CYCLING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21300, 2 April 1931, Page 4

CYCLING NOTES

THE MILTON MEETING The local track season was brought to a close last Saturday with one o£ the most enjoyable meetings of tjie year. A lame contingent of Dunedin cyclists made the trip to Milton and, although the racing was marred by numerous spills, no one was seriously hurt. The track had been newly banked, and the recently-made portions were on the soft side, while the inside edge was hard and fast. It was the keenness of the riders to get the narrow section to ride on that caused most of the crashes. It is the intention of the Milton Club still further to bank the track for next season, and to sprinkle cinders on the surface. If this plan is carried into effect the Milton track should prove one of the fastest in Otago, and should compare favourably with the Palmerston one. That the Milton body possesses some promising riders was amply demonstrated at the meeting. The wins of A. K. Wright and J. Arnott in the Half Mile and Mile Handicaps respectively were full of merit, and if they fulfil the promise shown at this meeting they should be capable of extending the best in Otago when their track is finally prepared. They showed greater ability in holding the corners than the Dunedin boys, and this gave them a decided advantage in the final lap. To see young Wright sprinting with J. Parsons, who is recognised as one of the best sprinters in Dunedin, was a revelation. Parsons was on terms with him entering the straight, but Wright held him off to win amidst great enthusiasm. J. Arnott is a well-built type of rider, who should do well. Off the 100 yards he had to be content with second place to Hetherington in his heat of the Mile Handicap, but he reversed the placings in the final with a strong, sustained sprint. J. C. Fogarty did not find the track to his liking, and could not produce anything like his true form. He won the Mile and a-half Handicap, but he was really very fortunate to be in the final, as it was only owing to a crash which involved the leading bunch that he was enabled to qualify in his heat. He sprinted well in the final, however, to lead Loades home by several lengths. W. Templeton won the Two-mile Handicap as he liked. In the heat he left the rest of the field to win by 50 yards, and in the final the only one to trouble him was D. Thompson, whom he led home by two lengths. Templeton can always be relied upon to give a good display under adverse conditions. G. Hetherington rode well from a back mark to take second place in the Mile Handicap. He was very unfortunate m the Two Mile heat, crashing when he was in a good position in the last lap. He received slight injury to his back, a pedal evidently Striking him. The recent operation to his wrist left Hetherington without the use of two of the fingers ofc his right hand, and this accounts in no small measure for his unsteady riding. This trouble should not be in evidence so much on the road, and some _ good performances are expected from him in the coming season. P. Loades, off 110 yards, was second in the Mile and a-half Race. He was unfortunate in the other events, falling in the. Mile when Wright came down, and being involved in the crash which brought down several riders in the Two-mile. He had been training hard for this meeting and was riding very freely. R. Wilson-Pyne rode prominently, and won his heats of the Half-mile and Mile and a-half in good style. He was third in both finals. D. Thompson won his heat in three events, but the only final placing gained by him was a second in the Two-mile Handicap off 100 yards. He intends to take on the road racing this season, and has joined up with the Pacific Club. H. Taylor made a reappearance on the track, but showed lack of training, and could do no more than fill third place in the Two-mile event. The prizes, which were ready on the ground for the successful competitors, were well divided amongst the competing clubs. Pacific taking four, Milton two, and Otago two. NOTES. H. G. Cooper was elected cycling captain and W. Templeton deputy at the annual meeting of the Pacific Club on Monday evening. The sports meeting that was to be held on the Caledonian Ground last Thursday evening has been cancelled owing to the inability of the cash body to obtain the use of the ground. It would appear that the enthusiasm exhibited by local cyclists is not confined to cycling alone. Several local men who set out from Dunedin at 1 o’clock on Saturday to go to Milton were still on their way there about half-past 6, when they were passed by others who had seen the conclusion of the meeting and were on their way home. The riders had set out in a motor car without a spare tyre, and as they encountered an abnormal number of punctures they considered it quite satisfactory under the circumstances when, they arrived at Milton at 7 o’clock. The meeting was finished at a quarter to 6.