CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 40, 17 February 1937, Page 20

CYCLING.

WITH THE AMATEUR*.

MANUKAU CLUB. After a stormy morn a clear, but cool, evening prevailed for the club's annual championship meeting at the Western Springs Stadium. The usual harmony between officials and riders helped the meeting to be conducted smoothly and efficiently. A little improvement could be made with paced races in future, while the spectacle of a rider acting as pacer in the junior event riding in plus fours was not paying the younger riders the compliment they deserved, for when Charlie Caddy scored his popular win to a great vocal ovation in this fivemiler his time was 11.45 3-5, an average of over 25 m.p.h. Caddy has quickly jumped into fame us a junior, and will be watched closely next week at the provincial meeting.

Jack Wade still retains his popularity and speed. His win in the ten miles paced was decisively brilliant, while his 1000 metres in 1.18 was a good effort, although he will have to improve upon it to beat the flying Roy Taylor next Wednesday. Right on the pacers throughout the "ten" he acted as picker-up *on occasions, yet was able to swoop away on the long finishing straight to wiu by two clear lengths from Ron Triner.

In the sprints Wade had a bad run, both in the elimination heat and semi-final for seconds, otherwise he may have scored the triple.

Joe Gillbanks, sprint title winner, met Les. Dwight in the finals and beat his older cousin in two straight matches. The first looked a "moral" for Dwight when he shot off the banking to gain ten yards on Gillbanks. But with youth on his side Gillbanks chased hard and flashed past Dwight just before the line. The second race between the pair was a painful affair for spectators and for Gillbanks, because Dwight refused to take the lead, and a crawl developed for the first lap. Dwight led out at the furlong but gained no break, and the pair swung into the straight on level terms. Gillbanks gained the decision by such a bare margin that the crowd cheered both riders, expecting a dead heat decision.

The junior five-miler, paced, demonstrated clearly the advantage of pacers. In the early stages the seven riders were reluctant to follow the pacers, but Jack McKay shook proceedings up on the third lap when the pacer made sure of his field. Jack's move wa,s followed quickly by Caddy and Geo. Grigg, while the other four, caught napping, realised too late that they- were left. Roy Clark, a favourite choice for the title, was one. With experience the pacers should be able to take the field round to record figures in the ten-miler at the national meeting on March 6.

Mai Byrnes, of the Northern, and Roy Taylor, of the Papatoetoe clubs, lent considerable interest to the meeting by their winning efforts in the open races. Taylor's terrific half in New Zealand record time of 82s was a tit-bit of the racing. Taylor was also paid a compliment for his fast pacing in the ten-miler.

Gordon Cunningham rode well in the two-miler to gain nine points, while Tom Riddel!, who will defend the Pascoe Cup next Saturday, was a good third. Joe Morris wax another pacer who made hie laps even and caused no confusion among the field.

The provincial meeting will be well supported by members with eight in the unpaced, nine in the sprint, 11 in the ten-miler, and four juniors in the half-mile and five in the five-miler. The handicap events are recognised as too short for serious consideration by members, but at the national meeting the distances will be increased.

It does not look as if the one-armed Knplish rider, Walter Greaves, will be able to shelve his year's riding record of 45,383 miles for the Australian. Ossie Nicholson, an Englishman, Bern. Bennett and a French rider, Rene Menzies, have already started out to l>etter the colossal mileage. Each is aiming at an average of 150 miles per day. In cold figures this means a rule to Rotorua, back the next, and so on for 365 days.

Popular and i noted road ' rider Charlie Clarke, who was married last December, has left for Wellington, where he means to still keep at the sport. Ron Ulmer. the eha*nipion Wellington pedaller, was also married just recently, the same also applying to our Fred Markham, of Cotter Cup race fame. »The Wellington championships will be held (next Saturday, and the province will announce its team for' Auckland immediately the results are known.