AMATEUR CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 133, 8 June 1927, Page 14

AMATEUR CYCLING.

RECENT COMPETITIONS

PROMISING RIDERS

BETTER RACIXG TACTICS

(By SPROCKET.)

COMING EVENTS.

June 11.—17 Miles Senior Handicap, 3 laps: •>} Miles Junior Time Trial. June 18.—Howick and back. Time Trial. 2o Miles: r»i Miles Junior Roud Race. —- s Miles Senior Road Race, o laps. Julv J. Papakura and back Handicap Road Rac»: ."il Miles Junior Road Race. At the monthly meeting of the Manukau Club the report of the executive committee regarding the fixtures for the month was presented. Two out of the four senior events are out-and-home rides. T am glad to see this progressive club striking out in this direction, as the varied nature of the road will give the riders a good idea of what is required to see out a fifty-mile run. Xext Saturday the juniors are having a sealed handicap, and time trial over five-and-a-half miles. Three delegates were appointed to the centre to go into the details of the Auckland Provincial fifty miles, and the New Zealand fifty. It is to be hoped that something definite will come out of this conference.

Junior Race. for this event a pood field of nineteen lads lined up. Tollev, Johnson and Munro set out 2m 45s ahead of the scratch trio, Sercombe, Stecn and Rose. In a splendid finish, C. Constable (2ni), led A. Rose (2m 15s), over the line bv three-quarters of a length, witfc Colin Maxwell (2ni 15s), a wheel away, third. Time lorn 40s. In the sprint amongst the three scratch men for time honours, A. Sercombe beat G. Rose by a wheel, with Stecn a length further back. Fastest time, Sercombe 14m 4Ss.

The Senior Event. Out of the sixteen riders handicapped on the limit, only two, R. Watson and H. Freeman, faced the starter. These two were followed at various handicap intervals by the remainder of the field; the scratch man, Byrnes, leaving the mark with nine minutes to make up on the front bunch. After two laps had been covered, it was noticable that the middle and front markers Mere holding off the back markers, and the most probable fastest time rider was in doubt. Things remained practically the same at the conclusion of the third lap. With seventy yards to go, Stewart Baird (Bni 30s), came away from Leo Devlin (8m). in great style to win by a length and a half, with B. Titchi'ner (8m), two lengths in the rear third. H. Russell (8m) finished fourth, and F. Grogan (8m 30s) filled fifth position. Time, 63m 555. In a spirited sprint. Ken Matheson (2m 30s), who appeared fresh in comparison to his co-markers, Wilson and Gainsborough, downed them by two lengths. A great, set to was witnessed between Cascv (Inn) and Galbraith (lm) over the last 200 yards, the latter prevailing by half a wheel. Byrnes came in, finishing strongly, after riding the distance alone. Fastest time (film 275), was gained by .J. C'. Stewart (4m). and A. G. Baird, second fastest (Glm 27 2-ss).

Comments. By winning the senior race on Saturday last, Stewart Baird proved that his win of a few weeks ago was no fluke. He made nearly all his own pace in last week's event, and when it came to the death ho showed that he was just a bit tod good for the rest of them. I see that he attends all tho club runs, thus gaining stamina and experience. Leo Devlin surprised me by running second, as on his performances of late I did not give him a chance. He must have put in some training during the last week, and if he keeps at it he should be soon on the winning list, as he is on a handy mark. Titchiner is another to surprise me by his forward riding, and if he had not started to 6print so far from home he might have given the winner something to think about.

H. Russell and F. Grogan, who were well up at the conclusion of the race, are two new riders this season, and their efforts on this occasion have been their best to date. By watching tho older and more experienced hands at the game thev should pick up a few things that wiil help them towards success.

J. C. Stewart is proving his consistency by gaining fastest time. This rider is never very far out of a place, and he is one of the most consistent road-per-formers in the club. Although the fastest time generally comes from scratch or near it, Stewart showed that it is possible to get it off the middle mark. .A. G. Baird, second fastest time, is another good road rider, and he also is never far out of time honours.

It might interest followers of the sport to know that in last week's 22-mile race, Byrnes, riding off scratch, would have had to travel the distance at a fraction under 24 miles an hour to have won the event. To set Byrnes such a difficult task is asking a little too much, especially when he rides alone.

C. Constable had his first win on Saturday, when he flashed over the line ahead of Rose and Maxwell in the junior race. He judged his finish well, and he put in a run that would do credit to any senior rider. This lad has gradually been finishing closer up each Saturday, until he has at last "landed the mustard."

A Rose and C. Maxwell also rode well, and both put in good finishing efforts. These two riders are generally always well up, and were unlucky in striking such a good finisher as a winner. Another unlucky rider is E. Tolley, who, so far has had to ride off limit, nine times out of ten without a co-marker. When this cyclist strikes a good mate he will be hard to dispose of, as he is a sturdy junior.

The junior back-markers are all fast lads who pace well together, any one of them having to be reckoned with in regard to fastest time. Of late three and four riders have been handicapped on the mark of honour, and this has further cOmp. t cated the chances of picking the most likely "time" man. On Saturday Sercombe, scratch, finished 2-58 ec ahead of G. Rose, and nearly a second in front of Steen, his two comarkers, and by so doing, gained fastest time, with the other two riders obtaining second and third fastest. The winner is a good rider, who goes from start to finish, and at the same time he can produce at the business end of the race a splendid sprint, which generally brings him home a length a head of his fellowmarkers, but they, with a little more experience, may yet turn the tables on him.

That the front and middle markers are learning to make use of their handicaps has been exemplified in the last two road races. On the previous Saturday Wilson, over thirty-three miles, gained first and fastest, and in last week's e\ent the first five riders were off either eight or eight and a-half minutes. The

first and second time places were pained by two competitors oft four minutes. It was usual for the back markers, with practically the same limits as now given, to be with the front bunch with" two miles to go, but 011 Saturday the former never at any stage of the race sighted the latter except for a few stragglers. If the front markers ride every week in this manner they will find that they not only Mill improve in speed and stamina, but they also will be further up in the finishes. Two riders from Hamilton, Henwood and Spence, came down to compete in the races last week, the former in the junior and the latter in the senior. The junior rider, who is a fine stamp of a cyclist, is one of the back-markers in the road and track events conducted in his own town. He had the misfortune to bump his face on his handlebar, whilst negotiating a bad patch of road, but, nevertheless, he was not far out of fastest time. Spence was liding strongly when he punctured. He was keenlv disappointed, as he wished to see how lie stood in comparison to the local talent. They both stated their willingness to come down in the near future to a pain try their hick.

CLUB RUNS

A succc-*lii] club run to Ilov.uk 011 Sunday la-t was attended by a larpe muster of cyclists, but although the destination was known to all the wheelmen concerned, only live or six out of the thirty riders, went the whole distance. There are three or four who will still persist in endeavouring to make these occasions ones on which to show off their speed by taking the lead and making the pace resemble that of a road race. The club captain is supposed to take the lead and regulate the pace, so as to make the run pleasant and beneficial to the party. As lie is a noted motor-paced rider and naturally travels fast, perhaps it would be better if the riders followed the lead of the secretary, Les. Wilson, at a more leisurely pace. A run to I'apakura is t!b be undertaken next Sunday, leaving the Mangere Bridge at 2.00, to which all cyclists, racing and touring, are invited.