CYCLING NOTES

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10265, 7 February 1899, Page 3

CYCLING NOTES

"Weekly Press and Refare*."

[By Ye-ox.]

If it were not for the number of falls, tho first day of the League of Victorian Wheelmen's Cup meeting, begun on Saturday, January 14th, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, would have been an unqualified success (says an exchango). Eight thousand spectators attended. The first of a painful succession of accidents happened in the fourth heat of the League Cup. A. .7. Beny skidded and fell, bringing down McDonald, F. S. Beauchamp, Wallace, and Bowen. Beauchamp, who was carrisd off by the ambulance, was found to be badly shaken and cut. The others escaped with braises. In the fourteenth event W. E. Clinton fell, hurting his log and arm. In the seventh lap of the 10-mileevent F. Hunt fell, bringing down C. F. Miller and L. Barker. Hunt, tbe New Zealander was carried in unconscious, and was found to have an ugly gash along the back of his head, caused by a blow from a pedal. The wound was stitched up. In the final lap of the 10-mile five riders came down while sprinting. These were R. Lewis. L. M. Jackson, Corbett, Taylor, and Morgan. Jackson, Lewis, and Corbett were able to limp back to the dressing-room, but G. R. Morgan and W. B. Taylor had to be assisted. Taylor had a gash over the right eye and temple,, and a slight concussion of the brain. The racing results were:—L.V.W. Cup, two miles, £50, £25, £10—First semi-final, J. Ester 1,1). J. Walker 2, J. G. Scott 3, J. C. Fitzgerald 4, W. C. McLonghlin 5, P. G. Iredale 6. Time, 4min 55 3-ssc. Second semi-final, S. E. Gordon 1, J. T. Scott 2, G. Bvfield 3, P. J. Treffene 4. A. A. Rowland 5, A. W. Bernadou 6. Time, 4min 44 3-5 sec. The final was to have been decided on the following SaMirdav. International Scratch Mile, £10, £5, £2-Final, F. Walne 1, W. C. Jackson 2 W. L. Park 3. Half a lap from home Jackson took the lead, but. Walne, with Park hanging on, came with a rush, and won by a few inches. Time, 2mm 23 4-5 sec. Ten Mile International Scratch, £15, £7, £2—VV. C. Jackson 1, A. B. Crisp 2, A. C. Forbes 3. There were twenty-six slarters, but only four finished. The fourth man was J. Carpenter, who really finished third, but was forced by an accident to pa=s a post on the inside. Time, 25nvn 24 3-5 sec. Obstacle Race, two miles, £10, £5, £2—T. S. King 1, J. W. Chenoweth 2, C. Greenwood 3.

R. Palmer, the most successful Englishman following pace during the past season at the Crystal Palace track, has recently entered the bonds of matrimony, and tho track will know him no more. His earnings as a record breaker are said to have been enormous, and he was second only to Cordang as a paced rider.

The track at Woodgreen (England) has been going down in public estimation slowly but surely during the past two years, and it has just about reached absolute low water. The surface of the track, which is banked, has been let for advertising purposes, and as he sprints gayly round the track the festive cyclist can read that "Snooks' embrocation is the best for cuts and bruises." Very comforting.

It is reported in the English cycle papers that Charley Barden lias given up racing, and will shortly open up as a refreshment bar-keeper. Barden visited Australia last season, and met with anything but success, and although he competed with success after his return to Engla-nd he has never shown the quality that he did some two years since. Barren was ( always known as possessing a wonderful jump with which he won many races.

Lesna, the French crack, with two petroleum tandems, is expected to arrive in Australia this month. He intends going for paced records, and will compete in paced matches, and if unsuccessful in securing this end he will devote his time to handicap racing. ,Lesna visited Australia in 1897 and at that time Drake all Australian records up to the hour on Dunlop tyres.

Mr A.- Shaw made his debut before a Melbourne audience on Saturday, January 14th, as a bicycle trick rider (says a Melbourne writer)/ Ho fairly astonished the onlookers by the skilful manner in wliich he performed. He used an ordinarysafety bicycle. In one of his feats he rides two bicycles, propelling them both at the same time by placing a foot through each frame on to the outside pedals. Another act sees him lying on the saddle on his stomach, with arms stretched out in front of his head, while the machine skims along the turf, looking as though it were bearing away i torpedo.- He goes through an inconceivable number of tricks in a most graceful manner, and it seems quite possible he could surpass the old champion, A. S. Maltby.

