Close Finishes In Track Cycling

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31540, 30 November 1967, Page 16

Close Finishes In Track Cycling

Close finishes between the top cash scratch riders, the first loss in a sprint this season by M. W. Litolff, and the worst smash of the season, were diverse features of. last evening’s track cycling meeting at English Park.

The cash rider, T. C. Gibbs, in the final event, a two-mile points race, fell heavily on the back straight. He suffered severe cuts to the face and was taken to hospital. The crowd had its biggest thrill in one of the cash handicap races, a three-quarter mile event. C. D. Yaxley towed his brother, Brian, for more than a lap and, with 350 yards to go, the latter took off around the opposition with a tremendous burst of speed.

A. O’Hagan immediately challenged him and with the shrieks ot his wife loud above the roar of the crowd, nearly caught Yaxley on the line. These two, and F. R. Hooper, also had a good tussle in the points race, in which Gibbs met with his mishap. Hooper won by a single point. The amateurs also staged a very close A grade points race, only three points separating the first five riders. C. B. J. Fitzgerald, fast approaching peak fitness, won the sprints that mattered, including the crucial last, and won by a point from Litolff. Results: AMATEUR Scratch.—A grade: threemile points race: C. B. J. Fitzgerald, 14 points. 1; M. W. Litolff, 13, 2; J. H. Cleary and B. R. Chisholm, each 12 (equal) 3. B grade, three miles: B. Timms 1, L. A. Fairbrother 2, G. R. Llenert 3. Time, 6:49. Handicap.—Open half-mile: J. H. Cleary <lsyds) 1, M. W. Litolff (Syds) 2, T. R. Weir (75 yds) 3. Time, 58.0 A grade, quarter-mile: Weir (35yds) 1. Litolff (scr) 2, G. W. Wood (20 yds) 3. Time, 28.1. B grade, three-quarter mile: B. A. MacDonald (10yds) 1, G. R. Sword (10yds) 2, D. H. J. Kirdy (10 yds) 3. Time, 1:33. Open oneand a half mile: A. J. Hood (95 yds) 1, Sword (140vds) 2. Chisholm (130yds) 3. Time, 2:54.5. CASH Scratch. —Challenge 500-metre sprint: J. R. Williams (challen-

ger) beat P. S. Sincock. Time, 15.5. Two-mile points race: F. R. Hooper, 13, 1; A. O'Hagan, 12, 2; B. W. Yaxley, 10, 3. Handicap.—Quarter-mile: R. C. Archer (60yds) 1, Sincock (45 yds) 2, Williams (30yds) 3. Time, 28.9. Three-quarter mile: Yaxley (scr) 1. O’Hagan (syds) 2, T. C. Gibbs (90yds) 3. Time, 1:29.1. One and a half mile: Hooper (10yds) 1, O’Hagan (10 yds) 2, Yaxley (scr) 3. Time. 3:6.2. NOVICE Handicap.—B grade quartermile: P. Neale (15yds) 1, J. Blake (10yds) 2, J. Delore (20 yds) 3. Time. 32.2. A grade half-mile: R. E. Knight (syds) 1, L. M. Vette (20yds) 2, B. J. Gibbs (60yds) 3. Time, 58.9. Open quarter-mile: Neale (50 yds) 1, Delore (50yds) 2, K. D. Wapp (20yds) 3. Time, 30.0. B grade half-mile: Delore (45yds) 1, Neale (35yds) 2, Blake (25 yds) 3. Time, 63.5.

Scratch.—soo-metre sprints: ; Vette beat Knight. Time, 15.0. Gibbs beat K. D. Wapp. Time, 15.1. A grade one and a half mile points race: Knight and Vette each 10 (equal), 1; A. V. Barford, 9, 3. Time, 3:36.