CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 215, 11 September 1929, Page 15

CYCLING.

WITH THE AMATEURS. WHITTEN IN GREAT FORM. . A HARD FIFTY-MILE COURSK. \ j'g FIXTURES: •jj Saturday, September 14 —25 Miles Senior (Papakura) and 5J Mile Junior. b ' Sunday, September 10—Final Club Kun over )1" "Fifty" course. i C Saturday, .September 21—30 Miles Auckland , Amateur Championship Race , . ~ Senior members of the Manukau t " Amateur Cycling Club, especially those 1S who strongly advocated another ook , g miles race over live laps of the Mangere j. and live laps of the rough-surfaced )g Ilnunatao circuits, should now be quite 8 satisfied that races of this description " 0 are not wanted by the majority of meme bers, if entries received can be considered j any criterion. Last Saturday the senior iV race was over the course just mentioned , and 17 of the club's beet long-distance ..' riders started, but many quitted before / the race concluded, and only seven n actually finished. To encourage the s riders to finish, Mr. J. Jlackie, father ( l of Angus Mackie, the well-known scratch v . rider of the Papanui Amateur Club of f Christchiirch, donated a further trophy g for the winner. Then again, sensing a 4 poor entry, Handicapper Cleaver had v made the handicaps, as far as the front "j. markers were concerned, exceedingly ; generous, giving as much as o5 minutes a to the limit men. Despite the liberal 0 allowances, no rider started off any of e the first three handicap marks. Actually „ 15m was the limit; thus interest was j assured in the event, for the talent competing was consequently very select. The- limit bunch included G. P. Clark, J. C: Stewart (winner of the "53J" held in August, 1028), N. Casey (brother of , F. J. Caeey. the well-known back marker), C. L. Russell (third to Stewart 1 in the 1928 "53i"), and L. H. Dwight I (brother of 11. R. Dwight, the dub's r present road champion and popular scratch rider). With such a formidable group featuring as limit a difficult proposition was eet the dozen who started off shorter marks.- So well did . this group pace together that only one of the back markers, J. Whitten, 2m, \ was able to overhaul them. H. K. " Dwight, scr., and F. J. Casey, 2m, were f the only othere of the 12 behind limit to finish, yet neither sighted the 15m * men during the race. ' The race was a regular triumph for ' J. Whitten, whose splendid exhibition of speed and stamina won the admiration of all who witnessed the race, quite a big gathering, a goodly number of whom were senior members who would have raced in the 28-miler offered as an alternative by the executive committee at the last general meeting, but which offer was unable to be accepted as it failed to get the required two-thirds majority. It was a distinctly fine performance on the part of Whitten, who not only won, but reduced the couree record, estab-

