work, which soon spread the field out. ! Only those who had had some early j training rides were abl<- to stand the 1 killing pace set by this trio, which i made many determined and successful efforts to drop those riders who never trv to come out and. do their share of the pacing. The sprint for the finishing line provided quite a sensation, for fully 20 riders rounded the home bend together. but the increased pace of the soon told, and the issue rfisted with eight riders. R. R- Watson. ’ 3.1.5, with a fine effort, triumphed by a length. Watson has been training ; consistently of late, and this was his first victory on the road. Last year he

“CYCLOS."

competed at frequent intervals and registered a, second place when he rode oft 5.30 in a 17-mile June *•>. Well Done It is not often that a rider competing in his first race is capable of getting placed, but A. R. Johnson, 3.30, who was second in Saturday’s senior event, beat many riders who have had two years’ experience at the sport. vv hen a new rider registers a placing in his first race he is naturally watched with interest in future events. Johnson is bound to come to the fore again. He has the build of a cyclist capable of fast work. . Fastest Time C. Francis, 2.30, surprised many when, 1 besides coming third, he actually re- ! turned fastest time with the record ngI ures of 2Sm 50s. His bunch were 1 packing the pace on throughout the race, and naturally the first rider of that group to cross the line reaped the benefit. Francis hails from Papakura, and only left the junior ranks last year. Hh has won three junior races, and while a junior competed in senior events with success. In a 17-mile race on May 10 he was second off 7.30: on June 16 in a s£-mile race he recorded a similar placing off 2.20, and on August 22, in a 22-mile race, was third off 10m. His time on Saturday was 10 seconds inside the record figures established by .T. H. Wade on 1, 1 028. Wade himself returned 28.03 on Saturday, a meritorious performance considering be rode unpaged.

SATURDAY’S HANDICAPS The following handicaps have been declared by Mr. G. W. Cleaver for the two races to be contested over the Jlangero circuit next Saturday in the event of wet weather causing the. postponement of the motor races at th** speedway: 17 Miles Open Race—J. Whitten, »or; H. R. Dwight. F. J. Casey, C. G. Galbraith. .!. A. Dykes. C Francis 4,5. DG. Pinfold. A. W. Pinker, S. Baird. L. B. Roberts. R. G. Foubister. C. A. Clarke. F Taylor, lm ss. r*. M. Hope. T„. Aldred, C T Gainsborough, K. A. Cleaver N. Fisher. G. W. Roller son, Ira 50s; C. Harris. H Russell, G. J. Whitehouse. R. R Watson A. SiTcoin!.A. F. NT. Taylor. W . Rowe. 2m; C. E. Russell. V. Sanders, G. p Clark. J. Leather. A. ft. Johnson. S. iV Gatland. 2m 30s; R. Richardson, J. Aitken K. Spragg, R. R. G. Currif'. Ft. Borland. 3m 15s; J. M. Walsh. A. I y Hills. W. Borland, A. V. Reed. F. Jordan. A. W. Maekrell, C. J. Wood. T’ Greens wav C. Storey. 4m; T>. I^nnan» H Farmer. H. If- Camp. M. R. Carter F. W. Restall. W. Knight. E. C. Keenan \ K Cooke. T. Sullivan. 4m 1 15s- R Vs* Gibbs. T. Wright, F. J. Berrj T. J. Farrelly. W. Clarke. 5m 15r 11 Miles Novice Rate—H. R- Dwight, !F. J. Casey. C. G. Galbraith. J- A Pvkes. wr; R. O. Foubister. E. A I Cleaver, G. W. Rnllerpon, 30s: C. Harris i \V Rowe, lm: V. Sanders, S. R. Gat I land, n. F. ’'lark. 1m 3"“. R. Richard 1 «nn K. PpraKK. 2m: A. W. Maclcrell, . i Jordan, C. 1 Wood. A. F. Hills. J- M Walsh. F* Greenaway. Storey 2m ./« r; Heron. H. Farrer. A. K. Cooke. H. H i Camp. W. Knight, M. R. Carter. F. W Re«tall T Sullivan, E. C. Keenan. D ; RenStne Sm C.s; G. R- Gibbs. T. Wright j f J- Berry, T. J. Farrely, W. Clarke ; 3m 10s.