CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 124, 27 May 1936, Page 20

CYCLING.

WITH THE AMATEURS. SATURDAY'S RACING FEATURES. MANUKAU CLUB EVENTS. There is every indication that this road season, the club's twelfth, will be almost equal to the best at Mangere when the Manukau Club was the only one catering for amateur road sport in Auckland. The junior section is the strongest yet and 19 starters for the last two weeks equals the junior race record of 1926. Two new riders, Jack Gardiner and Noel &ulick, had a willing sprint at the end of the ten miles junior. Gardiner was the victor. Several juniors did the distance under the half hour. Ron Wilson, who lives on the circuit and knew it from' infanthood, was fastest in 28.22, just short of Jack Hall's 1932 record of 27.56. Chas. Picknell was a split second slower than Wilson and with Bill Smith, third fastest, should make a strong scratch trio for future races now that snowy-haired Ted Mynotfc is a senior. Mynott covered three laps in 20.30 on Saturday, then retired with a slight cramp. Allan Robinson's three-lap record is 20.13. Then Stites hnrl lii« first ride a* a

llieo antes had ins hrst ride as a senior and showed them just how. He was first after sprinting into a hot bunch of five. He is only a little fellow, but knows how to keep up a fast bat and yet hold a bit in reserve for the sprint. Big Harry B. H. Bull was a close second. Bull is a finely built athlete and the reason is not far to seek. He is in the ; Navy and has pldnty of good exercise. He has a fairly effortless style and appears as if he will make a splendid distance rider. i Handicap winner of the sealed handicap • restricted gear event, Wilfred S. Downey : was third after his best • effort to date, i Jim McLaren won a 15-miler off 6.30 last : season, but his 5.30 last week only allowed i him fourth position. Had George Harrii son not been so impetuous over the early . stages when he left Jock Stewart, the i other limit man, and went as if chased i by a jungle beast, lie might have had ; more energy left at the business end. i To judge the popularity of road sport here it is interesting to record that the , Wellington Centre recently held a com- . bined open event and received 28 starters, i whereas the Auckland Centre received SO entries and, despite thunder, hail, wind and rain, 65 started in its event last month. The next centre race will 'be to ■ Kumeu and back and entries close next Sunday and forms may be left at Bill ■ Morris', 32, St. Benedict's Street, near top of Symonds Street. Mr. E. Gallagher, of the Takapuna Club, is now centre i handicapper, eo entrants are advised to fill in all details of their last six starts. LYNNDALE AMATEURS. On Saturday last the Lynndale Club cyclists held an 18-mile four-lap time trial for the senior members and a nine-mile two-lap handicap for the juniors. The entries were fan-, seeing that the senior race was a time trial. Next Saturday for a 13%-mile three-lap senior and a 4 1 /6-mile one-lap junior large fields are expected. Entries for the Centre races to be held on Saturday, June 6, close with the secretary at Saturday's races. On Saturday, June 13, Lynndale will be the guests of the Takapuna Club on their circuit around Lake Takapuna. The senior race will he miles and the junior 7% miles. The winner of the senior race on Saturday turned out to be Club Captain Jack Baldwin. His hand must have fairly ached after' he had finished shaking with well-wishers. Jack beat Len Farrant by 7s on riding time, and also on handicap as they were both on the same mark. Len will be a winner before long. Gordon Robertson, the limit rider, was third, and B. B. Scott was fourth. The fastest rider was Walter Willis and fifth on handicap. Walter's time win was not expected, as he beat Stan Alderson by 19s. With Walter Willis on the honour mark four of last year's team will be there. In the junior race Derwent Margison won a very close decision from Les Hawke. These two had a ding-dong go up the finishing straight for the former to get the decision. Derwent was having his fourth ride. Laurie (Tiny) Davies was third. In a sprint for time Les Whyle prevailed by two lengths from L. Johnstone. On Saturday there was only one puncture, and that was Graham Hughes in the senior race. BEACH HAVEN CLUB. Once again ideal weather prevailed last Saturday, wlfen the Beach Haven Cycling Club held a race over 25% miles. The course was out-and-home to Albany, followed by a lap of the Birkdale circuit. 'First man off was L. Cooper,: followed by J.'Day. ' After 21 miles Cooper decided that a spectator's part was not so tiring and dismounted. J. Day could not hold his lead, being caught by Leon and Russell Elia, both off 4.0. These three rode the last lap together, and in the final sprint Leon gained his third win in succession, a well-deserved hat trick. His time was quite good, as there was a head wind over half the course. J. Day rode a good race, the result of regular training. His place was well merited. Scarcely had the first three been timed past the 'mark when a strong bunch of back-markers came up the straight, each one struggling for fourth place. The sprint was won by Andy Elia (30s), Dave Patten I (scr) being placed fifth, with J. Culpan (1.0) close behind. Fastest time was again made by Patten, who is apparently quite unconcerned over the loss of his former co-markers. His time of 71.16 should stand for some time as a course record. The next open race conducted by the Takapuna Club on June 23, to Ore,wa Beach and return, a distance of about 50

miles, will be an attraction to the several noted distance riders of the club, including Dave Patten, who was sixth in the Waimaukti Centre race last year and second in the harbour race the same year. Stan Hilder, who has done no racing this season, will probably be riding in the race. Entries for the Centre race close next Saturday with the secretary. TAKAPUNA CLUB. The Takapuna Amateur Cycling Club will hold an out-and-home race to Albany next Saturday, a distance of 2.3 miles, commencing at 2.30 p.in, Mr. Steve Gallagher's handicaps :—D. Lydford, T. Bassett, E. Williams, scr; E. Langdridge, 30s; D. Bowsle, L. Credln, 1.45; D. Keating, 2.0; D. La'u-. . ranee, 2.30 ;,A. Bastable, L. Coleman, 5.0; K. Vosper, 8.0; A. Broad, 12.30. WAIKATO CLUB. NORMAN STILL GOING FAST. The Waikato Amateur Cycle Club held a 19-flille race on Saturday from-Huntly to Ngaruawalila and. return. Result: — 1 Will Bryant, 4.30, 1: W. Hatwell, C.O, 2; G. Shaw, .4.30, 3. Fastest times: Ron Xorman, 46.20; Cliff Bryant, 40.20 1-5. Norman broke the course record by 1.27.