CYCLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9818, 30 August 1897, Page 3

CYCLING NOTES.

" Weekly Press and Referee." [By Vklox.] ■ The basis of amalgamation of the two Now Zealand governing bodies for cycling, as agreed unou by representatives of both bodies, has been published. The constitution will be discussed by the New Zealand Cyclists' Alliance and the League ofN.Z. Wheelmen on September 15th next, when probably it will be approved. There is no doubt that in the fight which has beeu waged since " cash " cycling was introduced, the governing body of that class of sport has fairly worn the amateur governing body down, so to speak. For a very considerable time the N.Z. Cyclists' Alliance has been shown to be a very "weak-kneed" body, not the governing institution of old, carried on by men who were prepared to do their duty ai> all hazards, without fear or favour. Badly handled, the amateur governing body has been fairly brow beaten, I consider, by the opposition. Had the Alliance been composed entirely of men who were prepared to carry out their rules in a fearless manner, they could, when they found that the people wanted " cash " cyclists instead of amateurs, have beaten a dignified retreat. They could have, at all events, said, " Well, we did our duty according to the rules of our organisation ; if we are not wanted we will disband." ■Bub instead thoy have, as a result of their own mismanagement, been compelled to come down from their pedestal by the "cash" men and join the latter in their mode of management. Thus does the once powerful N.Z. Cyclists' Alliance collapse. When "cash" was first introduced into New Zealand, I said it would simply be, as it were, a survival of the fittest, and, as with another organisation, the " capture of the Alliance" has been effected. I hope cycle racing under the new regime, which I presume will come to pass next month, will be clearer and healthier in every way. If so, as a sport, from a sportsman's point of view, it should be a success.

Wβ learnt by cable of the success achieved by Hunt and Forbes, the New Zealand riders, at the New South Wales League's Carnival on August 14th. In the opening beats of the Winter Stakes, half-a-mile, F. G. Simpson (25yds), anuexsd the first heat, with Payne (10yds) second, in lmin 2sec, and Forbes (25yds) won the third heat, with J. Fitzßerald (25yds) second, in lmin 2jjsec. No New Zealandars competed in the next two heats, but F. Hunt (25yds) started in the sixth and he finished second to the English crack, J. Green (scr), the latter winning in lmin 2£sec. In reporting the final heat a Sydney writer says :—The iront rank waited till the back lot got up; then Hunt ran off with Martin, and Payne hanging on. Forbes then took the lead at a very fast pace,' and, though challenged by Payne, he won by a couple of feet, with Martin a close third. Time, lmin 2£sec. After the Two Miles Maiden Handicap, which O. De Lissa won from scratch in smin 26Jsec, the preliminary heats of the Open Handicap, two miles, were got off. In the first heat Hunt (80yds) finished third behind 0. S. Prowse (65yds) and Megson (scr), but Forbes (80yds) won the third heat by half a wheel from F. E. Shaw (150 yds) in 4min 41sec. F. G. Simpson (75yds) started in the next heat, but failed to gain a place. In the final after going half way the field were bunched. At the bell Mcfnnes and A. F. Chapman were leading. The latter went out for a lap sprint, and just lasting long , enough he won by a wheel from Fred Shaw, with Fitzgerald and Forbes next in order. Time, 4min 41£ sec. Hunt and Forbes both started in the Five Mile Scratch Race, in which all the fastest men were engaged. This event was to some extent spoiled, as Hunt and M'lnnes, getting a big break from the field, were never caught, owing to the cracks watching and waiting on one another, and there being no unanimity about pacing lap and lap about. Both O'Brien and Payne made a big effort, but no one would second their endeavour, and so the cracks were out of the hunt at the finish. Both M'lnnes and Hunt, however, deserved their victory, for they worked hard for it. Hunt'ia time was 12min 15|sec, and the prize was £15, Forbes getting £10 for his win in the Half Mile. The Melbourne Bicycle Club having been given to understand by the Victorian League of Wheelmen that they would not sanction the club's nexb Austral meeting unless the grass 1 track on the Melbourne Cricket Ground were improved, the M.C.C. have promised to improve the track (says an exchange). There is no disposition on the part of the cricket club to put down an asphalt or concrete track, but they propose to improve the present grass track by banking the corners. This will take some time and more money to carry through properly. Meanwhile the club intend to temporarily arrange for the next Austral by raising the two dangerous corners, so that they will not slope the wrong way, as at present.

The Brassard scheme of running Victorian championships, recommended by Mr J. X. Wood and adopted by a special committee of the L. V. W., has been approved. Holders of the Brassard will be entitled to £5 a week during the racing eeason. The annual bicycle races between Cambridge and Oxford Universities were held on the Wood Green track, London, on June 29th, when all three events were won by the former, whose representatives also finished second in each race.

Rudolph Lauricks, of the Bay State Wheelmen, was the hero of the race meet held at Charles .River Park, Cambridge, Mass., on June 26th. He essayed to beat the fifty miles American record, unpaced standing start, and was successful in the effort, com?leting the distance in 2hr 23min 25feec. 'he former record was2hr 29rain Ogsec by Barnett. Lauricks broke records from six miles to the finish.

