Amateur Cyclists Open Road Season With Club Races

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 88, 14 April 1945, Page 4 (Supplement)

Amateur Cyclists Open Road Season With Club Races

Tho 1945 road racing season was commenced last Saturday under almost summerlike conditions. Many riders found the humid weather too trying and retirements were heavy. The Manukau Club had 28 members competing, Lynndale 17 and Northern 12. A six-lap race of 15 miles was conducted by the Northern Club on its circuit near Te Papapa. Limit riders were C. Paterson and a recruit, J. Heap, with 9.30 start. J. Garrod, 3.0, was the virtual scratch rider, but failed to reproduce the form which won him many placings on the track during the summer months. Early in the race Paterson went ahead on his own, and this sturdy lad finished an easy winner. Heap dropped back from the start, but rode five laps before retiring. Second was the much-improved J. R. Walker, off 6.30. Walker was also fastest in 43.20. As a junior last year Walker won two open races of the Auckland Centre. Hardy N. V. Coles, 6.0, was third. In 1939, when riding under Matamata Club colours, Coles won the Orewa race of 42 miles off 22.0.

This season clubs will have to rely upon the older riders, thus it was good to see G. H. Cunningham and A. M. J. Keith as starters, off 5.30. Cunningham finished fourth, while Keith, seldom fit early, retired.

Anstico Brothers Win In Lynndale's 12J miles event the Anstice brothers won the double, with G. Anstice the winner and D. Anstice fastest from scratch. Anstice had a good partner in J. Stevens, on scratch too, but at the end of the third lap of the five-lap contest R. Hornell and F. L. Yates, 2.0, had a slight advantage on time. However, the Anstice - Stevens combination made its force felt over the final stages. -y Second was R. Ingram, who started as a novice last year when he won four club races during the season, ranging from five to 20 miles. Novices of Promise Manukau had some fine talent out among the novices. Special comment is due H. A. Rhodes, who rode a heavy three-speed geared roadster off 3.15 in the two-lap race of five miles. He finished sixth in 16.24. In fact, all the novices finished, thus revealing the right spirit. Most impressive was F. R. Harvey, who started off 45s with the track cup points winner, R. W. Cleal. Cleal was fastest in 13.46, but as fast as he went, Harvey matched him and finished a few lengths behind him to be second fastest in 13.48. L. B. Kent was the winner of the five-mile event after a fast finish with H. S. Haszard. Both teamed off 2.30. Kent pedalled a gear of 73in and benefited accordingly, for most junior j start on far too high a gear for the undulating courses used locally. Junior track champion, M. Tetley, scratch, found his task too hard, and although he had Cleal and Harvey in sight on the straights he lost 20s on them. Although more fond of track racing, F. W. Willis, 1.15, was fourth, after his best effort on the road. The Stonex brothers are a wellknown pair in Manukau contests, usually with Jack on limit and Allan on scratch. Jack won the senior sixlap race of 15 miles to a most popular ovation, while Allan secured yet another fastest time to add to his already formidable list, which he started to compile in 1936.

Off 6.0 Jack led the first time round and held the lead, alone, for three laps, when D. White, second, and W. J. S. Nash, third, caught him. The trio then settled down to some grim riding to hold off burly A. A. Darrington, 2.0. This they did. At the close Stonex wore White and Nash down by sheer pace, crossing the line the winner by a length. Darrington (fourth) was only 30yds behind at the time, but showed fine stamina by leaving co-markers A. Wilson and G. R. Purdom en route. The Scratch* Riders Scratch men on Saturday were A. W. Stonex, F. T. Tredrea, V. A. Hills and C. W. Shilton. Worried by the heat Shilton slowed after the first lap, which he clocked in 6.25 to lead the group and thus gained the Avon Button. The latter trophy was presented to the Manukau 1 Club by . the Avon Club, of Christchurch. Stonex, Tredrea (on leave from the Army) and Hills worked together so well that they were only 200 yds behind the winner at the close of the 15 miles. When Stonex sprinted to the line he left no doubts as to who would gain time honours. His time was 40.22, while race record is held by Tredrea at 38.40.

Continuing its policy of two races a month, instituted in 1942, the Auckland Centre will start the open events on May 5 with a race for seniors over the Hobsonville course of 25 miles for the Phillips Cup, won last year by J. L, Walker. Another big open event*?rthis year will be the round-the-harbour event on the King's Birthday, which the Manukau Club hope to make an annual affair.