CYCLING

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26671, 4 March 1952, Page 4

CYCLING

EXCELLENT RACING AT . ENGLISH PARK 10-MILE RECORD Four Auckland champions, F. .Tredrea, G. Moore, N. Perkinson, and N. Ritchie, who will compete in the New Zealand cycling championships to be held at Wanganui next Friday and Saturday, raced at a meeting specially arranged by the Canterbury Amateur Cycling CeMre. at* English Park on Saturday night. Although the Auckland men did not win a race, their competition called for the best efforts of Canterbury’s leading track riders, and the racing was the best seen at English Park for some time. Two teams dead-heated in a 4000 metres pursuit race. With the teams starting on opposite sides of the track and with different finishing posts, the progress of the rate was watched with the keenest interest. The pace was on from the start, and Auckland, with Tredrea and Moore taking the first two half-laps, gained a slight advantage. A scorching 220 yards by L. Lock, which was carried on by G. J. Ritchie and P, Wylie, changed the position, and for the greater part of the race there was», little between the two teams. At the end of the first mile R. Clark dropped but of the Canterbury team, and soon after Auckland was left without the services of Moore. The last lap was covered at a great pace by the two teams, and the crowd was well pleased when judges and timekeepers agreed on an even performance. The meeting was a triumph for the Canterbury champion, L. Lock, who, besides doing yeoman service as captain of his pursuit team, won the quarter-rqlle, 1000 metres invitation race, and the 10 mile* invitation scratch race, which provided one of the most exciting finishes seen on the track. In winning ttyis race Lock recorded 21mln 45sec. time that displaced the New Zealand record of 21min 54sec made by G. Moore at Auckland in January. A field of 14 riders, including the Auckland team, faced the starter, and each rider took his turn at pacemaking for a half-lap of the quarter-mile track, 40 circuits of which had to be completed. Although a solid pace was set over the first three-quarters of a mile, It brightened to real racing speed when the two Auckland Nders, Tredrea and N. Ritchie, took their turns. Each time Lock took the lead he had the field struggling hard to

retain their positions. Several times he attempted to split the field with brilliant bursts, and just failed. • At the start of the last lap J. Ritchie, F. Tredrea, L. Lock, and P. Wylie were all nicely placed, and a furlong from home Tredrea and Wylie were in front,' with Lock gradually lessening a narrow gap. From the top of the straight the race developed into a wheel for wheel struggle among Wylie, Tredres, and Lock. Lock finished with a rare burst of speed, half a length in front of P. Wylie, with Tredrea less than half a length away third, and just in front of a bunch which- included Perkinson, N. Ritchie, R. Clark, and J. Ritchie. When Lock finished second to W. Heseltine (Australia) at the Empire Games, the latter established a record of 23min 23.45ec. a good deal slower than Lock recorded in this race.

Lock showed hi* real ability to sprint when he scored a clear-cut win from J. Ritchie in the quarter-mile final, and he took the 1000 metre* with a brilliant sprint after he had shared the pace-making with N. Ritchie, J. Ritchie, and P. Wylie. Results:— Amateur Events

Quarter-mile A Grade Scratch Race.— First heat: L. Lock I, G. Painter 2. Time. 30 4-ssec. Second heat: J. Ritchie 1, M. :Wylie 2. Time, 31 l-s*ec. Third heat: P. Wylie 1, M. Perkinson (Auckland) 2. Time, 30 3-ssec. Fourth heat: G. Hill 1. N. Ritchie (Auckland) 2. Time, 32sec. Final: Lock 1, J. Ritchie 2, Perkinson 3. Time, 31.2 sec.

Three-quarter Mile B Grade Scratch.— C. Hobson 1. C. Howard 2, B. Hubbard 3. Time, Imin 14.6 sec. Quarter-mile Novices.—C. Yeatman 1, M. Price 2, R. Moore 3. Time, 34*ec. 1000 Metres Invitataion Scratch'.—L. Lock 1. J. Ritchie 2, G. Hill 3. Time, Imin 17.2*ec. One Mlle A Grade.—G. Painter 4. M. Wylie 2, J. Bland 3. Time. 2min 10*ec. One Mile Novice.—R. Moor* 1, C. Yeatman 3. M. Price 3. Time. 2min 13*ec. One Mile B Grade.—C, Hobson 1, G, Howard 2, W, Spencer 3. Time. 3min 15*ec. 4000 Metres Team* Pursuit.—Auckland (F. Tredrea. G. Moore, N. Perkinson, N. Ritchie) and Canterbury (L. Lock, J. ?itchle. P, Wylie. R. Clarke) dead-heat. ime. smin 7.2 sec. Three Miles A Grade Scratch.—G. Painter 1, M. Wyli* 2, J. Bland 3. Time, flmin 35sec. Two Miles B Grade Scratch,—G. Howard ■l. C. Hobson 2, B. Hubbard 3. Time, 4min 33.8 sec. 10 Miles Invitation Scratch.—L. Lock 1, P. Wylie 2. F. Treadrea (Auckland) 3. Time. 21min 45see. One Mile A Grade.—V. Bond 1. B. Smith 2, D. Campbell 3. Time, 2min 22.45ec. Cash Event* One Mile Handicap.—First heat: B. Arnst (120yds) 1. J. Withers (190yds) 2, R. Arnst (120ydsl 3. Time, Imin 59sec. Second heatr 'F. Leatham (Myd*) 1, B> Froggatt (45yds) 2, G. Milner 3. Time. 2min 3.6 sec. Final: Froggatt 1. Milner 2, Wither* 3. Time, Imin 58 l-ssec. Three Mlle, Scratch.—F. Leath am 1, J." Williams 2, G. Milner 3. Time, flmin 24.6 sec, • MAIREHAU NOVICE WHEELMEN The senior five-mile handicap race held by the Mairehau Novice Wheelmen on Saturday was won by B. A’Court from B. Moore. The fastest time was recorded by T. Dawson. The racing was keenly contested and times were good in both senior and junior events. Results : Senior Five-mile Handicap.—B. A’Court (3min), 15min 29sec. 1; B. Moore (3min), Iflmin 30sec, 2; T. Dawson (Jmln), 13min 28 2-ssec, 3.. Fastest time: T. Dawson (Imin), 13min 26 2-ssec, 1; B. Brettall (Imin). 13min 27sec, 2. Junior Two Miles and a Half Handicap. —M. Boyce (llmin), Bmin 34sec, 1; T. Rondel (limln), flmin 44sec, 2; P, Yeatman (scr), Tmln 20sec, 3. Fastest time: P. Yeatman (scr), 7min 20sec, 1; D. Lyes (scr). 7min 30sec, 2.