CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 196, 19 August 1936, Page 18

CYCLING.

WITH THE AMATEURS. MANUKAU TEAMS' RACE. SATURDAY ROAD EVENTS. Only 36 riders were racing last Saturt day, partly because the seniors did not taKe tneir two-man T.'P. with the seriousness it occasioned, for only 11 teaiuis competed. However, the event was exceptionally | interesting, and, if nothing eise, it dis- • played c.oarly": the advantage oi mutual ' pacing. Ihe Kon 'lriner-I'om Riddeii combination liad a hard struggle to beat tiie - Allan Robinson-Ron Wilson union. And after four Japs, 21 miles, only one second • i separated the two teams. The Robinson|j "Wilson team were distinctly unfortunate to lose valuable seconds on the linal round when Robinson iiad chain trouble with his gears. It would appear that « faulty adjustment is the cause of all the 1 troubles with gears. Keith Clark and Len Beuth ankled well ' to win the sealed handicap by 8s from | Robinson and Wilson. Dave Dawson and Stewart Baii'd lapped ' well til! the final 1 round, when Lawson had to replace his chain so many times that he finished | black as a stoker. The latter pair clocked ' G0.46, and Cyril Cronk' and Bill -Morris took CS.4O. .... / Jack McKay furnished, a complete surprise. when lie was fastest of the fourteen juniors 'in their; 5 1-5-i.niler, He clocked | 15.56 to beat Noel Aiilick by 12s. .Tack has another year to go before he leaves ■! the ranks. Simpson won fairly easily, -from ! the driftei-s. Allan Martin and Roy Clark, ' both of whom free-wheeled across the' line with their chains off. The approach to the finish is on a downhill grade, and the juniors found their small ge-irs needed more twiddling than they cou.d manage, hence the jumping chains. : The next two months promise real good | racing, with the Captain's Cup, presented ' by Ernie Andrews, and. the Avondale Cup, presented by Bill Walker, to be : competed for.' Next Saturday the jiitiiors i have their 15-mile impaced championship. 1 in conjunction with which a sealed handicap will be arranged. The starting order will be announced later. Ridel's are reminded that club colours must be worn in all future open races I of the centre. I The 100-miler on October ; 3 next - promises the best trophy list to date, and I posters will be out.early next month. An entry of over 100 r is anticipated, for the I entire race will be over dustless and ' sealed surfaces, bar for the finish on Prince Edward Park. Roy' Dutton, Floyd Franklyn and Roy Evans, Wellingtonians. expect to come up again. Dutton and Franklyn rode last year with success, while Evans competed- in the 1934 race. Lionel Nicholson, who Won the title last season, rode throughout with Dutton and Franklyn, and spoke glowingly of their fine pacing assistance. . LYNNDALE CLUB. Last Saturday the Lynndale amateurs held 13%-mile out and home senior and one-lap (4%-mile) junior races. Conditions were slow, a strong head wind slowing the seniors on the outward journey, and the juniors on the Titirangi Hill. Next Saturday the club will conduct its fourth annual harbour race, which carries the club championship. Winners of the championship have been C. R. Gooder, who won the first in 2h 9{n 20s, Graham Hughes the next in 21i 7m '51s, and C. R. Gooder the third in the record time of 111 56m 445. The winners have been R. Robbins, R. Campbell, L. Hawke. The race this year starts at Devonport at 1.45 p.m. and should finish at New Lynn at approximately 4.15 p.m. Derwent Margison won his third race this season from the 1.30 mark. He is a very fair rider and a consistent starter 1 being keen and a good performer. Dan Calder (2.0) has improved on his placiagj : by having a second, previously having three 1 successive thirds. Les Wliyle (30s) was third and equal on time with Bert Baldwin (scr). Haddon Hawke (30s) was Is slowei than these two. Baldwin gave away on his own 30s tc H. Hawke, and L. Wliyle, who had the ' advantage of mutual pacing. Baldwir f 'finished exactly 30s after L. Wliyle, whe I won the sprint—a fine effort on his own. Arthur Silcock won the • senior race from* the 2.15 mark. He rode very strongly | throughout;.; He is a fine type of roar ' rider, be conspicuous in. the ' harbour race.. He was ;only 40s slowei '■ than fastest- time 1 . ' Jack Baldwin (3.30) was second, and he ' lias sliown much improvement lately ■ Colin R. Gooder (scr) was third ane L fastest. lie lost Graham Hughes three ' miles from the finish with a puncture, ane ' S. Alelerson had an off day, dropping oul four miles from the finish. Walter -Willis 1 (scr) finished fourth, six inches belnne ' C. R. Gooder. Walter gave Gooder 1 great go in the sprint, actually having | him beaten two yards from the line, bul at this stage Gooder shot his bicycle tor 1 ward in a last effort to get the decision \ It was one of Walter's best efforts 1 Se H°Hawke, the junior, rode in the senioi I race to finish fifth. i.JCen Elwin, the ; limil rider, rode on' his own fairly strongly, toi ' 75 per cent of the journey. . He shouic ; be' in the' placings very soon: ; - . BEACH HAVEN CLUB. f ' - Two races were decided t>y the Beach ■ Haven Club last Saturday. Both events were over out-and-home courses, and in spite of head winds on the return journey : good times were made. -j-,- ' , , The six-mile junior race wag very fast, when it is considered that all'the starters are in their first season's riding. .Noel Harkins (1.15) rode steadily to the front ' and crossed, the line -13s ahead of L. Collins (scr), who was 17s faster than ins co-marker, Dick Fagan, with a time of 17 The winner's time was 18.18. J. Mullins made a. good showing and will improve ■' with experience. L. Bloor, the smallest rider in the club, rode one o%tlie gamest races ever seen. This tiny peelaller has lots' of determination, and made a spleneliil effort against riders of almost twice his size. ..''.His perseverance will brmg its reward .in due course, aiiel it will be well deserved. ~ , _ ■ > The senior-event was over the popular Albany course, a; distance of :21% milps. In this race L. Cooper was first off on the limit of 6.30. He kept his lead for 12 miles, when -he was .overtaken by Bert Evans and Russell ~JS%,,H>oth off 3.15. J Perry, also off 3.15, was in the bunch : which had passed Sten' Hilder just previous to catching Cooper, who was dropped soon after. The'back markers were not wasting any time, however, and Leon Elia (1.45) and. Dave Patten, (scr) had dropped their respective co-markers, Jim Marri3 and Andy Elia, the latter being again troubled with a persistent f°9 injurv. Dave and Leon paced well in an effort to overhaul the leading bunch, which - was now reduced to two,- Bert Evans .and Russell Elia. These two defied all attempts to catch them and, with the assistance of his ! newly-acquired gearbox." Evans b.eat his co-marker to the post by one second, and 58s ahead of Patten, who defeated L. _Elia by the , thickness of his tyre, to gain thircl place ' and . fastest time of 58.18—58s outside his ; course record. The winner's time was i 60.45. Bert Evans' ride is worthy of mention, ' as lie. was with Andy Elia in the "old > crocks'" class, suffering from a damaged 1 elbow, which must have been very painful ' at times and was certainly stiff and sore [. after the race. The Takapuna riders will be visiting the - club shrrtly and all members are expected .I to do their duty and display their best • j efforts on the da,,.