OLYMPIC TRIALS AT AUCKLAND

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27911, 7 March 1956, Page 14

OLYMPIC TRIALS AT AUCKLAND

CYCLING

JOHNSTON BROTHERS BREAK RECORD TEAMS’ PURSUIT TIME ALSO LOWERED (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 6. The sole surviving national cycling record of other years—the 1000-metre tandem—was broken by .3sec at the Western Springs Olympic trials today by the Waikato pair, Ritchie and Warren Johnston. Their time, llsec, equalled the time of the final at the Helsinki Olympic Games. The 4000-metre teams' pursuit time was further lowered to a world class, 4min 49.8 sec. The Johnston brothers were pushed to their magnificent sprint by the West Coast pair. C. Dickinson and B. Kitchen. A pursuit team, composed of A. Larkins, N. Ritchie, B. Kent, and W. Dalton, had ideal conditions tonight for the re-cord-breaking ride. The Olympic selectors, Messrs A. Gooder and W. -Pidwell, have released four cyclists from the trials, Wylie, Fowler, J. Oakes, and A. Candy. A further 4000metre teams’*trial will be held tomorrow night. HORNBY CLUB’S RACE A new record was made by S. McCracken in the 11 mile out and home race held by the Hornby Cash Cycling Chib on Monday. His time was 23min O.Gsec. which is equivalent to about 21min for 10 miles. Twenty riders competed. On the homeward journey the scratch riders, McCracken, B. Woodgate, R. Lucas, and J. Williams, were checked at times riding close to 40 miles an hour. They were in front with a mile to go. In a fast finish over the last 100 yards, McCracken held off Woodgate to win by a tyre. A boys’ race over five miles was won by F. Hooker. T. Smith set a course record of 12min 17sec, when he gained fastest time. Results:— Eleven Miles.—S. McCracken (scr), 23 min 0 3-ssec; 1: B. Woodgate (scr), 23min 0 4-ssec, 2; R. Woodgate, Hmin, 24min 16sec, 3; R. Whitten, 21min, 25min 31 l-ssec, 4. Boys' Race, five miles.—F. Hooker. 13min 23sec. 1: D. Condick, 13min 23 2-ssec, 2; K. Carter, 13min 53sec, 3. Fastest time: T. Smith, 12min 17sec.