| Cycling: Victoria, Australia |
|---|
| Organisations |
| Bicycle Victoria |
| Melbourne Critical Mass |
| Events |
| Around the Bay in a Day |
| Austral Wheel Race |
| Amy's Ride |
| Great Victorian Bike Ride |
| Great Ocean & Otway Classic Ride |
| Herald Sun Tour |
| Hell Ride |
| High Country Cycle Challenge |
| Melbourne Autumn Day |
| Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic |
| Melbourne Summer Cycle |
| Oppy Family Fun Ride |
| Rotary River Ride |
| Shepparton Fruit Loop Ride |
| Austral Wheel Race | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Established | 1887 |
| Held | February |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Victoria |
| Type | Handicap race over 2000 m |
| Data | |
| Editions | 110 |
| First Winner | H. Lambton, AUS |
| Most Recent | Luke Ockerby, AUS |
| Most Wins | Stephen Pate, AUS, (4) |
The Austral Wheel Race is the oldest track bicycle race in the world still existing, stretching back to 1887. 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 Vodafone 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 220 yards (200 m) 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, "Plugger" Bill Martin, won from scratch, to allegations of fixing by John Wren. According to The Age in 1903n 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."[2]
In February 2005 Ben Kersten won from scratch in a time of 2min 06.10 sec, an average of 57.09 km/h.
Prize money has varied, following the fashion for cycling, from a grand piano to monetary prizes of 240 sovereigns in 1898, 1,050 in 1902, to a low of $1500 during the 1970s, increasing to $5,000 in 1982, and now exceeding $18,000 since 2000.
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 10m, in 1993 from 20m and 1999 from scratch.
In 2000, Neiwand was handicapped on 70m for the millennium edition and won comfortably.
| Austral Wheel Race Winners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Winner | Handicap |
| 1887 | H. Lambton | 210 yd (190 m) |
| 1888 | Dick Davis | Scr |
| 1889 | J. Mullins | 140 yd (130 m) |
| 1890 | Tom Busst | Scr. |
| 1891 | Arthur Turner | 240 yd (220 m) |
| 1892 | H. Lambton | 200 yd (180 m) |
| 1893 | Gordon Woodward | 270 yd (250 m) |
| 1894 | Alf Middleton | 180 yd (160 m) |
| 1895 | A. Crisp | 250 yd (230 m) |
| 1896 | Charles Kellow | 15 yd (14 m) |
| 1897 | Jim Carpenter | 85 yd (78 m) |
| 1898 | Tom Finnigan | 220 yd (200 m) |
| 1899 | Frank Beauchamp | 150 yd (140 m) |
| 1900 | Charles Forbes | 30 yd (27 m) |
| 1901 | Bill Martin | Scr |
| 1902 | Murray Auger | 240 yd (220 m) |
| 1903 | Fred Scheps | 160 yd (150 m) |
| 1904 | Jack Clarke | 150 yd (140 m) |
| 1905 | J. Sandberg | 170 yd (160 m) |
| 1906 | Harry Thomas | 20 yd (18 m) |
| 1907 | A.C. Colvin | 60 yd (55 m) |
| 1908 | M. McPherson | 150 yd (140 m) |
| 1909 | A. H. Piano | 40 yd (37 m) |
| 1910 | Frank Corry | 140 yd (130 m) |
| 1912 | W. Priestly | 60 yd (55 m) |
| 1913 | P.B. Henry | 60 yd (55 m) |
| 1920 | Ern. Tamme | 50 yd (46 m) |
| 1921 | Lou Clifford | 120 yd (110 m) |
