CYCLING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21264, 19 February 1931, Page 4

CYCLING NOTES.

OTAGO CLUB’S MEETING. The Otago Cycling Club was favoured with ideal conditions for its championship events on Monday evening and good times were recorded in both races. The Five Mile B Grade Championship proved an easy -win for A. Hay, a young cyclist of considerable promise, who is having his first season’s racing. He made the rest of the field look very tame and was the only one who could stick to the pacemakers over the last dozen laps. He eventually lapped the other finishers and sprinted home amidst applause in the good time of 12min 36sec. To prove that this form was no mere Hash in the pan he contested the Ten Mile A Grade event and surprised his supporters by riding a great race and fighting out the finish with such seasoned riders as Fogarty and Smith. With a little more experience he would have been very hard to beat, but he lacked knowledge of the finer points and allowed himself to be beaten for his inside position at the head of the straight. When Fogarty went wide with Smith on his outside, Hay’s best plan would have been to go for the inside edge and stay there. However, his was a very good performance.

J. Milne, last season’s champion, filled second place in the five-mile, a long way behind Hay. In common with the rest of the field, he made the fatal mistake of allowing Hay to be drawn away by the pacemakers until he was so far away that to give chase was useless. He seemed to be riding very freely and a good finish would have resulted had he kept to the pace along with Hay, although it is very doubtful whether he could have outpointed the winner. He also started in the ten-mile but the pace and distance found him wanting, and he retired after riding eight miles.

P. M’Connell rode his usual honest race in the five-mile, but he also found the pace too solid, and finished well over a lap behind the winner. He started in the A Grade race, but had an attack of “ stitch ” after covering five miles, and was forced to retire. He is a rider who could with advantage put his gear up slightly, as he is very solidly built and should find no difficulty in pedalling a higher gear ratio. H. Stokes was riding well at one stage, and had_ opened up a gap on the bunch along with F. Loades. He did not keep his position on the pacer’s -wheel, however, and -was caught napping badly when Hay left the field standing. He appeared to be quite fresh and no doubt would have been fighting out the finish had he not allowed himself to be outgeneralled by the winner.

J. C. Fogarty added another title to his already large-number by winning the Ten Mile Championship in the record time of 25min 47sec, after a keen tussle with Smith and Hay over the last furlong. He showed commendable initiative when he sprinted from the bell and proved that he is not merely a last furlong sprinter, but can keep at top speed for a whole lap. To lead a rider of the calibre of G. Smith over the last lap and then defeat him is no mean performance, and this form is distinctly encouraging in view of the national meeting to be held here next week. The northern riders will be “ all out” over the last lap, and with the advantage of local track knowledge Fogarty should be able to keep them busy. The good wishes of all local enthusiasts will be with the_ Otago representatives at the big meeting, and it is certain that they will uphold the good name of their province. G. Smith rode well and failed only over the last stretch. A rider of his experience should have known that to be on the outside of Fogarty’s wheel on the last bend was very bad tactics, and he was carried well up the bank before he realised that he would not get through on the outside. Consequently he had to pause and then come on the inside, and this proved his undoing. He was partially blocked by Hay when he did get out of the pocket, but it is uncertain whether he would have beaten Fogarty evert with a clear run. He will represent Otago at the New Zealand championships in tho half-mile and three-mile events, and if he reproduces his best form he will be very hard to dispose of. A sound pace over the whole distance will suit him, for he can always be relied upon for a good finishing effort even after a gruelling race. The mile maiden race was won by a promising rider. R. , M'Dougal, off 100 yards, who rode a good solo race to win by four lengths from J. W. Ferguson. He soon left his co-marker, and the pace he set made the backmarkers’ task almost impossible. ' J. W. Ferguson finished in second place after a good sprint with F. Loadea. He found the task of catching M'Dougal just a little too much for him, but he rode a fair race, and if he continues to improve as he has- done in the last few weeks he will soon lead the way to the finishing line again. F. Loades was one of the backmarkers, and was going fairly well. He caught all the others except the winner, and mustered a good finishing effort to be just beaten for second place. He was expected to show out better in the championship race, but he also fell a victim to Hay’s move and retired.

In striking contrast to the pacemaking at the provincial championships, this duty was carried out very successfully by C. G. Lucas. H. G. Cooper, D. Thompson, and others. Mr J. Simon’s plan was an unqualified ' success, and a fast, even pace was kept up. This was a very pleasing feature of the meeting, and augurs well for good races at the championship meeting. Racing such as that provided in the Otago championships would soon lose the public support, and it is very gratifying to know that this pacemaking plan will certainly give the public no cause for complaint on the score of slow times. The sport in Dunedin is just flourishing, and by means of a fulL measure of co-opera-tion between the riders and pacemakers some good riding should be witnessed, and the risk of losing public sympathy will be averted.

The action of the cycling judges in calling any particular rider to the front in a paced race is open to criticism, and on Monday night an accident was narrowly averted owing to this cause. If a rider chooses to tail the field he is perfectly entitled to do so, and it is really no disadvantage to be at the head of the field provided, of course, that a good change over is made by the pacers, as was the case on Monday evening.

It is the intention of the Pacific H.A.A. and Cycling Club to stage an open 10-mile championship race soon after the New Zealand championship meeting. A gold medal has been presented for first place, and with Parsons, Smith, Fogarty, O’Brien, and Templeton riding a great tussle can be anticipated.