Austral Wheel Race Explained

Austral Wheel Race
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General
Established 1887
HeldDecember
Country Australia
Region Victoria
Type Handicap race over 2000 m
Data
Editions 124
First Winner H. Lambton, Australia
Most Recent Graeme Frislie, Australia and Georgia Baker, Australia
Most Wins Stephen Pate, Australia, (4)

The Austral Wheel Race is the oldest track bicycle race in the world still existing, stretching back to 1887. It is owned and run by AusCycling Victoria. The Austral race is Australia’s greatest track cycling event. It is held in Melbourne, riders assigned handicaps according to ability over a series of heats. The finals are run over 2000m.[1]

The races in 2004 and 2005 were at John Cain Arena in February. The first race in 1887 held at Melbourne Cricket Ground over 3 miles (4800m), with first prize of a grand piano valued at 200 pounds. Other venues in Melbourne to host the race include the Exhibition Track, the North Essendon board track, the Olympic Park Velodrome and the Brunswick, Coburg and Northcote velodromes.

Malvern Star, a brand in bicycles in Australia, had its origins in the race. In December 1898 a young bicycle mechanic and professional cyclist, Tom Finnigan, won from a handicap of holding off backmarkers with a foot to spare. The prize of 240 sovereigns let him establish a suburban bicycle shop, Malvern Star Cycles, which became a household name under Bruce Small.

Corruption tinged the event in 1901 when the American, Bill Martin, won from scratch, to allegations of fixing by John Wren.[2] According to The Age in 1903 referring to 1902 "one of the judges appointed to officiate at the Austral Wheel meeting was called upon to resign, because he had a monetary interest in the result of the Austral Wheel Race."[3]

In December 2023 Graeme Frislie won from scratch in a time of 1min 55.03 sec, an average of 62.59 km/h at DISC.

Prize money

Prize money has varied, following the fashion for cycling, from a grand piano to monetary prizes of 240 sovereigns in 1898, 450 sovereigns in 1902,[4] to a low of $1500 during the 1970s, increasing to $5,000 in 1982, and now exceeding $18,000 since 2000.

Past winners

Past competitors include distinguished Australian and international cyclists, including Gordon Johnson, Steele Bishop, Sid Patterson, Russell Mockridge, Danny Clarke, Brett Aitken, Gary Neiwand and Shane Kelly. The record for the most wins belongs to Victorian Stephen Pate with four victories: in 1988 from scratch, in 1991 from minus 10m, in 1993 from minus 20m and 1999 from scratch.

In 2000, Neiwand was handicapped on 70m for the millennium edition and won comfortably.

Austral Wheel Race Winners!scope=col
scope=col Yearscope=col Venuescope=col Men's Winnerscope=col Handicapclass=unsortableRef.scope=col Women's Winnerscope=col Handicap
1887 [5]
1888 [6]
1889 [7]
1890 [8]
1891 [9]
1892 [10]
1893 [11]
1894 [12]
1895 [13]
1896 [14]
1897 [15]
1898 [16]
1899 [17]
1900 [18]
1901 [19]
1902 [20]
1903 [21]
1904 [22]
1905 [23]
1906 [24]
1907 [25]
1908 [26]
1909 [27]
1910
1912
1913
1920
1921
1922 [28]
1923
1923
1925
1925
1927 [29]
1927
1927
1929 [30]
1936 [31]
1936
1937 [32]
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1944
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962 [33]
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999 [34]
2000 [35]
2001 [36]
2002 [37]
2003 [38]
2004 [39]
2005 [40] [41]
2006 [42]
2007 [43] [44]
2008 [45]
2009 [46]
2009
2011 [47]
2012 [48]
2013 [49]
2014 [50]
2014 JCA[51]
2015JCA[52]
2016JCA[53]
2017JCA[54]
2018JCA[55]
2019JCA[56]
2021DISC[57]
2022DISC[58]

