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CYCLING.

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP.

TO-MORROWS 50-MILE RACE.

STRONG SCRATCH DIVISION,

To-morrow the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club will conduct the 50 miles Auckland Provincial Amateur Championship Cycle Road Race. The event, which will start and finish at Sir John Logan Campbell's monument, is timed to commence at 2 p.m., and will be over the same course as last year's—from Epsom to C'levedon and back. The first rider to finish is expected back about 4.30 p.m.

It is only three years ago since the Manukau Club inaugurated an annual long-distance championship road race. The Manukau Club commenced road races in 1925, but no championship was held that year. But in 1926, after a successful season of short races at Mangere, the club decided to concentrate on a big race, and chose a course from Mercer to Epsom via Tuakau for the first long-distancd championship. This event, which was held on Octobcr 2, 1926, attracted 19 starters, a splendid field considering the atrocious weather conditions. The winner of fastest time, with which goes the championship title, on that occasion was C. A. Clarke, off 25m, who clocked 3h 46m for the journey, beating the late E. I. Grant/off sm, by only 3s.

The 1927 championship "fifty" was the first over the EjJsom-Clevedon and back course, and was contested by 32 riders. Heavy rain was again experienced on the date of that race, September 17. The event was won by W. Dwight off Bm, and the title went'to J. H. Wade, scr, who just outsprinted M. P. Byrnes, scr, by half a length to clock the good time of 2h 24m 595.

Last year's race, which is fresh in the memory of many enthusiasts, was a regular triumph for J. Whitten. The race was held under ideal conditions on October 6, and 35 started. Whitten, riding from the scratch mark, went right through the field and obtained the lead at Penrose with three miles to go, after which he cased up slightly, yet was able to establish a course record in the splendid time of 2h 16m. He gave away 15m to the limit riders in that race..

For to-morrow's race there are on the mark of honour five of the finest road riders and 'long-distance exponents among the amateur cyclists of Auckland. On scratch are J. Whitten, the holder of the title, H. R. Dwight, winner of the club's 11-mile road race championship this season J. H. Wade, who was second to Dwight when the latter won the 53-miler around five laps of the Mangere and Ihumatao circuits on August 17, L. B. Roberts, whose latest success was the winning of fastest time and second place in the 25-mile race from Mangere Central to Papakura and back last Saturday, and Angus Mackie, the scratch rider of the Papanui Amateur Cycling Club of Christchurch, who is at present in Auckland. Residential conditions do not allow of Mackie claiming the championship title and blue riband, even if he should get fastest time.

The limit riders are in receipt of 23m, but with such a formidable team on scratch, this handicap, although 8m more than that which was given to the limit men last year, will cause the back men little concern. One thing is fairly certain, and that is the middle markers will bunch early in the race—a fact which will probably be in favour of the scratch division, for 5m only separates the four groups, 13 riders in all, between the 5m 40s mark and the 10m 40s mark.

| That the champion will come off the mark of honour is almost a foregone conclusion this year. J. Whitten, as the holder, cannot be considered the certainty lie was for last year's race. H. R. Dwight, who fell when going well in last year's contest, will, according to general opinion, be Whitten's strongest rival. Then again J. H. Wade and L. B. Roberts must be duly considered for the title, especially the former, for he has won two "fifties" over the EpsomClevedon course, the 1027 Auckland and the 1927 New Zealand championships. In the 53A-miler on August 17-last'atj Mangere Wade came a close second to Dwight, who won the race. In the last 53£-miler at Mangere on September' 7 Whitten won, and clocked a course record of 2h 33m 545, and he is probably the most favoured for to-morrow's race.

The result of to-morrow's race will undoubtedly be eagerly awaited by all cycling enthusiasts throughout New Zealand, for a big effort will be made to have the two fastest riders sent away to represent Auckland in the "New Zealand fifty" at Christchurch early next month.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19290920.2.165

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 223, 20 September 1929, Page 14

Word Count
769

CYCLING. Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 223, 20 September 1929, Page 14

CYCLING. Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 223, 20 September 1929, Page 14