CASH RIDERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 4 October 1927, Page 13

CASH RIDERS.

BIG RACE INCIDENTS.

A. SUTHERLAND'S LOST CHANCE, HOW THEY FELL BY THE WAY.

(By WHEELMAN.)

Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club will hold a 10-mile open event on Saturday at Mangere and a big entry bas been received. The race will start from the Mangere bridge at 2.30 p.m.

The Dunlop North Island championship road race may be an annual affair. One of the grandfathers in the race, P. J. Reardon, of Taumarunui, off rhe 40m mark, put up a good performance. Over the first half of the journey he did not bustle himself, but over" the Mercer-Auckland end, he was reducing the lead held by the leading younger riders at the end of every mile.

A. Sutherland, the favourite, should have won. He had a bad fall during the race, but, allowing for that, put up a great ride to the Razorback. Here he and Hayes were tempted, and it being a dry day "they fell by the roadside." From Drury to Manurewa he rode badly, after that he picked up and over the' last lap on the trotting ground, he was the fastest man to finish.

Jim Henderson, off 12m, the winner, rode a remarkable race. Twelve minutes behind the leaders, which included the scratch man, at the FUzcrback hills, roughly 30 miles from the iiuishing point, he nevertheless picked it up, to pedal home an easy winner in a 90-mile race. The feat "beggars description." Admitting that the others were tiring it was a wonderful performance on the popular Hendy's part. At Mercer he drank three mugs of hot milk. and at Papakura two cups of cocoa, and did not waste time, drinking them quickly at both places. . W. Brewster, the smiling scratch man from New Plymouth, was unlucky in striking a performance like Henderson's. He had a bad fall this side of Huntly and lost three-quarters of a mile on the other two scratch men. He picked this up after a hard ride, and once over the Bazorbacks *he was looked upon as the winner. Over the last two miles, however, he petered out, but lasted long enough to secure second place, and fastest time. Aged 19, he has been riding for four years. No rider tried harder than C. Slack (25m). When the road was too rough or too steep to ride, he was not content to walk, but ran. This took a lot of energy out of him, and he was found wanting over the last few miles. He led by three minutes at Papakura and was proclaimed a winner there by his supporters.

It was a treat to see the three scratch riders, Brewster, Prior and White, cutting out 25 miles an hour for miles ou the good roads in Saturday's race. When Prior punctured nearing Mercer, any chance the back men had passed. No three riders worked better together. When White fell at Pokeno that was the end of the combination. Slater Hayes (sm) tried to win all the way. He rode alone most of the time, taking a lot out qf himself. The scratch bunch only caught him air* Mercer, showing what a wonderful ride he had done. He, too, petered out on the hills, but keeping going finished fifth, and also secured second fastest time. Biders missing at Te Kauwhata, the half way check station, were:—Bae, Stansfield, Archer (25m), Storey (8m), Biders who passed through Papakura, the last feeding station, were:—Breckon, 11.30; Slack, 1.27; Brewster Francis, 1.30; Wilson, 1.32; Henderson, 1.34; Sutherland Hayes, Bickman, 1.35; Beardon, Beid, 1.39; Lownes, 1.44. One of the most fancied riders was P. J. Bickman (25m). He was the third rider through Mercer, and was going well. At Papakura he had lost 8m on the riders he passed through Mercer with. He was also very tired, and took things easy from here to the finish. A. White, a scratch rider, was unlucky to have two falls, and finally collapsed at Manurewa, and came home by car. He rode well till his second spill. This seemed to slow him up. Phil O'Shea, the veteran road rider, is in receipt of a letter from the organisers of the Dunlop Grand Prix, offering him liberal terms to go across to compete in their big 680-mile event in November. While the inducement is very tempting, and all lovers of the sport of road racing would like to see O'Shea go across, they are dopmed to disappointment, as Phil has never been able to stay down on his handle bars since receiving an injury to his shoulder last Labour Day at Ashburton.