CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 55, 6 March 1935, Page 19

CYCLING.

WITH THE AMATEURS. PATRICK'S FINE RECORD. MANUKAU COLOURS IN FRONT. FIXTURES. Tuesday Evenings.—Races at Western Springs Stadium, 0 p.m. Saturday, March o.—East Tamakl Races. A. G. Patrick is certainly a great pedaller. To win four championship titles in one evening is something to always look back upon with pride. There was no doubting his superiority. His wins were most decisive, and his sprinting w<l9 really sensational. By nature Gordon Patrick is most retiring, and cheering and congratulations do not alter him one bit. The typical champion and a deservedly popular, one, Patrick won road championship honours in 1933, when he was fastest in the 100-miler, aud last year ran second to Henry Dwight in two track championships. Thus his rise has been gradual, and naturally we can expect him to maintain liie high standard for some years yet. Patrick must have a great chance in the Dominion championships, which will be held at Petone track, Wellington, on March 23 next. Giles (Canterbury) won his provincial kilometre in 1.18 4-5, with Prank Grose next in 1.19, and Ron. Ulmer, of Wellington, won his title in 1.20. Patrick's kilometre time last Wednesday was 1.17 2-5. The latter rides were all on hard tracks. As far as sprinting 18 concerned, Aucklanders can place implicit faith in Patrick.

The tandem-paced mile championship heate and finals were the big items ot the meeting, and to Bill Morris and Bob Gallagher, tandemists, must go the honours of making these races the fastest miles yet run in championship events m Auckland. In the junior heat the winner, George Holland, clocked the fastest mile ever ridden on the Western Springe banked concrete oval when he won in the record time of 2.0 4-5, practically 30 ra.p.b. average. The tandem wheeled off for the final lap of 513 yards, so it is quite within the powers of Morris and Gallagher to startle cycling circles in Xew Zealand with a tandem mile within two minutes, a feat which will dispel any doubts as to tandem work being novel. The tandemists' feate were more meritorious than the figures conveyed for the machine was an ordinary roadster, one ehrxl with special heavy tyres and two brakes. Geo. W. Holland, junior mile champion, is another quiet and modest httie pedaller. Joe Gillbanka gave him a great run for the title, but George just had too many guns. Joe, however, had a fair innings with a win in the half-mile handicap, and a second in the mile. Lee. Dwight was sprinting well, but he has a long march before he can deve.op the sprinting speed of brother Henry, now in Melbourne. Lea. was second ">,*ȣ mile championship. Fred Markham did a good kilometre in 1.20 2-5, but lacks punch, as yet, in his sprints. Arnie lieuli gave a fair display in the three-mile handicap, which developed into a twomile scratch race when the field bunched in the first mile. Keith was second to the fleety Moflitt. The Canterbury cnamplonehips held at Timaru were duels between Giles aivl Grose. Giles won the kilometre, the haiimile and three miles, while Grose won the ten-miler in 22.8. The latter event was human paced. Timaru has a splendid concrete-surfaced cycling oval. The New Zealand Amateur Cycling Association will have its book of rules out 6oon. and in same is a scale of ths fines to be levied for breaches. Quite a good iden. The local centre has had its rule books out for some considerable time. LYNNDALE AMATEURS. After two postponements the Auckland provincial championships have at lasr been held, this time under very favouraoie conditions. Lynndale were ably represented by a fair muster of riders, the most prominent of whom was Colin Gooder, who was runner-up in the kilometre, unpaced two-lap sprint, and fivemile, while in the one mile ho was iinnbl'J to start. This is a very noteworthy per-

formance, as the Lynndale Club lins never before been represented by a rider w!io has gone eo far in the provincial championship. Gordon Patrick is to be congratulated on winning the four titles, and also on the very tsporting manner he showed in asking for the tnird match race in the sprint event to be postponed to enable the Lynndale man to recover sufficiently to compete.

A remarkable effort in the second match race of the sprint event was made by Gooder, when, with a lap to go, Patrick jumped out from behind and opened up a 20yd lead, which appeared almost impossible to be closed. Gooder, however, rallied to the job, and gradually gained on Patrick, to win by inches —a great effort, which had the public on their feet. In the five-mile championship the Lynndale hope was in a bad pocket at the last bend, and it was not till late that he got out, but once out he new over everything, and had he been out of the pocket 10yds sooner he must have won. Next year will find Colin with far more experience, as this is his first year of serious work on the track, and his club mates will find him with a title or two and not three second placings. Graham Hughes rode in the championship events with C. Gooder, but he sadly disappointed everybody,, and it seems as if Graham is stale, and needs a long rest, as he hae been racing consistently for a number of seasons. P. Johnson, the Lynndale hope of the junior championship, found the pace in the first heat too much for him. J. Hutton also found the . same. in the second heat, and he will have to do more training it he wants to succeed in the sport of cycling. • All the handicap men were prominent during the handicap races, and there was always some of them in the finals, but they all lack a finishing effort, and this will come to them with plenty of racing, and these boys should have better success next year. TAKAPUKA CLUB. Mr. Gallagher has declared the following handicaps for the Hi mile road race to ue held by the above club next Saturday:— V Bloinfield, L. Denning, It. Jones, E.- Williams, scr; A. Gunn, B. Oliver, 1.0; U Bowman, G. To wart, 1.15; K. .Eagles, A. Sligo, P. Hulbert, 2.15; T. Bassett, V. McCavery, K. Bassett, 3.15; J. Gemniell. GLOTXCESTi:F. CtUB. . . Handicaps declared by Mr. G. L. Knight for the Gloucester Cycle Club's races, to be held on Thursday evening at .C.lo : — Senior Three Miles. —P. Blcknell, G. Harvey, S. Weller, scr; H. Craig, 00yds ; A Brass, 120 yds: C. Kae, \V. Bowers, liovds; J. Kose, K. McKenzie, K. Hansert, 250 yds G. Hadlcr, K. Shering, 340 yds. Junior Two Miles.—L. Barr, scr; B. Harvev 20yds; W. Bicknell, uOyds; J. Blckneli, 100 yds; B. Horscroft, KiOyds ; A. Kerr. B. Perterkin, 100 yds; J. Sheenhan, Hsoyds.