CYCLING FORM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 146, 22 June 1937, Page 18

CYCLING FORM.

SATURDAY'S RACES.

PERFORMANCES REVIEWED.

ROAD EVENTS POPULAR.

Road racing is a definitely popular sport with the cycle-racing fraternity of Auckland. During the track season rarely do more than 50 enter for a meeting but, practically every Saturday, treble that number compete in the road events. Last Saturday was yet another such occasion. Unpaced riding is both strenuous and exacting and demands judgment as well as stamina. The Manukau Club held competitions under such conditions, and the support was far better than that given the events in past seasons. Practically all the 57 starters finished. possibly because of the sealed handicap. Naturally J. Blown was fastest. Brown is a past master at time trial riding and his record, 20 miles in 54.14, was established under such conditions. He pedalled a medium gear, which he found satisfactory for the long gradients, but a disadvantage (.u the wind-assisted downhill stretches. There R. Wilson, second fastest, aided by his three gears, actually gained ground each lap on Brown, onlv to lose it again on the hills, on which Brown excelled. Fifteen riders succeeded in covering the 20 miles within the hour. J. R. Hall and R. S. Triner lapped very consistently, and only one second separated the pair. Hall was the bpfter. E. F. Raper, a distinguished rower, also rode strongly, but the surprise performer was .T. E. Picknell. who easilv accounted for the handicap. Like Wilson he. too, used gears, but diil not hang on to top gear too lonT. like most do when experimenting with variables.

Two-Men Races. Two-man teams' races promise to become mors than novel events, judging from the support given the Lynndale Club's events last week. In such races two men nominate, are handicapped, and ride the distance together, the last man of the team over the line being timed. Two juniors. D. Margison and R. J. Owens, with 6.15 start, teamed very well to win. Both ;u~e about the same age, 17 years, but will be out of the junior ranks before the close o£ the present season. None looked beyonj E. L. G. Hughes, 100 miles champion, and H. R. Baldwin, the outstanding junior of this year, for fastest time. The pair did not disappoint, and their 54.17 for the 18 hilly miles was a better effort than the mere figures convey. This ride will be of immense benefit to Baldwin, and his efforts next Saturday week in the centre's race of 25 miles will create much interest, for he is now regarded as a fine short-distance exponent, but doubts prevail about his ability over and above 20 miles. The brothers H. F. and L. A. Hawke formed a good team to finish third. H. is. of course, the better and his past reputation in lengthy races is well known.

Twenty-four-year-old R. L. Cooper, although caught by W. J. Morris and C. T. French, stayed with them throughout the Beach Haven Club's 24-miler, and proved just too powerful in the finishing sprint to secure a most popular win. Morris is a new rider who has quickly adapted himself to road work. Last season D. J. H. Patten was always brilliant, and he has maintained excellent form to still perform with outstanding merit. His course ' record of 67.30 will take a power of beating, for the club's

circuit is something like a switchback railway, as all riders will learn who compete in the open race on it on July 31 next. Langridge's Records.

Riding under truly unpaced conditions over a course from Takapuna out to Albany, via the East Coast Kpad, and back via Birkenhead, E. A. Langridge further enhanced his fine reputation by returning the beet time, and finishing second on the sealed handicap. Langridge also clipped 3.5 from the previous record, his second record in two weeks. He will captain a strong teajn of Takapuna juniors for the teams' championship in July. R. A. Chaplin performed consistently last year, but seldom appeared in the placings, so his sealed handicap win was a just reward for perseverance and strict attention to training during the past few months.

Brothers In Form. But for the presence of L. Tomlin, who just recently transferred from the junior ranks of the Northern Club, the three Ivey brothers may have monopolised the club's 20.8-milei. V. Ivey finished second, J. A. third, and E. D. was fastest. Tomlin won, but only after a desperate sprint with the two first-named. Rarely do three brothers make good at the one sport. Last year the Northern Club entered a very strong team for the championship event, but it is doubtful if it can find such talent this year, for M. P. Byrnes is in Wellington, while both Gamble and Price are not taking such great interest as in previous years. Auckland's southern club. Papatoetoe, provides sport for a widely distributed community of wheelmen, and several come from Hunua and Karaka, ten. and more, miles to race each week. Last week's winner of the 27-miler, W. Ferguson. ride« in from Manurewa with his brother Ken. He displayed fine stamina for a distance race during the short, cool, and sometimes cold, days of .Tune. Riding in the winter demands much more energy from the body than racing in the warmer months, and for this reason the 100-mileiK throughout the Dominion are held after the month of September. W. Bayly was again fastest, and it appears as if the Papatoetoe Club will again be a tough proposition for the teams' championship, which it won in 1934. It is also pleasing to see time honours changing hands so often in this club, for C. P. Cochrane monopolised the awards last year. Cochrane, himself, will naturally be glad of having company and mutual pacing each week.

The Lynndale Club will hold its junior championship on Saturday over 13% miles, under Olympic rules. Last year H. R. Baldwin won in 43.44, but on that occasion H. F. Hawke had chain trouble, but finished 4fta later. So interest is keen between these two riders, and prospects of an even faster time are anticipated for the 1937 title. The seniors will race for the Robertson Cup over 18 miles. The Manukau Club's race is for the Helliwell Cup, won last year by G. H. Cunningham. Juniors and seniors combine in this race, and several seniors are tinder the impression that the limit juniors will receive "about a day's start." Wonderful support has ,been received bv the Takapuna Club for the "Orewa 50" on Auguet 14 next, and the trophy list promises to exceed £100 again. General improvements to the especially at the Orewa end. should enable the faster riders to knock Brown's record. Last year the sticky road Burfaces were against fa«t racing. Of course. Brown will be there also to touch up hie own record.