SPORT OF CYCLING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22543, 7 October 1936, Page 21

SPORT OF CYCLING

ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD FIELD COMPETES^ PROMINENT RIDERS FAIL Remarkable interest was taken in tho 100 miles North Island and Auckland 100 miles amateur championship road race last Saturday. The entry of 95 riders was a record for the event and 91 of the nominees started, against 81 in tho 1935 race. Tho finish was on tho main concrete highway this year and the riders had to finish through a lano of spectators. However, through the courtesy of motorists, none of tho riders was hindered in his finishing efforts. The course extended from Papakura to Ngaruawahia and back to Papakura. The hardest portion of tho 100 miles was tho ascent of the Bombay Hills on tho return after tho riders had covered 86 miles. The westerly wind slowed tho riders on tho homoward journey to such an extent that most of tho finishers took almost half an hour longer to return. Principal interest centred in tho scratch group of 11 riders, who conceded starts uj) to 50 minutes. The first scratch riders to drop hack were O. Disley, fastest rider in the Palmerston North to Wanganui race, and F. Franklyn, of Wellington. R. Dutton, of Wellington, was most unfortunate, for he accompanied the scratch men for 65 miles, at which stage his rear tyro blew out. C. P. Cochrane and M. T. Gamble disappointed by failing to hold the pace, while C. R. Gooder also performed below expectations. J. Brown punctured before reaching tho half-way mark, but, like J. Stewart, 43tn, he made a hasty repair and continued. Brown clocked 5h '26 m 10s. SCRATCH RIDERS TIME HONOURS TO HUGHES The best of the scratch men were F,. L. G. Hughes, 1?. S. Triner and W. D. Williams, of Napier. Williams was dropped by the other two on the three miles climb to tho top of the Bombay deviation, but he rode in to be third fastest, in the finish for time honours Hughes went away from Triner. the Manukau Club rider, and beat him by 20 yards to clock 4h 53m Bs. Nicholson won the title last year in 4h 44m 2s, when far faster conditions prevailed. Nicholson took oh 49s on Saturday. Hughes rode prominently in junior road races in 1932. He is now a scratch rider of the Lynndale Club, in whose competitions ho has achieved considerable .success, but last week's effort was his best performance. He forced the pace throughout the race.

The winner, N. Gamble, off 46m, is a. senior member of the Papatoetoe Club. His exhibition of unpaced riding over tho last 40 miles was sufficiently brilliant to enable him to hold off a bunch of 18 riders, among whom were experienced road riders. He won decisively by almost four minutes. He is a very enthusiastic wheelman and he lias been cycling in from Hunna each Saturday to compete in the Papatoetoe Club's races. LEADING JUNIORS FINE EFFORT BY H. HAWKE The junior riders, W. H. Smith, second off 36m, and H. F. Hawke, 33m, rode very strongly and were in a hunch of'lß riders at the foot of the three miles climb. It was on the hill section that they gradually drew away. Hawke is a notcil stayer. He won a 28 miles event and the Takapuna Club's 52 miles race this season. He was the fastest junior rider, taking 5h 15m 575. Two well-known riders, H. Evans, of Wellington, and C. A. Clarke, of Auckland, finished fourth and fifth respectively. Evans did more than his share of the pacing work and many riders paid tribute'to his unselfishness in making every effort to force the speed. Another splendid performance was that of the Manukau junior, K. G. Picknell, who finished seventh. Picknell finished well ahead of his two older brothers, C. H. Picknell, who started off the same mark of 33m, and J. E. Picknell, who had 30m start.

Apart from the scratch men, the next best performer was C. S. Hawkins, off Bm. Hawkins, a New Plymouth rider, was third fastest in 4h 54m 18s and he proved himself a iirst-olass road rider. Williams, of Napier, also rode brilliantly considering that he, too, had not raced over the course previously. Ho was one of ilio four riders to average better than 20 miles per hour, his time being 4h 56m 455. Only 17 seconds separated the two scratch men of the Northern Club, M. T. Gamble and J. P. Price. Gamble was the faster in 5h ]9m Ms.

The team selected to represent the Auckland Province at the Dominion championship race over the Palmerston North to Wellington course on October 21, was chosen after the race.'The five riders chosen are 10. L. G. Hughes and S. Olderson, of the Lynndale Club, R. S. Trincr and L. M. Nicholson," Manukau, and C. I'. Cochrane, Papatoetoe. In addition, the Manukau Club will bo represented by J. Brown, S. J. Baird, Tv. N. Clark, and J. G. Morris, while W. Crocker, W. 11. Walker and S. McLellan have already entered as individual riders.