ROAD CYCLING

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1933, Page 14

ROAD CYCLING

(By "Roadster.")

NOTES AND COMMENTS

• What promised to be an excellent contest last Saturday, the 30-milo open event /conducted by the Poneke Cycling Club, was ruined by a bitterly cold southerly gale with heavy rain, at intervals. Bert King (Fort Nicholson) displayed fine form in registering his second consecutive win and more successes should shortly follow, while Frank Blackett, besides filling second jilaco, took time honours o'nee again, leaving L. Roberts Ms co-marker, quite early in' the event. / Denis Davies (H.V.) registered his best performance up to the present, filling third place and making second best time. The Port Nicholson, A team have » fairly wide mai'Ki" in their favour i'or the McVilly Shield, adding lmin 25sec to their average time. They lead by almost three minutes from Poneke1 A, whose combination was altered somewhat for the second event of the series last Saturday week. Some splendid riding' was witnessed and the "A" teams of the clubs engaged were at times pedalling at 30 miles per hou,r, working as one man. Alwyu Pennington made a welcome reappearance in the Hutt Valley team and when properly fit, will have his opponents all out to head him off at the finish, as he possesses a splendid sprint. GENERAL NOTES. Although the Port Nicholson Club possesses about eighteen active cyclists, it is certainly not lacking in quality, as demonstrated by its "A" team in the second McVilly Shield event, "and included in its ranks there are half a dozen top-notchers fit to complete in first-claas company. Several new members have joined in recent weeks and the club has every reason to be optimistic for the future. The starling at the Hutt left considerable room for improvement and the centre would be well advised to appoint an official starter. Conditions on Sunday wore ideal, and many cyclists took the opoprtunity for long training rides. Fully two dozen local boya were seen over the oth,cr side of. Paekakariki Hill, several doing the 102-mile trip to Otaki and back. It is to be hoped that similar conditions will prevail at weekends, and' "Roadster" advises those who intend competing in the Pnlmerston North-Wellington ' event to train over 100 miles, carrying food in case of fatigue, as a considerable amount of energy is used up over a long journey. Advice has been received from Auckland, that the 100-mile event to be conducted by the Auckland Cycling Centre, will be held a week before the Palmerston NorthWellington race, thus enabling the northerners to' participate in the latter event, the date of which, October 14, is now definitely decided upon. Les Dwight, Ron. Foubister, and Gordon Patrick,. who will be competing, will be in the scratch division, and their co-mem-bers will have to be in first-class foim to hold them. Aucklanders generally are not in-favour of the 100-kilometre New Zealand championship, but are unanimously of the opinion that the Palmerston North-Wellington race should be permanently the premier title event. • , The Wellington Cycling Centre would be well advised to make "arrangements for progress reports of the big event. Such a policy would create still greater interest. At Auckland On Saturday Jack Brown (Manukau), for the second week in succession, beat Leg Dwight for time honours in" a 40-mile centre event, and at Christchurch'in .a 35-mile event, conducted by the Papanui Club, N. Benz won similar honours from Frank Grose, .who the previous week, made best time over 30 miles. In Australia, the sport has advanced rapidly during recent'years and uncommonly large fields are the order in amateur events this season. A week or so ago as many as 91 started in vi junior race and in the Marrickville Club's event there were no fewer than 100 in the final sprint. Em Milliken,. Australian amateur champion, commenced racing a fortnight ago, taking time honours in a 20-mile event. On Saturday nest at Kilbirnie, the second series of the Ericsson Shield events will be held and a lO'/^-inile event will be held for those cyclists not taking part. At the Hutt the Port Nicholson Club will combine with the local club in holding an event. __^____^____