Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 410, 19 July 1928, Page 8

Speed-Cycling on Road and Track

—By

“VELOS” “

Ideal weather conditions prevailed on Saturday for road racing. The Manukau Amateur and the Auckland Cycling Clubs both had big acceptances for their respective races, the latter club establishing a record for the season. Unfortunately, there were several spills, which spoilt the interest in both races, tho Auckland Club’s particularly, but no rider was seriously hurt. The feature or the racing was the fine riding of L. G. Chambers, in the amateur, and F. Prior and F. Lowndes in the cash events. In thd latter event, the two riders mentioned cleared right away from the rest of the field to make a dead-heat of it, while Chambers in winning the amateur event, put up his best ride this season. PRIOR’S GREAT RIDE Fast time was put up in the 14-mile open cash event held by the Auckland Club on Saturday, F. Prior (scr) being credited with doing the distance in 34.12. As Prior was on his own for a good slice of the distance, he must have “gone some” to do that time. F. Lowndes, who dead-heated with Prior, was unlucky to get beaten. He rode a fine race right through, always being in a handy position. When the field came over the top of Mangere Hill, it was any one’s race, but when the 200 yards that separated the riders from the finishing post was reached, there appeared to be only two in it. Fifty yards from the finish, Lowndes was half a length in front, and Prior appeared in trouble. Ten yards to go saw the two locked together, and there they remained to the finish. Many thought Prior had won, and some good judges thodght Lowndes, but Velos was with the judges—a dead-heat was right. It was a great finish, and both riders came in for hearty congratulations at the finish. WELL DONE, LOWNDES No rider deserves his win better than Fred Lowndes, but what most of the fans would like to know is, where he unearthed that final sprint, which took

him over the finishing line. It was easily his most brilliant effort this season, and there was some good monev attached to it as well. W. Francis (Papakura) finished third, some distance away. On paper, this rider was given a great chance, but he did not ride up to expectations. He is improving with every ride, and next Saturday s longer race should suit him better. „„ „ When J. Lindop fell and K. Matlneson and J. Henderson had chain troubles most of the interest went out of the Auckland Club’s race. The former had been riding so consistently well of late that many thought he was sure to beat Prior on Saturday. It would certainly have been a. great race between these two, had Lindop stood up. A BRILLIANT TRIO Intense interest was centred around the meeting of the three scratch riders, J. H. Wade, M. P. Byrnes and J. Whitten in last Saturday's race, and the big crowd were there to see the finish too. Seldom has a bigger crowd been seen at Mangere, and they went away fully satisfied. Wade again proved that he is the fastest rider in Auckland at the present time, by beating his two co-markers in a convincing manner. He took the lead some distance from the finish, and though strongly challenged by Brynes and Whitten, held his own and won by a wheel. L. G. Chambers, the winner of Saturday’s big event, defeated 39 of the Manukau Club’s best road riders. He rode easily his best race so far this season, and finished in such a solid manner that he must be reckoned with in any future long distance events. He is a very powerful pedlar, and when he sticks his best in over that last hundred, it is “some best.”

“I thought Taylor beat me.” was how Con Gainsborough put it, when the writer congratulated him on getting second; but the judges thought otherwise. The finish between second and third -was very close, but there was no

doubt about the verdict—by ' wheel, beins the correct one. c 11 borough has been a most performer in Saturdavs but so far he has not had a wf*'' season; one second and two third, coming: his way. TIS^ F. Taylor looked the winner hundred yards irora the finish • > could do no more than get third. has a fine record for this season ing: one win. three seconds third to his credit a The Tour de France, the greatest long distance road (3.350 miles), finished at Paris Sunday. The winner was the ite. Nicholas Frantz (Luxemberr) won it last year. He covered the F 5! tance in IS2 hours 45 minutes Sg onds. Andre Leducq, champis* ' France, being second. 11 hours bdii._ 1 the winner. The only Austral*^ 1 rider mentioned in the cables is Hu v S Opporman. who finished 18th. He v 20 hours behind the winner. Xo mJ? tion of H. O. Watson, Kew Zealac* representative, is made. The tS is evidently a super long distance rider to win by roughly IS7 miles f r i the world's next best and 340 from Australia’s best. Hubert Opnc? man.