| 1922 | Jack Fitzgerald | Scr |
| 1923 | Dick Ford | 120 yd (110 m) |
| 1923 | Pidge Davis | 200 yd (180 m) |
| 1925 | Frank Corry | 140 yd (130 m) |
| 1925 | Eric Giboud | 60 yd (55 m) |
| 1927 | Bowie Stevens | 70 yd (64 m) |
| 1927 | Cecil Hannerman | 160 yd (150 m) |
| 1927 | Cecil Manners | 245 yd (224 m) |
| 1929 | H. "Fatty" Lamb | 30 yd (27 m) |
| 1936 | Keith Thurgood | 100 yd (91 m) |
| 1936 | Harry Webb | 70 yd (64 m) |
| 1937 | Jack Gardiner | 205 yd (187 m) |
| 1938 | Jack Middleton | 120 yd (110 m) |
| 1939 | Clinton Beasley | 90 yd (82 m) |
| 1940 | Norm Stevens | 20 yd (18 m) |
| 1941 | Ken Stewart | 60 yd (55 m) |
| 1942 | Mick Bradley | 160 yd (150 m) |
| 1944 | Norm Munro | 90 yd (82 m) |
| 1944 | Tas. Johnson | 30 yd (27 m) |
| 1945 | Tom Shillito | 160 yd (150 m) |
| 1946 | Pat Devine | 120 yd (110 m) |
| 1947 | George Bull | 130 yd (120 m) |
| 1948 | Bill Kirkham | 120 yd (110 m) |
| 1950 | Byron Bonney | 120 yd (110 m) |
| 1951 | Kevin Marion | 105 yd (96 m) |
| 1952 | Doug Jennings | 120 yd (110 m) |
| 1953 | Tom Fitzgerald | 140 yd (130 m) |
| 1954 | Alan Geddes | 130 yd (120 m) |
| 1955 | Ron Murray | 100 yd (91 m) |
| 1956 | Don Meharg | 130 yd (120 m) |
| 1957 | John Robertson | 100 yd (91 m) |
| 1958 | Neil Geraghty | 100 yd (91 m) |
| 1959 | Vin Beasley | 100 yd (91 m) |
| 1960 | David Good | 100 yd (91 m) |
| 1961 | Fred Roche | 40 yd (37 m) |
| 1962 | Sid Patterson | Scr.[3] |
| 1963 | Fred Hellyer | 110 yd (100 m) |
| 1964 | Sid Patterson | Scr. |
| 1965 | Kenton Smith | 135 yd (123 m) |
| 1966 | Bill Dove | 150 yd (140 m) |
| 1967 | Vic Browne | 65 yd (59 m) |
| 1968 | Merv. Andrea | 230 yd (210 m) |
| 1969 | Charlie Walsh | 50 yd (46 m) |
| 1970 | Bill Stevens | 35 yd (32 m) |
| 1971 | Frank Daly | 135 yd (123 m) |
| 1972 | Geoff Edmonds | 20 yd (18 m) |
| 1973 | Gordon Johnson | Scr. |
| 1974 | Ivan Collings | 90 yd (82 m) |
| 1975 | Craig Price | 130 yd (120 m)[1] |
| 1976 | David Allan | 70 yd (64 m) |
| 1977 | Danny Clark | Scr. |
| 1978 | David Sanders | 50 m |
| 1979 | Laurie Venn | Scr. |
| 1980 | Daryl Benson | 90 m |
| 1981 | Laurie Venn | Scr. |
| 1982 | Steele Bishop | Scr. |
| 1983 | Phil. Sawyer | Scr. |
| 1984 | Terry Schintler | 80 m |
| 1985 | Allan Rackstraw | 80 m |
| 1986 | Danny Clark | Scr. |
| 1987 | Simon King | 110 m |
| 1988 | Stephen Pate | Scr. |
| 1989 | Grant Reynolds | 150 m |
| 1990 | Danny Clark | Scr. |
| 1991 | Stephen Pate | Minus 10 m |
| 1992 | Bert Glennon | 120 m |
| 1993 | Stephen Pate | Minus 20 m |
| 1994 | Ashley Harding | 140 m |
| 1995 | Tony Hughes | 80 m |
| 1996 | Troy Clarke | 45 m |
| 1997 | Matthew Atkins | 100 m |
| 1998 | Shane Hodskiss | 75 m |
| 1999 | Stephen Pate | Scr. |
| 2000 | Gary Neiwand | 70 m |
| 2001 | Mark French | 80 m |
| 2002 | Darren Young | |
| 2003 | Darren Young | |
| 2004 | Zak Dempster | |
| 2005 | Ben Kersten | Scr.[4] |
| 2006 | Dean Taylor | 130 m |
| 2007 | Joel Stewart | 110m[5] |
| 2008 | Jackson-Leigh Rathbone | 40 m[6] |
| 2009 | Ben Sanders | 80m [7] |
| 2011 | Luke Ockerby | 40m [8] |