CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 94, 22 April 1931, Page 13

CYCLING.

WITH THE AMATEURS. FIRST DAY ON THE ROAD. FIXTURES. Saturdav. April 25, and Sunday, April 26— Week-end Run to Te Aroha, leaving Newmarket at 7 a.m.

I During the six years that they have indulged in the sport of bicycle road racing, members of the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club have earned for themselves rather an enviable reputation as real enthusiasts for the game. For the past three seasons they are proud of the fact that on no occasion has inclement weather prevented a race from being held. Now, last Saturday afternoon developed into a real "fireside afternoon," yet there were 13 members out at the scene of the road race, and all eager to contest the opening events of the season, a junior and a senior time trial. Last Saturday the club was giving its riders a first try-out over the new circuit, and as a preliminary canter a time trial "was conducted for obvious reasons, firstly, to familiarise the riders with the new course, and, secondly, to try to ascertain the new season form of the competitors. Time trial events are not popular with cyclists here, but in England no other form of road competition is tolerated, and there some clubs have actually to limit the entries for an event to a maximum of 100.

With the Juniors. Junior A. W. D. Robinson has always been able to produce a fair turn of speed i under adverse conditions, but he excelled himself on Saturday last, when he reeled off two laps of the new course, 5 4-5 miles, in 14.31. His fastest time victory came as a bit or a surprise to those who witnessed the event, for on his first lap he took five seconds more than did Gordon and a second longer than did Thompson, the two most fancied riders in the competition. It was in the second lap that "Robby" showed the wisdom of a "not too furious" start. Over the second lap he beat everyone, producing a time of 7.25, 10 seconds better than Thompson, who was second fastest on this particular lap, returned. Last road season Robinson gained time honours in four races. He was always classed as a good unpaced rider. Last year he lacked in sprinting powers, but once he develops in this latter sphere he will make a good all-round road man. Robinson was third in the sealed handicap, on which he figured on 20s. The winner of the sealed handicap was stepping out for the first time as a road rider. Only a lightly-built lad is R. Campbell, but his lack of avoirdupois is well compensated by his wiry constitution, and the three minutes he received from the bandicapper gave him the handicap by a margin of 27 seconds from Bellini. Campbell's actual riding time was 16.37, and, with the handicap deducted, scratch rider Gordon would have had to do better than 13.37 to have beaten Campbell. His work gives him ample opportunity to use his cycle, and such daily riding must stand him in good stead for the, more serious pedalling demanded by j

racing. I. C. Bellini is a far different rider from the Bellini of last season. He covered the two laps in 15.4, and with a minute handicap finished second. Last season he rode a heavy roadster cycle, but this year he has a much lighter and faster cycle. Other" juniors who performed creditably but were out of the. handicap were H. V. Gordon and G. A. I. Thompson, both of whom recorded 14.37, a rare feat in "T. T." events. S. F. D. Budge made the journev in 15.31, "Tiny" P. H. Bicknell in 1G.35, and H. Collins, a new chum to the game, took 17.2. H. V. Gordon did the "fastest ;amur lap in 7.1. Foubister Best of Seniors. The seniors were unlucky enough to have to race from eprly in the first lap to the close of the sixth lap through a deluge of rain, and over one-half of the circuit had to contend with a gradually increasing wind. Although it was taken for granted that Ron. G. Foubister would return the fastest time, few anticipated that he would be over two minutes faster than the next best rider, over a comparatively short distance of 17 3-5 miles. He was actually 2.15 better than Baird, runner-up on time. He naturally figured on scratch in the sealed handicap, on which he finished second. His laps were consisently fast, as the following figures indicate: 6.51 for the first lap, the fastest recorded during the afternoon, followed by laps of 7.10, 7.10, 7.7, 7.30, and a closing lap of 7.26, making his total time for the distance 43.14, which, converted to speed, equals 24 m.p.h. Stewart J. Baird, with an actual riding time of 45.29, and a handicap of 3.0, won the handicap by 45s from Foubister. For absolute regularity Baird's effort was outstanding. The difference between his fastest and his slowest lap was only 24a. In his characteristic, and to all appearances, effortless style, he put the six laps behind him in the following times: 7.26, 7.22, 7.29, 7.40, 7.46, and 7.46. In the 20 miles "T. T." last year he was 4.57 slower than Foubister, whereas last Saturday he was only 2.15 behind. Third on riding time was Ken. Spragg, whose first lap of 7.6 created a bit of a sensation as it was only 15s slower than Foubister's record one, and the second best recorded. But as is usually the case when a rider rushes at the start of such events he pays for his impetuosity in the succeeding laps. Ken. lapped in 7.6, 7.42, 7.38, 7.46, 7.43 and 7.53, a total time of 45.48. - Eric Mullane, winner of last year's "T.T.," was fourth fastest with a time of 46.4 made up of laps in 7.29, 7.51, 7.29, 7.29, 7.44 and a last lap of 8.2, the slowest senior lap of the day. Last year his time was 3.2 slower than- was Foubister's, but this time it was 2.50 slower, a slight improvement. His slowing over the final lap was partly brought about by the fact that when Foubister drew near him on the fourth lap he did his level best to hold the scratch rider off. Although unsuccessful in the latter respect his time improved, to his later detriment, during the time he challenged Foubister. E. D. Andrews rode evenly throughout to lap in 7.30, 7.44, 7.53, 7.53, 7.55 and 7.43, taking 46.38 for the full 17 3-5 miles. Frank J. Casey arrived back last Thursday from his' cycle tour, over which he is quite enthusiastic. This week-end he means to take a party to Te Aroha, going via Hamilton, and returning via Paeroa and the Hauraki Plains. Given fine weather this run should make a splendid week-end awheel. Xewmarket will be left sharp at 7 a.m. so that a leisurely pace may be ridden.