CYCLING ON TRACK AND ROAD

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 197, 20 August 1931, Page 11

CYCLING ON TR ACK AND ROAD

7IXTUBZS. August 22—Paparua Club’s race (cash). August 22—Amateur race, Papanui. August 22—Unregistered race, Islington. August 29—Christchurch Club’s race (cash). September s—Mairehau Club’s race. September 12—Christchurch Club’s fiftySepteinber 19—Canterbury amateur championship. September 19—Southbridge road race. September 26—Round the Gorges race. September 26—Mairehau Club’s championship. October 3—Waimate to Christchurch October 6 24—Round the Mountain race. October 26—Southbridge sports. j.j *.j *.* Well-deserved Win. E. A. M’Kaskell scored a well-deserved win at Lyttelton in the road race for cash riders. M’Kaskell has done more racing than any other road rider during the past three years and has met with only moderate success. This rider should perform well in the coming big road events. * W. K. Weir also performed well in last Saturday's race. He is perfectly at home on the hills and the conditions suited him admirably. , „ F. Hart (Lyttelton) also rode well. He was familiar with the course, having raced over it several times. Tom Griffiths secured fastest time unplaced and in doing so showed a great improvement in form. Griffitns has some good track performances to his credit and should develop into a useful road rider. Papanui Club's Race. On Saturday the Papanui Amateur Sports Club conducted a fifty-mile teams’ race for A and B grade riders. Nine teams started, with an interval of one minute between each team, but this interval was not sufficient and at times the teams were close to one another. A teams’ race run on the roads is difficult to control and it is almost impossible to supervise each team. A teams’ race run on the track is a much more interesting event, as the progress of each team can be noted each lap. On Saturday the teams kept together reasonably well and some splendid performances were registered. The best riding times were those recorded by F. J Grose and J. L. Richards, who covered the fifty miles in 2hr 4min 15see. This Is fast time for fifty miles, especially when it is taken into consideration that there was a delay at the start, through Richards’s handlebars becoming loose. Several teams were weakened owing to punctures. E. W. Stevens, F C. Muir, T. A. Grose and A. C. Hands being forced to retire through this The team consisting of F. J. Grose, J L. Richards and W. F. Wilcockson. which won the A grade race, put up a splendid performance. Starting nearly a minute behind their time, the riders were only 14sec in front of the second team, W. G. Hughey, S. Weir and R. F. Dunlop, at Woodend. The second team caught the first team at Waikukii and the teams rode side by side urn* l the first team broke away at Ashley Bank. From then on the first team gained ground and won easily. The winning team was a strong combination and included two riders who have had several starts off the scratch mark this season. Wilcockson, who finished third, was unfortunate in losing his chain about six miles from the finish. H. r. Jasher and A. L. Stevens also put up a good performance, their aggregate time being only 4min 22 l-jsec slower than that recorded by the winning team. This team was weakened throueh E. W. Stevens puncturing. r. F. Dunlop. S. Weir and W. S. Hughey were much slower than -the winners, their aggregate riding time be>'ng nearly half an hour slower. The winners of the B grade race, L. J. Douglas and A. J. Lancaster, showed good staying powers and made fast time. These riders ride off a fair han- * dicap in races and their riding time was only 18min slower than that of the winning A grade team. Motes. The Christchurch Cycling and Athletic Club’s race, which is to be held on August 29, will start and finish at the corner of Hoon Hay and Lincoln Roads at 2.45 p.m. Riders are requested to note the change of starting place. si The long handicap men filled the first eight places in the unregistered road race held last Saturday at Halswell. The finish was one of the best seen in unregistered races this season, a large

number of riders finishing within half a minute of each other.

The “ Round the Mountain ” road race will l»e held on October 24. Owing to the difficulty in raising funds, the prize money will be reduced this year, the suggested first prize being £25 and a bicycle, medal and a cup, and the fastest time prize at least £ls. Arrangements have been made to billet visiting riders at New Plymouth. The rapanui Amateur Sports Club’s road race on Saturday will be held over the usual thirty-six miles’ course, starting at Papanui at 2.30 p.m. The course is through Woodend, Waikuku and Rangiorai m The unregistered road race next Saturday will start and finish at Islington. The course is not yet arranged. The prize-list announced for the Waimate to Christchurch road race has met with the general approval of riders. A reduction of the prize money was anticipated, but as subscriptions have been coming in freely, the committee has decided to make the prizes as large as possible. An art union for an oil painting is being conducted to augment the funds, and it is receiving a fair measure of support from the public. A large number of collecting cards have been issued, and these should be returned to the secretary of the North Canterbury Centre without delay. Roy Sale (New Plymouth), who won the “ Round the Mountain ” race last year, will be a competitor in the Waimate to Christchurch event this year. ft is probable that other New Plymouth riders will also compete. Jack Henderson, who, a few years ago, was a popular figure In road and track races, has been on the West Coast for the past two years. He has been visiting Christchurch and will return to the Coast this week. Henderson states that there is a fair amount of racing in Greymouth. Dan Wright, who rode prominently in the Timaru to Christchurch race and the Warrnambool to Melbourne event, is the handicapper. H. Turtill and E. W. Thomas are training hard for the Waimate to Christchurch race. Henderson states that he is not racing at present, being of the opinion that the handicapper is too hard on him. Next Saturday, the Paparua Cycling Club will open its road racing season with a thirty miles road race. The race will start and finish at the Islington Hotel, and the course will be six times around a five-mile block. Entries will be received up to to-night by Mr P. C. Lucas. S. W. M’Cann, who secured fastest time in the 1928 and 1929 Timaru to Christchurch road races, will not be a competitor in the Waimate to Christchurch race this year. He was involved in some motor-cycle accidents recently, and has had trouble with injuries to his ankles. M’Cann states that he has decided to give up the sport. He is only twenty-one years of age and it is a pity that such a brilliant performer has decided to retire. j.j j.j The first entry for the Waimate to Christchurch race was received yesterday, N. H. Steele, Leeston, nominating. A dance will be held at the Caledonian Hall on September 1 by the Mairehau Sports Club for the purpose of raising funds. Mr A. Blackler will be in charge of the function. •-* a H. G. Watson intends making a start in road races at an early date, and will probably make his first appearance, in the Christchurch Cycling and Athletic Club’s fixture at Halswell. The competition conducted by the North Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic, Cycling and Axemen’s Union for the purpose of raising funds for the Waimate to Christchurch race, was won by Mrs F. C. Vaughan, Fairfield Avenue. General regret was expressed when it became known that the dates of two big road fixtures, the “ Round the Gorges ” amateur race and the Mairehau Sports Club’s seventy miles championship, clashed. Both these races will be decided on September 26. It has been suggested that arrangements should be made for both races to finish at the Show Grounds.