CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 121, 24 May 1932, Page 15

CYCLING.

THE CASH RIDERS. BRILLIANT PEDALLING. CLAY'S RECORD WINNING RIDE. FIXTURES. .May 28. —Thirty-mile Handicap. 2.4 o p.m. juiic 4.—Twenty anil a half miles Time Trial and Sealed Handicap. June 3-4. —Rotorua Sports Carnival. How perfect the conditions were for road racing on Saturday at Tairiaki was clearly illustrated in the Auckland Cycle Club's 25 miles handicap, when the record for this distance was well and truly smashed. In the previous week's contest excellent times were returned, but no one was prepared for such a brilliant display on pedalling as Saturday's, as practically all the riders bettered their previous best times. A repetition of riding such as was witnessed, backed up by another such day, should see other records for various distances receive a shake ere the season closes. Five and a half laps of the circuit was traversed by a good field of •21 riders, made up as follows: —F. Clarke, 12.0; J. Sampson, 10.15; T. Davis, 0. Porter, 8.15; 1?. Bicknell, 7.15 j Henley, L. Tomkins, 6.0; C. Rae, 5.45; S. Kara, D Storey, C. Willcox, G. llollerson, 5.0; E Hall 4.0; W. Archer, M. Hibburt, 3.45; E - Cleaver, H. Clay, 2.0; G. Hall; 1.45; S. Litchfield, K. Mathieson, 1.15; W. Pratney, scr. Their positions at lap three (13V2 miles) read: Clarke, Porter, 43 37- Bicknell, Ilealey, Tomkins, 44.35; Sampson, Davis, 45.0; Storey, Rae, 45.19; E Hall, Willcox, Hibburt, 45.58; Clay, Cleaver, 46.14; G. Hall, Mathieson, Litchfield, 47.36; Pratney, 50.32. Lap four: Porter led at 57.28; Bicknell, Healey, Tomkins, 57.36; Clarke, 57.57; Cleaver, Clay Rae, Hall, Hibburt, Storey, 58.21; Davi's 59.36; Mathieson, Hall, 59.54. Lap five ('with 2Yz miles to go):. Clay, Porter, Bicknell and Tomlcins were in front, passin" at 71.5; Healey. Hall, 71.50; Rae, Storey, 72.5; Mathieson, Hall, 72.21. Into the finishing straight came Bicknell and Clav, the first-named leading out to make a Ion" sprint of it, but twenty-live yards from the line Clay came through to wear him down and win by a length. Porter went over 8s after the winner a length ahead of Tomkins, then came Hibburt. Cleaver's Bad Luck. Harry Clay (2.0) has shown by his two successive wins and his latest, a record one at that, that he has now developed sneed with his already good staging ability. Evidently in his training work he has been concentrating on this department. Though Harry won on his merit-, and broke the existing record, to Luc Cleaver, his co-marker, just as much credit is due, and lie is fully entitled to share in the honours. The pair rode a wondeiful race and for Eric to fall so near the finish of a brilliant ride, was a slice of bad luck The writer is of the opinion Cleaver would have won with that good finishing sprint of his, but, of course, one Ss ™ •% tears AK-T-is: .a-.s i noli filvP cnniG loweiing in the i new record will take some iu - future. Clay's laps read: 11.44, 12.-0, 1-10, | 12.7, 12.19, 8.41; riding time, 69-1.

P. Bickncll (7.15) registered _ another pleasing performance, and is riding with marked consistency, being third, fourth and second in his last three rides. He ias also another second to his credit, and . v win for him would be popular. Ready in his mark to start 011 Saturday, lie >roke a toe strap, but in procuring another oet 1.15 of his handicap, eventually startlig with the 0.0 men. The writer thinks t was to his advantage, as he was a lonenarker, but is of the opinion he made i mistake in making a long sprint 01 it t the finish. A snappy one would have lad Clay thinking hard. His laps were teady in 12.48, 12.52, 12.50, 13.1, 13.4, ;.42, actual riding time 73.22—a good cftoit or this rider's inchcs, . Ossie Porter (8.15) went his best race ;o date, and at one part of the race ooked a likely winner out in front. \\ hen :aught bo battled 011 well, being onl.i. 8s >ehind the winner at the finish. liiis ■ider should not need much improvement 10 emulate some of last season s good efforts. He lappetl in 13.20, 13.16, 13.16, 351 13.12, 8.59; time, 75.54. Lou lomkms 0 0). along with Healey and Bickncll, ,aced it out well, only failing in the •losing stages. Lou has been close up in ill his races, and is riding much better ,han iast season. His laps were the same is Bicknell's, and his time 73.40. Hibburt, vho finished next, registered 71.35. Ken Hathieson, along with his co-markeis, •ode splendidly, but at 110 part of the ourney could they make any impression in Clay and Cleaver. Ken finished alone 10 also get under the old record by s_s, its laps being done in 11.53, 12.28 12.30, .2.18, 12.27, 8.24; actual time 70.0. 1 Eric Cleaver since last Easter has all the bad luck that iaicl> alls to the lot of one rider so consistently. Vt Whakatane he had a bad fall, injurng his hip rather badly, which kept him ram competing for many weeks. He lias •idden now in the last four events, with 10 better luck, his leg giving out 111 his irst race; he punctured in the second, ind fell in the next two. His fall on •Saturday was caused by him touching play's wheel. A win would be popular, or he must have turned the lane by now . Tack Cooney is in hospital at present is the result of several bad track spills. Members wish him a speedy recovery. The Rotorua carnival 011 June 3 and 4 las £45 allotted for cycling. Holding ■rack events in the winter with road •acing in progress is a new innovation, ind it will be interesting to see the •esult. The Te Arolia boys will have a lecided advantage over the others on the ■oad, and they are reported to be trailing hard. Aucklanders who intend to make ,he trin are Bill Pratne.v. Slater Hayes Tack Whitten, Rex Watson. Gordon Hall ind George Rollerson. Next week's cou;es»t of 30 miles will be held over the arger circuit of 5V4 111 ila? to the lap. Ihis lourse is in splendid order at present, >eing much better than last season. The Whakatane Cycle Club's 1/%-mile •oad event 011 May 14 was held 111 ideal veather. Once again a record was broken, his time by the popular secretary of the dub, W. L. Green, who, riding oft a ! 0 mark, registered 46.2. to also gain :econd placing. A win for him would not )e out of its turn, as he has been placed in numerous occasions of late. The winler proved to be R. Benton, a limit man iff 101), who the writer forecasted last veek to be on the improve, while the :onsistent S. D-ncaster (3.30) was again n third nos'tion. With this club. .Vaharoa. Hamilton. Waibi. Te Kirti and ['aumarunni operating this season, an xcellent field should line up for the big lassie 011 October 15.