Mr W. J. Cochrane, "in returning thank? after the Westral (Coolgardie) cycling meeting, announced' that the committee had cleared about £311 * over the day's sport, after paying away £200 , in. prizes. The expense amounted to about £270. They hoped to give £300 in-prizes next year. The grand stand would in all probaoumy be considerably added to. The World's Championship Meet committee for Montreal (Canada) this year are already hard at work getting into line for the big event of 1899. The League of American Wheelmen championships will, in all probability, be held immediately following the World's championships, so that a good time is to be expected. Montreal city will give a good grant for entertaining visitors, and they propose securing some of the very fastest men from England that can be obtained, and to get plenty of pacing machines from France. The Queen's Park track, where the races will be held, is well lighted for night races, and it is proposed to put on special attractions for each night. The hotels and railroads are all taking the matter up enthusiastically. <• A. J. Body, the New Zealand cyclist, arrived at Albany by the R.M.S. Oroya on January 13th, and he will probably remain in Melbourne for a time. So far.we have not heard whether the torpedo, which he invented and took to England to place before the authorities there, was a success or not. Paul Bourillon, the undisputed French crack, is the only cycle racer who for the past two years has stood head and shoulders above his fellow competitors* at his particular game, and who can be relied on to win in any class of company and on any track. During the season '97-'9B he has won the following classic events: —Prix de Geneva, Prix de Bruxelles, Prix d'Anvers, Prix de Turin (strangers), Prix de Cologne, the Championship of France, Prix de Zurich ,Prix de Berlin, Prix de Rouboix, Prix de Calais-le-Derby Autrichien, and fifty other national matches and races, including the blue riband of the sprint path, the Grand Prix of Paris. Bourillon attributes his many successes (says "The Cyclist") to his strict attention to one thing ,and one thing only, that is, instead of competing in races ac many distances, he confines his sole attention to sprint racing. He is a believer in English trainers, and, although not too particular in the way of diet and hours, he very rarely misses his daily spin on the track, going through a course of massage before and after riding. During the~season of 1898 he took part in 63 races, and won 62, being second in the other one. In December Bill Martin was at the Cape, where he met Van Heerden, the local champion. In a mile race Martin won, sit-

ting up in 2min 22sec. In tho five miles pursuit race the South African's crank worked loose, and Martin won us he liked, thus getting his 75 per cent, of the gate money. In the 10 miles Martin (who said it was accidental and apologised) fouled Van Heerden in the last lap, and the race wasgiven against him. The Sydney "Bulletin" points out the following strange coincidence:—A. A. Middleton fell in the 25-mile race at the late Austral meeting and dislocated his collar-bone from the scapula, a most uncommon form of dislocation of that particular bone. A. Middleton. somo time lxick, came to grief in the 25-mile road championship and dislocated his collar-bone in exactly the same fashion. Two brothers, two 25-milo races, two collarbones dislocated, and both in the same unusual fashion. T. J. Finnegan. who covered himself with glory by winning th© Austral, nearly passed in his cheeks at the baths at St. Kilda (Melbourne) recently. Ho dived into the trough of a wave from the spring ooard. and struck his head on the bottom so heavily that ha knocked four teeth out and otherwise injured himself. Concussion of the brain or fractured skull would have hampered him in tho enjoyment of his win. He nas recovered and is again riding well. No less than 1134 entries were received for tho seven events which were to be decided at tiie Australian Native Association's Sports in Melbourne, • the A.N.A. Wheel Race, for prizes amounting to £400. leading the way with 251 entries. The first two days of the gathering were held on Thursday and Saturday last, and the meeting comes to a close next Saturday. The camera is an excellent check upon the decisions of the judges at cycling carnivals. In tho final of tiie International Mile run at the L.V.W.'s meeting on the Melbourne Cricket Ground a slight demonstration of dissatisfaction was made by grand stand patrons in line with the winning mark when the judges placed the men Walne 1. W. C. Jackson 2, Park 3. The Press representatives in the arena were located at such an awkward angle to the winning mark (says the "Age) that it was an absolute impossibility for them to form an opinion as to the positions of placed men in the case of close finishes. When consulted specially with reference to the result of the mile, the judges stated that Walne's machine crossed the line inches ahead of W- C. Jackson's. As a fact, Walne finished the width of tho chalk line at least behind Jackson. This is proved by an instantaneous photo, of the finish taken by the "Leader" photographer, which clearly shows the position of tho first and second men to have been wrongly suited by tho judges, and those who gave vent to their feelings on Saturday when the numbers went up have tiie satisfaction of knowing absolutely that they were right in shouting "Jackson," not "Walne."