Jack Fitzgerald (cyclist)

Maurice "Jack" Fitzgerald (10 November 1899 – unknown) was an Australian Track racing cyclist, particularly in sprint and Six-day racing.

Maurice Jack Fitzgerald
Personal information
NicknameJack, Fitzie
Born(1899-11-10)10 November 1899
Iona, Victoria
Height5 ft 8 1⁄2 in (174 cm)
Weight182 lb (83 kg; 13.0 st)
Team information
DisciplineTrack

Career highlights
1922
1st Austral Wheel Race [1]
1923
3rd in Sydney Six Days [2]
1925
2nd in Sydney Six Days [3]
1927
1st in Sydney Six Days [4]
1930
Equalled world record for a quarter mile (standing start) [5]
Claimed world record for a quarter mile (flying start) [6]
1932
3rd in Brisbane Six Days [7]

Professional career

In his first year of racing, 1921 Fitzgerald won the 25 mile road championship of Victoria in 1921 [8] and 1922 [9] although his then bicycle sponsor, Lily Cycles appears to have elevated it to the 25 miles Australasian championship.[10]

The event that shot Fitzgerald to prominence though was the 1922 the Austral Wheel race which Fitzgerald won from scratch.[1] In 1923 he set his best time of 11 4/5 seconds for the final furlong.[11]

Fitzgerald travelled to France in 1924, including racing at the Vélodrome Buffalo and the Parc des Princes. He is reported to have won the Grand Prix d'ete (1000 metres), 1000 Kilometres at Paris with Bob Spears Grand Prix de Monterouge and the Grand Prix d'Etrangers and the last 26 races in which he started.[12]

Fitzgerald was a regular competitor in six day racing. In 1923–24 Fitzgerald, riding with F Wells (NZ), finished 3rd in the Sydney Six Days, at the Sydney Sports Ground.[2] Two years later in 1925–26 he finished 2nd with Dick Marshall in the Sydney Six Days, at the Sydney Sports Ground.[3]. In 1927–28 Fitzgerald won the Sydney Six days with Ken Ross.[4]. In 1932 he finished 3rd in the Brisbane Six Day with Hubert Opperman.[7]

In 1927 Fitzgerald travelled to the United States to compete, [13] riding at Revere Beach, Providence, Hartford, Newark and New York City.[14]

In 1929 Fitzgerald won the National Professional Sprint Championship [15] and the all round championship,[16] with points being scored in races at the Canterbury Velodrome.[17]

Willy Hansen, the world amateur champion and Olympic 1000 meter record holder, and Mat Engel, visited Australia in early 1930. Engel initially defeated Fitzgerald in February 1930 [18] but Fitzgerald triumphed against Hansen and Engel in 3 heats over half a mile.[19]

In 1930 Fitzgerald set an Australian record at the Brisbane Velodrome over a quarter mile, of 28 seconds from a standing start, equalling the then world record held by Victor Johnson.[5] Fitzgerald also set what was claimed as a world record for a quarter mile flying start of 23 seconds.[6] Fitzgerald used a pacing motorcycle to get him up to speed, before riding the quarter mile unpaced. In December 1930 Fitzgerald joined the Massey Bicycle and Sports Depot and was reported to be riding a Superb Bicycle.

By 1932 Fitzgerald appears to have been sponsored by Malvern Star, going on a promotional visit to Townsville with Opperman.[20]

Coaching career

Fitzgerald denied that he ever retired from cycling[21] and continued to compete after World War II, including winning his heat in the 1952 Cartlon Pro wheel race.[22] His continued prominence was, however, as a coach, including cycle coaching by mail.[23] Fitzgerald was the Australian Olympic cycling coach in 1956.[24] Cyclists he was reported to have coached include Russell Mockridge,[25] Lionel Cox,[25] and Neil Percival[26].

Fitzgerald continued to occasionally race, in 1964 he entered the Austral wheel race[21] and in 1968 accepted a challenge from Nino Borsari for an "old gentleman's race".[27]

References
  1. "15,000 People Applaud Fitzgerald's Austral Victory". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne. 22 November 1922. p. 13. Retrieved 8 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "Cycling". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 January 1924. p. 12. Retrieved 8 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "The Six Days Wheel Race". The Referee. Sydney. 6 January 1926. p. 15. Retrieved 8 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Six Days' Cycling Spoiled". The Referee. Sydney. 20 April 1927. p. 19. Retrieved 8 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Sporting". The Telegraph. Brisbane. 24 March 1930. p. 12. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Cycling Notes". The Courier-Mail. Qld. 2 April 1930. p. 7. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Six Days' Race". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 August 1932. p. 13. Retrieved 30 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Cycling". The Argus. Melbourne. 31 October 1921. p. 10. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "25 Miles Championship. of Victoria". The Daily Telegraph. Launceston, Tas. 28 October 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Advertising". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne. 25 October 1922. p. 10. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Talking of Champions". The Referee. Sydney. 16 December 1937. p. 20. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Spencer and Fitzgerald Return". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne. 5 November 1924. p. 8. Retrieved 14 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Cycling". The Referee. Sydney. 11 May 1927. p. 15. Retrieved 8 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "£500 Austral Wheel Race". The Referee. Sydney. 30 November 1927. p. 17. Retrieved 8 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "Cycling Championships". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 February 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. "Consistent Jack Fitzgerald". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne. 1 May 1929. p. 11 Edition: Edition1. Retrieved 8 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "Cycling". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 January 1929. p. 22. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. "Engel defeats Fitzgerald". The Sunday Mail. Brisbane. 9 February 1930. p. 10. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. "Cycling Notes". The Courier-Mail. Qld. 19 March 1930. p. 7. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. "Hubert Opperman Visit to Townsville". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld. 1 September 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. "Comeback at 64". The Age. Melbourne: Google. 23 January 1964. p. 1. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  22. "Wet Track And Wind Beat Patterson". The Argus. Melbourne. 13 February 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. "Advertising". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne. 12 May 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. "Cox Tipped to win two medals". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: Google. 31 July 1956. p. 8. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  25. "English cyclist takes honors". The Argus. Melbourne. 16 March 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. "Heard this one?". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne. 28 July 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. "Nino has a challenger". The Age. Melbourne: Google. 21 December 1968. p. 1. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
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