CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 5, 7 January 1899, Page 4 (Supplement)

CYCLING.

At the Caledonian sports on Monday last the first race held here for amateurs under the League definition (who may be professionals in any other branch of sport) was run. Seven started, and the winner turned up in F. H. Wilkinson. 'Teddie' Reynolds turned out at the same meeting for the first time in Auckland for some months. He won the two mile event, but was unseed in the others. The Melbourne Bicycle Club, which holds the Austral meeting, cleared £1500 out of the gathering after paying, expenses, including L. B. Scharp's solatium of £300. The club has about £5000 to its credit, and is financially and numerically the strongest club in the colonies. The world's cycle championships for 1899 have been alloted to Canada, and will be entrusted to the Canadian Wheelman's Association, and the meeting will be held at Montreal. This city possesses one of the finest cycle tracks in the world, and will be the best track on which the world's championships will be run. It was finished on June. 1 last at a cost of £6000. including grandstand and training quarters. During the Chris! mas and New Year holidays in Australia the vast sum of £2000"was competed for. It is probable that an American team of pace followers will visit England during-tlie coming season, so that the American flyers will be matched with the English cracks. Platt-Betts.. who was so badly injured some time ago, is now almost well again. He is in hopes oi) start ing training next month- and of racing next season. He will not follow pace, but will confine his attention to shortdistance scratch. racing. A. J. Body, the Canterbury cyclist, left England three weeks ago for Australia. His trip has not been a success from a cyclist's point of view. The Austral Wheel Lace dispute between L. B. Scharpe, the Austral ■favourite, who was not allowed to start in his heat of the big event, and the Melbourne Bicycle Club has been settled by the club 'backing down' and paying Scharpe a large amount in settlement of his claims. The facts of the dispute are now well known, and need not be. recapitulated, suffice to say that tlie Melbourne Club took the high-handed action of altering the heats,as framed by the League's handicappers, and then because -Scharpe fought against the alteration the committee instructed the referee hot to allow Scharpe to start- at all, and as a recompense offered him his entrance and acceptance. -.-■ The outcry from the daily press over the scandalous treatment meted out to Scharpe has been terminated by the Melbourne Club paying Scharpe heavy compensation, the actual amount being withheld from the public, although in well informed circles the amount is stated to'be £300; Whilst this solatium has' settled the matter as far as Scharpe is concerned, there are yet other issues to be decided. Firstly, it remains to be seen whether 1 the League will pass the matter over without making the strictest, investigation. Then there is a likelihood of several of Schurpe's supporters ' suing the club for the amount of money laid out in backing Scharpe. And lastly, further investigation into ' the Austral consultation may be expected, which many are of opinion was at the bottom of the whole trouble. W. Martin, the American racing • cyclist, who created a sensation during his sojourn in the colonies in more 1 ways than one, has now sailed for ' England after a successful racing- sea- • son in the States, his record being • fourteen firsts, seven seconds and ■. eights thirds, besides several matches. Martin's intention is to stay in London for a few weeks and then to start on an extended racing trip through South Africa and South' America, where he expects to have a successful time on his Dunlop wheel.., Entries-for the great A.N.A, Wheel '■ race, to be held in connection with • the. Australian Natives' Gala ..at the L Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on • January 26th, closed on Saturday, the 10th inst., and are very gratifying to the promoters of Australia's richest ' -wheel race, the prize money of. which amounts to £440_' Other events to be '■ decided at tlie same meeting are the A.N.A. Gold Stakes, worth £140, the ' biggest scratch event of the year, two teams races worth £75 each, and several minor handicap races, the total prize money being oyer £900. : The souvenir containing .- photographs of the Austral Wheel Race winners since '93,. issued by the Dunlop Tyre. Co.. is being- rushed by evcling enthusiasts. : Some 25.000 were distributed on Saturday, the 10th inst.. at the Melbourne Cricket srround, nnd were greatly admired by the fortunate possessors as an artistic memento of Australia's _rrent wheel race. A letter to any of the Dunlop Co.'s depots will bring a copy in return gratis. L