From reports to hand by the last mail neither. Ketr, of Sydney, C. H. Jonea, of New ZeaFand, nor H. Goodson of Rockhampton, appear to be pleasing the English cycling critics. The Cyclist, in speaking of the two former, says :—" Neither of our colonial visitors, C. ■ H. Jones, of New Zealand, nor Kerr, of Australia, appears to be showing anything like winning form—indeed, the form shown by the pair so far must be regarded , as nothing else but disappointing. Jones has an. unbeaten record as a sprinter in his country, and Kerr has come over with an almost equal reputation, but neither appears capable .of holding his own with any of our leading men." At a recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the New South Wales League of Wheelman, the secretary submitted a scheme for the insurance of members. The main proposals were that the members should be insured in bunches of 100 against accident, whether touring or racing, for £100 at death or permanent and total disablement, and 30s per week during temporary total disablement. The annual premium was estimated at £39 10s. On the motion of Mr Kavanagh, it was resolved that the scheme be adopted, and that one-third of the cost be paid by the League, each rider being called to pay ss. The Queensland League wrote, j stating that the well known riders Walne and Belph had appeared at an amateur meeting recently in an attempt to break records. They desired to know v whether this action amounted to a breach of the rules. A discussion followed, iv which the members generally agreed that the action of the men should, providing they were warned by the League not to appear, be punished by disqualification. It was pointed out that Queensland was nob yet in the reciprocity agreement, but the sympathy of the committee was with the League In the sister colony, and a resolution was unanimously adopted, anticipating a written agreement, undertaking to endorse any disqualification imposed by the League of Queensland Wheelmen. The Sydney Carnival was to have been continued on Saturday, but as no word has been received by cable it is probable the New Zealanders failed to win anything. From, the handicap* to h»nd I Dotice that the

starts given to both Hunt and Forbes were reduced to2oyds in the mile, Megson, Martin and Green being at scratch.

The racing board of the New South Wales League met in Sydney on August 16th, and dismissed a protest lodged by Payne against Forbes, the winner of the Winter Stakes. Payne's protest was grounded! on the fact that Forbes etarted in Ins wrong heat, and consequently did not qualify for the final. It was stated in evidence that Forbes's tyre having blown out, tho. officials gave him permission to transfer from the second to the third heat.

On August 11th Hunt took part in a carnival held at Bathurst, and with 30yds start he won the Mile and a Half Handicap in 3min 51§sec, and with 10yds he won the Mile Farewell Handicap in 2min 38gsec. besides finishing second from the 30yds mark to Moadham (scr) in the Two Mile Wheel Race, the winner's time being smin 19Jseo.

Wally Kerr had a severe fall in the country in England in July. At that time he was riding very well. Later Sydney papers say :—Mail advice, dated July Qtb, is to the effect that Wally Kerr was most unfortunate. He had his second fall within three weeks ot the Champion meeting. He had gone to Brighton to recover from the first accident, ana had only returned to the track when someone cut across when he was following a quad, and he was thrown with such force that it was thought he was permanently injured. No bones were broken, but the machine was badly damaged. It was most unlucky, aa Kerr (according to Parsons and others) waa showing form good enough to win the Championship.

The first notable event decided on the second day of the Brisbane Carnival on August 7th was the Mile Invitation Scratch Race, which was specially added to the programme in consequence) of Park, New and other visitors falling when racing in toe Australasian Mile Championship the previous week. The starters were : Park (Victoria), New, Bell and Forster (Sydney), Beal (Rockhamton), J. A. Smith (winner of the Mile Championship), and Dodwell, 0. Swensson, McCaskie, and McCarrol (all of Brisbane). A good start was effected, save that Parkand Smith gotaway last. These two spurted up to the leaders, and the field raced in a bunch for two laps, Park, Smith, and New watching each other closely. At the bell Park rode round on the ou teide, and quickly assumed the lead, Bell and New following closely. Smith, who had momentarily lost ground, sprinted after the leaders, but Park held hia own in the straight, and won by ten yards in the slow time of 2min 49sec. Smith beat New in the straight, and Bell was fourth. Park's legs and arms were disfigured with large scars from the wounds sustained on the previous Saturday. The Ten Miles Australasian Amateur Championship was won by Park (Victoria), with New (Sydney) second, and Frank Smith (Brisbane) third. The other starters were: Bell (Sydney), J. A. Smith, P. Dowd, and W. Dowd. For nearly nine miles the Dowd brothers alternately led, Bell lying third, the others in a line. Four laps from the finish J. A. Smith fell. Park and P. Do\vd waited, and paced Smith up to the others. No change took place until the last lap, when all sprinted. Park got in front in the straight, and won by a yard from New, who was a yard ahead of Frank Smith. W. A. Smith was fourth, and Bell fifth. Time, 27min 48£seo.