CYCLING

Southland Times, Issue 22140, 7 October 1933, Page 19

CYCLING

"COMING EVENTS: To-day—Southland 56-Mile . Road Championship, via Kennington, Hedgenope and Winton. October 14—27-Mile Time Trial and Handicap.

(By’ “Pedaller.”) To-day the Invercargill Amateur Cycling Club will stage its second annual 56-mile road championship and given favourable conditions a good contest is assured. G. Foster, one of Dunedin’s prominent scratch riders, has entered. Of the local club riders, the following have ridden off scratch during the season and will make strenuous efforts to win the championship: N. Shaw, C. Robinson, M. Wilson (present holder), J. Robinson and J. Flynn. A field of about 25 is expected so that the handicap section of the race should prove as equally interesting as the championship. In the evening all visiting riders and competitors in the race will be guests of the local club at a dance in Smith’s Hall, during which the trophies will be presented. Although the course, which extends through Kennington, Roslyn Bush, Hedgehope, Browns, Winton, Lochiel and Makarewa is well known to the local riders, arrangements have been made to have all doubtful comers patrolled by officials so that there will be no chance of leaving the correct road. All supporters would be advised to note that the race will start at 1.30 at Mary street on the East road and finish at St. Andrew street on Elies road between 4 p.m. and 4.15 p.m. The gold medal presented to the club by the Otago Centre has arrived and is quite a handsome trophy. The committee has decided that in the event of a competitor gaining first place and fastest time, the medal will go to the rider with second fastest time.

Supporters and others interested will be pleased to know that the club’s membership of riders has now increased to 3G and new club rooms in Esk street were opened this week. These rooms will be used for committee meetings, indoor games, etc. and should help considerably to increase the social side of the club. Next Saturday a time trial and handicap race will be run on the Wood-lands-Rakauhauka course, a distance of 27 miles. This is run on different lines from the usual road race, as each rider, starting with the usual scratch men, will leave at one minute intervals and ride his own race unpaced. Each competitor’s time is taken at the finish and from this and the sealed handicaps the fastest time and placings are determined. On account of the intervals between the riders and the likelihood of a big field it will be necessary to start at 1.30 p.m. TT Last Saturday s race to Hedgehope and back proved 1 a triumph for J. Flynn, who gained both first and fastest time. Flynn on his performance last Saturday and also in Dunedin has shown up much better than earlier in the season and his riding to-day will be watched with interest. W. Pickford rode well to gain second place and may even have made a dead heat for first place had he commenced his sprint earlier. J. Jackson showed improved form by riding eighth in Dunedin and third last week, and given a reasonable handicap to-day will be in the hunt. M. Smith and A. Broad, both this year’s recruits, showed up well and filled fourth and fifth places respectively. , ( The club’s secretary and present holder of the Southland road championship, M. Wilson, has been spending a holiday in Dunedin and competed last Saturday in a 70-mile race. On the return journey when within a few miles of the finish a member of Wilson s bunch fell and brought four of. thern down, including Wilson, otherwise he would probably have been in the placings. _____