SPORT OF CYCLING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22928, 5 January 1938, Page 18

SPORT OF CYCLING

WHATAWHATA MEETING JUNIOR RIDER'S BRILLIANCE SUCCESS OF N. R. FREEMAN Early morning rains and the general uncertainty of the weather had a detrimental effect on the attendance at the popular New Year's Day meeting of the Whatawhata Amateur Athletic Club. When the racing started on the quartermile grass track the going was very heavy, but the track quickly dried under the warm and humid conditions which prevailed from noon on. Easily the best performer was the 16-years-old junior rider from Te Puke, N. R. Freeman. Short and lightly built he won both his heats and the finals of the one mile and the one mile and a-half races with apparent ease. He wisely concentrated on the two shortei distances. True, he was off long marks, 200 yards in the mile, but his riding was of such a free style that he might have been just as prominent off half the adjustment. He pedalled a 74in. gear and rode heavy steel road wheels, a combination, however, which proved ideal for the bumpy track. Freeman won the mile by over 60 yards after leading throughout. Freeman rode prominently at Hotorua on Boxing Day and is one of the fastest of the Te Puke Club's cyclists for he holds the local track lap record at 36 seconds. The two miles.proved a splendid spectacle for the field of six finalists bunched with three laps to go. Another junior, V. E. Wardell, of the Papatoetoe Club, provided the sensation in this event. Taking the field by complete surprise just as the riders entered the final lap, he came rapidly from the rear to gain a big break and win by two lengths after a great chase by C. Burr, of Hamilton, and C. D. Lapwood, of Te Awamutu, who were only separated by half a length for the minor placiugs. Wardell used a 79in. gear. Just after this race and while he was away from his cycle, collecting his trophy he had the misfortune to hare his cycle run over by a motor, but he rode on a loaned machine in the three miles event.