CYCLING CARNIVAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 871, 15 January 1930, Page 13

CYCLING CARNIVAL

OPPERMAN WILL BE BIG DRAW TONIGHT RACES AT WESTERN SPRINGS The cycle racing carnival arranged for this evening at the Western Springs Stadium track by the combined efforts of the Auckland (professional) Cycle , , tlle Manukau Amateur Cycling Clubs officials should be the finest cycle race meeting ever held in Auckland. Good fast racing should be witnessed, for the new banked contraCk at the Western Springs Stadium is the fastest cycle track in the Dominion, as has already been amply proved by Angus Mackie, who clipped ou seconds off the old motor paced record for five miles, which he last 6 * n on December 30 Hubert Opperman, the world-famous Australian cyclist, will be the main attraction, coming as he does with such a great reputation built up in Australia and France, where cycle racing is in the foremost ranks of athletic sport. In all, Opperman will race

16 miles during the evening, a very strenuous order, but one that he can ably fulfil. At his last appearance in Christchurch he rode 22 miles at racing speed. On that occasion he competed in four events and won three. The event in which he was beaten, by half a length by Phil O’Shea, was the five miles tandem paced race, which was in many respects a “farce,” for at times both riders went past their respective tandems, who were making far too slow a pace for two such speedy riders. The last race on that particular night at Christchurch was the five miles invitation scratch race, in which 14 started. In this race Opperman had his revenge and scored a decisive victory, winning by a length from Weir, with O’Shea another length behind Weir. This evening Opperman will make his final appearance in the Dominion, for on Friday he departs for Sydney, where he is booked to appear on the board track there. Tie will be first introduced to the gathering tonight when he attempts to create a New Zealand record for the one-mile motor paced. Opperman has done a mile in 58 2-ss, and there is no reason why he should not approach a mile a minute speed tonight, for riding the Harley Davidson pacing motor-cycle is no other than Harry Mangham, whom all Aucklanders know as one of the foremost grass and dirt track riders in the Dominion. Mangham was specially engaged for the occasion in view of the fact that he has previously paced Opperman, and is also used to exceptionally high speeds. Besides the events in which Opperman will appear, there will be three professional handicaps over 3, 6 and 10 laps for which 29, 28 and 23 riders respectively have entered, and two amateur handicaps. The two-lap amateur race has drawn an entry of 31 and the four-lap 33. The big amateur event of the meeting will be a fivemiles scratch race with a prize for the leader at each half lap. The last such event held proved a great success and with the experience gained from the last race the riders will be in a position to make tonight’s event extremely interesting. On account of the big programme, the first race will commence punctually at 7.45 p.m.