CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 276, 27 November 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

CYCLING.

The fast times recorded in all the 'cycle events were distinctly one of the features of the meeting-. Everyman was riding for all he was worth, and the pace set by the country' men effectually prevented any loafing1. Hence the good times. H. A. Coates, of Waikato, was exceedingly well treated by the handicappers and made the most of the advantage thus obtained. He is a strong rider, and showed fine sprinting abilities. Dexter rode well, but was called upon to concede very long starts. His win in the two mile was specially meritorious, for he had to ride very hard to catch up with Coates, who had 150 yds start. The sprint home between these two was worth going a long way to see. I consider this performance of Dexter's is one of the best, if not the best, ever done in Auckland.

G. H. Cucksey and J. H. Gunson both showed capital form, and the latter h£d hard luck in not winning a race, as he rode very pluckily and iinished close up to the winner in nearly every event. In the five mile Gunson had the misfortune to ride inside a post, and was disqualified after riding a splendid second to Dacre. Had he not gone inside that post Gunson would have secured the Victor Ludorum, and the valuable gold medal which goes with the cup.

Cucksey is a powerful rider, very strongly built, and showed good staying powers.

Dexter's failure to lower his Domain record for the mile was not, as some thought, due to poor pacing. The truth of the matter was that he was not really in a fit condition to make the attempt, having ridden several very hard races during the afternoon. He had little more than fifteen minutes' breathing space between the five mile and his race 'against time,' and taking these circumstances into consideration his performance must be considered a highly creditable one. The time, 2min 21 l-ssec, is at any rate the best yet accomplished in public on the Domain track, Dexter's record having been established one week-night when few people were present. Dexter's win in the two mile was a splendid effort, and if I am not mistaken his time (smin 9sec) is the best which has yet been cut out on the Domain for the distauce.

The 'Bulletin' says that the South Australian Government is claiming damages from the big company behind Coleman, the trans-continental rider, for his cutting the wires to get help.

Mathieu Cordang, 'the Flying Dutchman,' who covered 616 miles 340 yards in twenty-four hours, on the Crystal Palace track, London, is a sailor by profession. He has been all over the world, and has visited Australia, the Cape, India, and America, to all of which places he took a machine with him on his vo3 rager>, using it whenever he got a chance ashore. He is no new rider, for in 1895 he won a world's championship at Cologne.

C. Jenkins, who carried off the Victor Ludorum, is another young rider of promise. He rode a very good second to Coates in the three-mile, and in the five-mile, in which he finished third, he was close behind the leaders at the finish. Jenkins had the misfortune to fall in the two-mile race, but for which he stood a good chance of gaining a place. In the. mile novice race also, Jenkins finished second from the 60yds mark, after a g-ood race with G. H. Cucksey, the limit man (160 yds) who got home first by barely a wheel.

The entries for this year's Austral Wheel Race are the largest ever received for this great cycling event. In all, 214 riders have entered, an increase of 38 over last year. The New Zealanders entered are A. C. Forbes, F. Hunt, E. Reynolds, and A. J. Body. Bardeii, the Englishman, is on the scratch mark, Avhile Green (England), Walne, and C. B. Kellow, who won the Aiistral last year, each have 30 yards start. Forbes has been put on the 40yds mark, with Porta, 11. Reynolds (Ireland), and others, and Ken Lewis and Payne receive 10yds more. E. Reynolds has been given 90yds, which is 50yds more than Forbes, and 30yds ahead of Hunt. In connection with these handicaps, the Sydney 'Referee' remarks: 'The framers of the Austral handicaps have not much to blow about. New Zealand Reynolds is remarkably well treated on his best form. To be sure, he has not raced against the League cracks, but he is one of the first flight of riders, and I know some shrewd New Zealanders think he will prove at least as good if not better than Ken Lewis. At any rate, 90yds is too much for him,'

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