AMATEUR CYCLING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 228, 25 September 1943, Page 8

AMATEUR CYCLING

SHIIjTOX BREAKS ANOTHER KKCOIID The Auckland Centre staged two races on Saturday last. These will be the last open races held before the 3 00-miler on October 2. The senior race was run over a course of 3.'! miles from Point Chevalier to YV'henuapai and back, while the juniors held their team championship over a distance of 18 miles.

Twenty-six seniors competed, with a good scratch group, comprising Shilton, Hills, O'Gorman and Stonex. The limit men were all juniors, Pearse, Willis and Lane, off 17.0. At the Hobsonville turn-off Ray Whitley, 8.30 (ultimate winner), and W. Woods, 8.30, were only 3.53 behind the leaders, while the four scratch men had the bunch of 3.30 in sight and fed taken 33.44 to ride the 122 miles. On the eight-mile loop, the scratch men caught the middle-markers, and at 20i miles there was a group of 14 riders. Both Shilton and Hills were the only riders to make any attempt at breaking up this big bunch. Shilton broke away on the Lincoln Road at 25 miles, and then eased, but two miles later V. Hills -staged a break-away movement up the Henderson Hill and only the other three scratch men and B. Rattray could stay with him. Over the last five miles Whitley and Woods were sighted by the scratch bunch, but the pair were not to be denied and lapping well, they held their small lead to the finish. There Whitley sprinted to win by a length after a fine ride. The scratch bunch followed these two riders in, and Shilton headed them to win nicely from Hills by a length, and set a new course record of lh 29m 31s, a reduction of 12s off Stonex' old record. O'Gorman was two lengths behind Hills, and then followed Rattray and Stonex. This is Whitley's first win of the season and judging by the way he rode he will be In fine nick for the big 100mller. He is getting into the veteran stage now, but is a stayer and has a fine record in distance events. Woods' performance was quite a good one. C. Shilton (scr) has had a truly remarkable season. He has been fastest: rider in nearly all the open events held i this season. ' As expected, there were only two teams to line up for the junior teams championship, these being Manukau and Lynndale. The Manukau team comprised a well-balanced, speedy bunch in Ashton, Hinton. Cleal (nephew of J. H. Wade and winner of the President's Cup), and C. Flinkenberg (most consistent junior in Auckland). The Lynndale team was without D. Ringrose, and its team was, Stevens, Hornell (a new member), McGarry and Antise. Although these boys rode we.ll, they had not the experience and pace of the Manukau Club riders, and were 2.31 slower. The Manukau tealn took 01.31 for the 18 miles, and Lynndale 54.2.