WITH THE WHEELMEN

Evening Star, Issue 23745, 28 November 1940, Page 12

WITH THE WHEELMEN

[By Eedaller.]

NEWS AND NOTES

Local Jottings. The Dunedin Cycling Club held its first open meeting on Monday last, and favoured by excellent weather conditions some fine performances were again registered. From the standard already shown Otago riders are rapidly approaching the high level generally found, more particularly in the northern centres, and it is expected that on the resumption of national fixtures Otago cyclists will have to be seriously reckoned with. Some indication of what the scratch men would have had to do on Monday night may be gauged from the time of the quartermile handicap, in \thich C. Brown, who is showing promise as a sprinter, finished in first place in 31 l-ssec, so that the backmarkers would have required to go very close to the track record to gain a place. Second to Brown in the quarter-mile was C. Webb, and E. Eeekie was close up in third place. The one mile resulted in a win for P. Munro, who rode nearly the whole distance alone and sprinted very strongly, giving the scratch riders no opportunity to make up the leeway. E. Hauvcy, who was taking part in his first track meeting, rode very doggedly indeed in this race, but was unable to seriously challenge Munro in the sprint for the last lap. Hanvcy is a strong rider who will find sprint racing suited to his capabilities, and when he becomes a little better ho should register some fine performances. Tiie best race of the evening wasjthe three-mile event, in which the whole Held was gradually overhauled by the backmavkers, K. Denton, J. M’Connell, and E. Boyd, who gave a very good exhibition of team work which afforded an example to the younger riders. The sprint between Denton and M'Connell was the highlight of the meeting, the former winning in the good time of 7min 6 4-ssec. Among the riders out for the first time this season were J. Eogers (who rode very strongly in the quarter-mile, at which distance ho produces his best), A. Conn (who was riding very well indeed, and was unfortunate not to fill a major placing), and M. Jones and B. Boss (who rode strongly, but still require training before they will bo able (o show their best form). Cycling Amazon.

Marguerite Wilson, the English cycling Amazon, according to official advice from England recently, how holds the following amazing list of unpaced road records: — 25 miles, Ih 6min 16sec. 50 miles, 2h 7min 59sec. 100 miles, 4h 31min Bsec. 1,000 miles, 4d 19h 14min 12 hours, 230 miles. 24 hours, 396 miles. London to York, llh 23mln. London to Birmingham, 5h 44min 17sec._ London to Bath and back, lOh 50min 53scc. London to Brighton and back, 5h 20min 30sec. London to Portsmouth and back, 7b 15min 14sec. Land’s End to London, 17h 9min. Land’s End to John o’ Groats, 3d 20h 54min. Liverpool to London, 101) 2min. Liverpool to Edinburgh, 12h lOmin. Edinburgh to Glasgow and back, 4h 33min. Dune. Gray in Form. Good form by Ja,ck Walsh and Duncan Gray (both of whom have appeared in Dunedin), with the track season in Sydney only starting, indicates a very good summer. At Henson Park the latter won the 1,000 metres sprint with seven points, Walsh (6) being second and N. Ballard (4) third. Earlier Walsh was disqualified for alleged rough riding, and Gray gained the points which were vital to the final summing up. As Walsh won the five miles scratch race from Ballard, with Gray third, there is an evenness that foretells some good racing (says an Australian writer). Gray, a former Olympic champion, has had a long and successful cycling career. He toured New Zealand in company with Jack Standen.