Venues

Venues!scope=col
scope=col Venuescope=col Surfacescope=col Years
BV Brunswick Velodrome Cement 1971–1974
CV Coburg Velodrome Cement 1978–1981 1986
DISC Timber 2009–2014
EXA Exhibition Track Asphalt 1904–1906, 1920–1923 1925–1927
EXB Exhibition Board Track Timber 1936–1938
EXI Exhibition Indoor Track Timber 1912–1913
JCA Timber 2001–2009 2014–
MCG Grass 1887–1903 1907–1910
MD Motordrome (Olympic Park) Cement 1923–1925 1927–1936
NE North Essendon Board Track Timber 1939–1957
NV Northcote Velodrome Cement 1975–1977 1982–1985 1988–2000
OP Olympic Park Velodrome Timber 1958–1970

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: The 1975 Austral Wheelrace . . Melbourne, Vic. . 4 February 2006.
  2. Martin, William Walker (Bill) (1860–1942) . martin-william-walker-bill-13083 . Geoff . Browne . 19 February 2020.
  3. News: A cycling judge's bets. Why the resignation was requested. The austral wheel case . . Melbourne, Vic. . 17 January 1903 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: The Austral . . 1903-01-10 . 2020-08-10 . 4 . Trove.
  5. News: Melbourne Bicycle Club Race Meeting . . Melbourne, Vic. . 26 November 1887 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
  6. News: Cycling . . Melbourne, Vic. . 24 November 1888 . 31 . National Library of Australia.
  7. News: Wheel notes . . Melbourne, Vic. . 30 November 1889 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: Melbourne Bicycle Club Spring Meeting . . Melbourne, Vic. . 29 November 1890 . 19 . National Library of Australia.
  9. News: Melbourne Bicycle Club Sports . . Melbourne, Vic. . 23 November 1891 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  10. News: Melbourne Bicycle Club's Sports . . Sydney, NSW . 16 November 1892 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  11. News: The Austral Wheel Race . . Sydney, NSW . 13 December 1893 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  12. News: The cycling championship at Melbourne . . Sydney, NSW . 12 December 1894 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  13. News: The M.B.C. meeting . . Sydney, NSW . 11 December 1895 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  14. News: The Austral Final . . Sydney, NSW . 9 December 1896 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  15. News: The Austral . . Sydney, NSW . 15 December 1897 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  16. News: The Austral Wheel Race . . Sydney, NSW . 14 December 1898 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  17. News: The Austral Meeting . . Sydney, NSW . 20 December 1899 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  18. News: Austral Wheel Race won by Forbes . . Melbourne, Vic. . 17 December 1900 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  19. News: Austral Wheel Race won by Martin . . Melbourne, Vic. . 16 December 1901 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  20. News: Austral Wheel Race won by F Auger . . Melbourne, Vic. . 12 January 1903 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  21. News: Austral Wheel Race won by Scheps . . Melbourne, Vic. . 12 January 1903 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  22. News: The Austral Wheel Race won by A.J Clarke . . Melbourne, Vic. . 19 December 1904 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  23. News: Austral Wheel Race J H Sandberg winner, S S Levey disqualified . . Melbourne, Vic. . 18 December 1905 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  24. News: Austral meeting third day. Thomas's brilliant win . . Melbourne, Vic. . 22 December 1906 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
  25. News: Austral Wheel Race won by Colvin . . Sydney, NSW . 18 December 1907 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
  26. News: Austral Wheel Race a wWarnambool winner . . Melbourne, Vic. . 14 December 1908 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  27. News: Austral Meeting, Pianta wins the Wheel Race . . Sydney, NSW . 22 December 1909 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
