RECORD FIELDS START IN ROAD CYCLING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 407, 16 July 1928, Page 7

RECORD FIELDS START IN ROAD CYCLING

RACING AT MANGERE DEAD HEAT IN ONE RACE

Open road racing- at Mangere on Sat--1 urday was notable lor exciting finishes, j 111 the professional race particularly, the finish was so close that the judges ! | could not separate the first two riders, j in this event there were 20 starters, a record for the season. In the amateur | event the finish was also a very fine ] | one. seven riders fighting it out right I to the line. | Following are the results: , , A ,V?. kl^ nd Athletic and Cycling Club's t 14-Mile Event.—l*. I.ovvndes (3m) and I-’. t nor (scr), dead heat, 1; \v. Francis I Jin 30s, 3. Time, Mm 12s. Fastest time, I I* • Frior, scr, 37m 12s. I The limit riders, Dean, Matthews and ! l.arry, working well together, led the | tirst time round, being (>os in front of ! h V, uncl J led by Francis. Itac, Archer, } R a h and Slack were riding alone at this stage, at intervals of a hundred yards, with the back markers led by Prior (who | j ia d ridden a great race) half a minute behind. In this lap Lindop fell. Render--1 »on a chain came off, and K. Matliieson , broke his chain, Over the last lap, the hack markers soon had the front men's in ensure, and taking charge three miles ' from the finish, the race became a profession. Nearing the Mangere Hill Prior’ took charge, but once over the top Francis and Healey looked to have a chance. .Nearing the finish. Lowndes surprised ; everyone by jumping away from Prior and. gaining a length’s lead, this he held till a few leet from the finish, when Prior got to him. both flashing over the finishing line locked together. The judge’s decision, a dead heat, was the correct one. W. Francis, who was the favourite was lour lengths away third. Manukau Amateur Cycle Club's 2S-Mile Event. —L. G. Chambers, 2m 30s, 1; Con. I. Gainsborough, 2m, 2; F. Taylor, 3m. 3. Time of winner, 75m 465. Fastest time, J. H. Wade, scr, 74m 17 2-ss. Gatland and Clarke were the first riders away, but were soon joined by a bunch ol seven, with* Fletcher at the head. This bunch held its lead for two laps, the ; next bunch, with Devlin at the head, being 60s away. J. Stewart at the bead <>f the next bunch was putting in great : work, while almost on them was Taylor leading a hot bunch, which contained all the placed men. The scratch division, which also contained the one minute riders with Byrnes at the head, passed through going strong 70s later. From here, the bunches gradually closed on one another, till entering the last lap. Fletcher’s division had a lead of 65s on Devlin’s, who were only 20s in front of Taylor’s, with Byrnes, the scratch bunch, lm 10s away. Jt now looked like the front markers scoring a win, but. over the final lap they collapsed and were done two miles from the finish. Nearing the finish, 16 riders were all in a heap, and it looked anybody's race till Chambers — who had done more solid pacing than any other rider in the race—came on the scene, closely followed by Taylor and Gainsborough. It looked Taylor a hundred yards from the finish, but Chambers carried too many guns, and never gave the others a chance, winning by a length, with Gainsborough, who finished fast, a half-length in front of Taylor. The race for fastest time was again a most exciting one. Wade led over the last 200 yards, with Byrnes tacked on, I Whitten lying handy. One hundred yards from the finish Byrnes made his effort and drew' level with Wade, and one of the finest struggles ever seen at Mangere took place. Neck and neck these two rivals raced for tlie line, but Wade’s wonderful stamina stood to him and be wore Byrnes down and beat him a lengthto the finishing line.