CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 56, 7 March 1929, Page 16

CYCLING.

AMONG THE AMATEURS. RECENT EVENTS REVIEWED. ROAD SEASON IX PROSPECT. FIXTURES. Saturday, March 9. —East Tamaki Meetin;. March 13.—Half-mile Handicap. Domain. 5.43 p.m. Saturday. March 15.—St. Patrick's Day sports. Domain. Sunday. March I".—Club Bun, Muriwai Beach. The three-mile handicap decided by the Manukau Club at the Domain last weefc provided J. H. Wade •with ret another victory. A; early as the first lap he had collected in R G. Foubister and H. R Dwigbt (laflyds). The latt-ir fell on his initial*, "lap. _ but ■ quickly remounted and continued. With the aid of these two Wade quickly caught S. Baird (200 yds), one of the best stylists racing amongst the amateurs, his easy mechanical action and effortless pedalling being an object lesson which many cc&ild profit from. A splendid exhibition of pacing bT the above four allowed them -to be with the field of thirteen at IV~laps to go. Coming into the straight.for the final lap, Wade caught them napping and with a jump came around the~T>uhche~d field, but in taking the lead he cut in much too abruptly, for which action he was severely cautioned by the committee immediately the event concluded. Once he obtained the lead -the final issue was never in doubt'-and he won, easing up, in 7m 375. This win constitutes his sixth victory in club events this year. In two and three-mile handicaps he has proved h Lny?i|iin vincible, and this fact can be attributed to the lack of pacing combination amongst the front and middle martyrs, who generally leave the work to one man.

One does not like to comment ad-1 Tersely upon the work of any club, but surely the Henderson Club, from experience gained from past annual meetings, ,oould have had the track in much letter preparation than they did for last Saturday's sports. The banking on all=ieVdi jfcloped abruptly outwards, in-stead-Of fn, making it extremely difficiilJi,for„ CPWpetit-ora to negotiate the the loose earth surf a*® proved™- decidedly treacherous. Only"f£e extreme caution exercised by the riders prevented more than five falls during the afternoon. Wade and Casey, after a few preliminary laps, decided not-to compete, naturally robbing the racing of much interest. The halfmile was decided in two heate. H. <1 Brown (110 yds) won the first and H. Bnssell (70yds) the second. G. P. Clark (85yds), the only other starter in the second heat, fell just as he approached the home bend, but immediately remounted, to pursue Russell and be credited with second place, thus qualifying for the final, which was won by H. C. Brown in 68 2-ss. Brown rode as fast as tfcptraek would permit and won with 30yds to spare from H. Russell. Ten started in the next event, the one mile, which was characterised by the good riding of C. L Gainsborough (90yds), who was fast overhauling the leaders during the final lap but just failed to catch the winner, C. A. Clarke (160 yds) who passed over the line with two lengths to spare, after getting a big break on the field down the back straight. Clarke's original handicap was 110 yds, but, through an error in the programme, where he was allotted 160 yds, he stole a regular march on the field. Many riders comment*! upon the faet at_tht conclusion of ti»* race, hut, lift gocA Mparts,: let Clarke have the benefit JThe two-milt race waft the tjt&jt of the day jmOnrtkhei, S. ;fiaird (44Pyds) with a welnlewved victory. Riding confidently throughout, lie employed the only tactics practicable for success upon such a narrow track, i.e.j; that of obtaining the lead early and'warding off all opponents by slightly increasing the lead when they attempted to-pass,-making their efforts doubly diQjfculi fiy 'theJact that they had to ride' through the loose earth when going wide.

It !» iflped that the Henderaon Clnb will; harg-the track in-better condition foiuthtiMtert *nnuaT meet. The re-deeming-Ifeatufe of the.programme was iht';effioßStf-TriaWi)tfri tn which six offals roeetjajL.to % entire satisfaction -of both" wmpetitors ani; spectators?* The six worked in per. feci, harmony and at 110 time was intent allbfred to wane, the programme being put through within two hours and ft-hilf.

Jsl the prominent riders of the Manulca.tr Clnb will be competing at the •niiiul '.gathering at East Tamaki next Saturday afternoon, when a high order of;; ! racing is confidently expected. Spfcitl intereit will be lent to the cycle races, far all winners will be rehandieapped for their next event.

The St. Patrick's Baj tports committer have included three athletic events onljr on the ir, programme for Saturday, 16, .and, as all three are cycle raefa, Jt_-behove6 all. amateur cyclists to aflvantage of the occasion and givi every support to this annual meeting, especially when the committee have •hown decided preference to the cycle racing as a spectacle.

At the general meeting of the ManukanjClub, held -last week, the road race programme, tentatively drawn up by the executive, was freely discussed, and, aftfr three alterations were made, was adopted for the coming season, which wiO commence on April 6. With a race every week for seniors and each fortnight for juniors it is Anticipated that thOecord road season/of last year, will be ;well eclipsed at-far as entries and general enthusiasm are concerned. J. C. Stewart's long ride of 522 mileß from" Wellington to Auckland via:;; was in no waj' an attempt- "on the record between the two cities, but it is a meritorious performance nevertheless. This route includes some mountainous travelling, the highest point on the trip being Turangakumu, 2700 feet above aea- level. It is not commonly known that Mr. Stewart left Auckland last moflth thirteen hours before H. G. wh<-ti thn latter rider successfully ir)w*r«l A. .Sutherland's record to hc/iitsjiitil nvcfhfttiled him jilst after Wsflgiiiitil, Brewin then decided t* a nap by the roadside, whilst cm, enly to be overbdifhd main when nw Otakl, where he to t*ke As train for the refuted# fit tfe* imwj. Bis splendid pfeVfy ifc#wo-