  28. News: 15,000 People Applaud Fitzgerald's Austral Victory. . . Melbourne, Vic. . 22 November 1922 . 13 . National Library of Australia.
  29. Same Year, Different Season, Venues & Promoters
  30. News: Lamb's Double — Wins "Austral" Wheel Race and Paced Event Brilliantly. . . Melbourne . 6 March 1929 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
  31. Same Year, Different Season
  32. News: Stole Austral . . Sydney, NSW . 9 December 1937 . 28 . National Library of Australia.
  33. News: Back and beyond . . Melbourne, Vic. . 24 February 2007.
  34. Web site: Northcote Velodrome, 101st Austral Wheel Race, 2000m, February 13e . Cyclingnews.
  35. Web site: Austral Wheelrace Melbourne, Australia, February 12, 2000 . Cyclingnews.
  36. Web site: 103rd Austral Wheelrace . Cyclingnews.
  37. Web site: Austral goes to Tasmanian Young-gun . Cyclingnews.
  38. Web site: Darren Young takes historic double . Cyclingnews.
  39. Web site: Bendigo teenager claims 106th Austral . Cyclingnews.
  40. News: Kersten wins Austral wheelrace . . Melbourne, Vic. . 26 February 2005.
  41. Web site: You're simply the best: Kersten better than all the rest. Cyclingnews.
  42. Web site: Sixth time the charm for Taylor . Cyclingnews.
  43. News: Joel Stewart wins Austral cycle race . . Melbourne, Vic. . 24 February 2007.
  44. Web site: Canberra Raider dominates Australia's oldest track race. Cyclingnews.
  45. News: Rathbone scrapes home in Austral Wheelrace . . Melbourne, Vic. . 16 March 2008.
  46. Web site: Perkins powers to Austral crown . Cyclingnews.
  47. Web site: Ockerby wins maiden Austral crown . 27 February 2011 . Cyclingnews.
  48. Web site: Edmondson and Parker the stars of the 2012 Austral . Cycling Victoria . 17 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150403180322/http://vic.cycling.bvit.com.au/?page=45942&format= . 3 April 2015 . dead . 2 August 2015 .
  49. Web site: The 115th Austral Wheelrace Taken By Jason Niblett . cyclingtips.com.au.
  50. Web site: Minori Shimmura & Annina Gallagher secure the 116th Austral spoils . Cycling Victoria. https://web.archive.org/web/20151221214538/http://vic.cycling.org.au/News/All-News/Track/minori-shimmura-annina-gallagher-secure-the-116th-austral-spoils . 21 December 2015 . live.
  51. Web site: A packed house welcomes the Austral back to Hisense . Cycling Victoria. https://web.archive.org/web/20150803014950/http://vic.cycling.org.au/News/All-News/a-packed-house-welcomes-the-austral-back-to-hisense . 3 August 2015 . live.
  52. Web site: Edmondson & Bullen added to Austral honour roll . Cycling Victoria. https://web.archive.org/web/20151222001203/http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/News/Edmondson-Bullen-added-to-Austral-honour-roll . 22 December 2015 . live.
  53. Web site: Mens 119th Austral Wheelrace Final . Cycling Victoria . https://web.archive.org/web/20170216120240/http://metarace.com.au/2017austral/event_72 . 16 February 2017 . dead . 14 November 2017 .

    Web site: Womens: Austral Wheelrace Final . Cycling Victoria . https://web.archive.org/web/20170216120238/http://metarace.com.au/2017austral/event_71 . 16 February 2017 . dead . 14 November 2017 .
  54. Web site: Austral and Australian Madison Results . Cycling Victoria . 11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171218213236/http://liveresults.cycling.org.au/2017/Austral/Snr/Snr_result.pdf . 18 December 2017 . live.
  55. Web site: Logie-Smith Lanyon Austral Wheelrace 121st Edition Results . Cycling Victoria . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20181220210827/http://liveresults.cycling.org.au:80/2018/Austral/Session2/Session2_result.html . 20 December 2018 .
  56. Web site: 2019 Austral Wheelrace inc Aus Madison Championships . Cycling Victoria . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200227143447/http://liveresults.cycling.org.au/2019/AUSTRAL/program.html . 27 February 2020 .
  57. Web site: 123rd Austral Wheelrace Carnival . AusCycling . 2022-03-08.
  58. Web site: Austral Wheelrace . AusCycling . 2022-03-08.

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