lislied by H. K. Dwight on August 17 kst, by 5m 235. Right from lap one it was clearly seen that Whitten was riding up to his championship reputation, gained in the Auckland and New Zealand championship "fifties" last year. His time for the first lap of 10.7 miles was 28m 30s, as against 29m 12s by the scratch trio, Dwight, Wade and Roberts. The latter two were in the retired list. The following iigures will give a splendid idea of the great judgment exercised by Whitten: On lap one he gained 3m 22s on the leaders (the 15m men); on lap two, 2m 345; on lap three, 2m 48s; and on lap four, 3m 375. Thus when he entered the fifth and final lap he was only 39s in arrears and had the four leaders —L. H. Dwight had retired—so well in hand that half-way along Robertson Road and with eight miles to go, he was able to join their company. Whitten rode like one inspired over the fourth lap, when he dropped the last of his handicap group of five, i\ J. Casey, and reduced the leaders' advantage by 3rn 375. Whcjn the filial dash terminated Whitten had a lead of one length and a-half. His time for the 534 miles was 2h 33m 545, a record and a wonderful ride for such a strenuous course. Conditions were not exactly ideal, although there was little wind to tax the riders, for eevcfal light showers fell. G. P. Clark, 15m, was naturally proud of the fact that he had finished, for he had raced in three "50's" previously, only to retire. He put in a lightning dash at the finish to gain second place, and took J. C. Stewart, 15m, third, by surprise. Stewart was almost entirely responsible for the fact that four of the five off his mark finished. Having won the 1928 53£-miler, he was able to use to good purpose the experience gained in that event. He kept his co-markere lapping at a steady bat throughout, and the result undoubtedly proves that his tactics were absolutely correct. Any attempt at brilliant, or, rather, "Hash in the pan" riding, he restrained. Had he not under-estimated Clark's sprinting powers by looking around at the finish, perhaps to see how far behind Clark actually was, he would have made a bolder bid for second place. - 'N. Casey, 15m, fourth, deserves a word of praise, for it was his first longdistance, race. He started racing this season, but a bad smash when descending College Hill on his'way to work one morning, through his chain coming off, put him out of competition for over three months. This race was his fourth since his recommencement. C. L. Russell, 15rn, fifth, is another long-distance rider of note. He was third in the- "53J" on August 18, 1928, off 16m. Of the scratch trio H. & Dwight was the only survivor. .He finished 3m 12s behind Whitten, and clocked the second best time in 2h 35m 6s, thus breaking his personal record by 4m 11s. He had a lone ride over the last twp laps. Had Casey, whom he passed on the last lap, been able to give him any pacing assistance he would have given Whitten an even closer go for time honours. The seventh and last of the field to inish was F. J. Casey, 2m, who clocked third fastest time in 2h 41m 51s. The crowd had dispersed when he arrived 7m 57e behind the winner, but the small band of clubmen and officials who knew that Casey had expressed a determination to finish, whatever odds, loudly applauded him as ho crossed the line for the splendid spirit, fortitude and example he displayed. The Junior Race. Only ten juniors competed in their one-lap flutter of five miles and a-half. They were sent off just three minutes after the last of the seniors had completed his eecond lap, and of course their race naturally interfered in no way with the senior field, for the junior race had concluded ten minutes before the first senior rider finished his third lap of 10.7 miles; two such ideal courses would be difficult to find. L. Cogan, 3ni 25e, who has not featured on the trophy list for over six weeks, Avon in fine style by a clear length from A. H. Bowen, 3ni ss, the latter of whom

hae not yet had a win, although he has another second place to his credit. Cogan's time was 17in 10s, lm 19s faster than his time the previous week. Oil June 22 he won a junior race off 3rn 455. C. T. Yule, scr., had an unpaced ride. Nevertheless, he put up a record lap time for the season for a junior rider in 15m 10s. It was his last ride as a junior. He certainly severed his connections with the junior division in right royal fashion. He will be a worthy addition to the senior ranks. The Championship Fifty. The annual 50 miles Auckland provincial amateur championship road race over the Epsom-Clevedon and back course on next Saturda\' week, September 21, is now claiming the attention of the Manukau officials and members. The trophy list this year promises to be better than ever. The Farmers' Trading Company have donated a racing bicycle, Masco, Ltd., a woollen jensey and racing shorts to order of whomsoever should be the successful competitor, and Mr. C. H. Sexton a pair of hie wellknown make of cycling ehoes. A cash donation towards the trophy list of live guineas has been made by an enthusiast, whilst the residents of Papakura, through the agency of Clubman L. B. Roberts, have donated £3 16/, which latter will provide a trophy for the first rider through Papakura, and another trophy for the first Papakura rider to finish, bar the winner. Entries for the "fifty" definitely close at 2.6 p.m. next Saturday. The race will be a handicap event, the championship title being awarded to the rider registering the fastest time. The championship sash is being presented by the president, Sir. i H. G. Brewin. Xext Saturday the senior race will be to Papakura and back, 25 miles, and the junior race will be the usual onelap event. Mrs. G. Paul, mother of the limit rider, W. C. Paul, has given a neatly-designed gold-centred silver medal for the winner. The record for the Papakura race is held jointly by J. Whitten and H. R. Dwight at 04m 20s.