TOUR DE FRANCE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 147, 23 June 1928, Page 10

TOUR DE FRANCE

SEVERE CYCLING TEST DOMINION COMPETITOR MONTH'S HAED RIDING (By, "Sprinter.") New Zealand representation on the iield of sport-is'at present spread over niiuiy lands, and by no means the least important of events for which Dominion sportsmen have gone abroad is tho Tour do France, tho world's greatest road cycling race. Tho interest in this event is. so great in France that it has conic' to bo'regarded as a big national occasion, and during tho whole month from start to finish of the race tho enthusiasm is tremendous, so great at tho finishing points of tho various stages that holidays are declared.^ The race of twenty-two stages and covering 3335--miles is by far the most severe cycling test in tho world. Country of every deascription is traversed, the most diffi cult being in the Pyrenees, where the cyclists arc required to make climbs up to 7000 feet. The field—this year totalling 169—is limited to specially selected riders, and it.is regarded as a great honour to gain selection as a competitor. Those 'who have been thus honoured include U. Watson,.the New Zealand cyclist, who ivas chosen with three Australians (IT. ©pperman, E. > Bainbridge, and P. Osbornc) to form un Australia-New Zealand team for the big event. The race provides for team as well as individual competition. THE N^EW ZEALANDER. Harry Watson, of Canterbury, gained his place as • a team mate with the Australians through his exceptionally fine performance in the Grand Prix in Victoria last year—the greatest and longest cycling road race in the British Empire, over a distance- of G9O-J miles. This raco was won by.. 11. Opperman, considered to be the best cyclist ever produced in Australia, and Watson filled second place, with Bainbridgc and Osbornc third and fourth. The performances were regarded as< so- impressive that- steps were taken to send the four leading riders to compete in the Tour do France, an infinitely harder proposition but one.for which Opperman, Watson, and. company were considered to, bo .well'fitted. At the same time it was realised by some acquainted with the tremendous difficulties' to bo faced by first-year competitors in the Tour do Franco and strangers to the country and conditions that it was too much to expect that any member of the ■ Australia-New Zealand team would win. The cyclists selected, however, could be depended upon to uphold tho prestige of .- the countries they represent. In the Timaru to Christchureh raco last year, H. Watson put up ' fastest time, and ho also made the same achievement in the Bonnd-thc-Mountain raco in Taranaki in'l926. -He has been prominent in New Zealand cycling for a number of years, having made excellent progress under the coaching of Phil O'Shoa. Following his big performance in the South Island last year ho was sent to Australia, where, as previously stated, he finished second in the Grand Prix. , . ■ SPIRIT OF DETERMINATION. The Tour do France commenced at, the beginning of JJiis'week, and brief cabled details of progress over the early stages, show that tho Australia-New Zealand team was doing remarkably well in the face of severe handicaps. In the. first place it is ,a tremendous disadvantage to have had no previous experience of tho Tour do -Franco, and then there are the difficulties of being unfamiliar with various details of the race, and with road-signs, controls, tires, etc. Through theso handicaps, tho cables, have stated, the competitors from Australia and New. Zealand have been persistently losing time. Even so, they appear to ;be maintaining good team work, a matter which counts for a great deal in "this great endurance test. That, however, brings to mind another handicap—the numerical strength of the team. Other teams are of greater strength, and, moreover, their members are well acquainted with the country. All tho competitors mentioned so far in the cables, with tho exception of the members of tho Ausl tralia-New Zealand team, were among last year's starters, and ,most were.prominent during the time that they wore in the race,. The present loader, Frantz, was the winner last year. Most of these riders who are showing up prominently in this year's race have had more than one . previous start .in the Tour de France, so that1 they have a big-* "pull on Opperman, Watson, and company. In the light of these things Opperman was doing exceptionally well to be in twenty-second position at tho end of tho second stage, with Wat-, son and, Osborne not far behind in aggregate time. Watson and/Opperman showed up to better advantage over the third stage, and the hope is that they will continue to improve. The Australians and the Now Zealander are determined, to finish as a team, and despite tho big handicaps with which they are faced they have started' off in great heart. In a message dispatched before the start of the race they said::—""We will bo -meeting the pick of the world, and' will be up against the picked teams of Europe. We realise the stupendous task that is, ahead of us, but we are determined to strive every inch of the 3338 miles' journey." To those who had given them the opportunity to prove their worth, the cyclists stated that they owed a deep debt of gratitude. /'You can depend that, if it'is humanly possible, wo will' all finish, and thus uphold the prcstigo of our native land," they added. . . THE EARLY STAGES. The first stage of the race was from Paris to Caen, a distance of just on 129 miles. At the start last year there was a tremendous crowd, and the competitors were given a great send-off. The scenes of enthusiasm would be equally as great on this occasion. At the finish of the first stage.Opperman was nineteenth, with Osborne and Watson not

far behind. - The times, however, are more important than the places, as for each of the first eight stages the competitors start, off at „ intervals. .The second stage was from Caen to Cherbourg, a distance of about 90 miles, and here again the Australians and New Zealander were prominent, Opporman being only 12 minutes behind the winner, with Watson and, Osborne close at hand, and Bainbridge a little further back. Tho best time for the next stage, from Cherbourg to Dinan (almost 124 miles), was 6hrs 47min.58sec, and again Opperman was only 1& minutes" behind the winner, who was not among the leaders, over the previous stage. Watson was on terms with Opperman, and of the other two members of the team Bainbridgc did best. ■ Other stages of the race this week were as follows:—Dinan to Brest (about 127-i miles); Brest to Vannes (nearly 127 miles); Vannes to Les.'Sables (129 miles); and Les Sables to Bordeaux (177 miles). Tho last-mentioned stage is being covered to-day. To-morrow the riders go on from Bordeaux to Bayonne (about 117} miles), and at the latter place they have their first-day's rest —on Monday. HEAVY GOING. In each of the six sections of tha race, starting from Tuesday .next, the competitors will start from scratch instead of at intervals, so that the finishing order in these stages will count for ,i great deal.. In each of these stages from scratch the distance is over 200 miles, and much of the going is severe, particularly over the Pyrenees; where there are many stiff climbs. So severe is this period of .the tour that the competitors are given a day's rest between each stage until the Bth July, when they resume daily stages, starting off at intervals. ' For the final stage of 205' miles, which takes them to {he finishing' post in Paris, the competitors—-those who have survived the ordeal —all start off from scratch at 3 ami. It is worthy of note that in some of the other stages tho riders arc required to start in darkness. In one case they leave at midnight, for three stages they are required to commence at 2 a.m., and for two stages at 4 a.m. . . , „ Tho stages, after the first rest at Bayonne on Monday, are as — 20th June.—Bayonno to Luchon, 225J miles. 2Sth June.—Luchon to Perpignan, about 201 miles. 30th June.—Perpignan to Marseilles, about 224 miles. '" 2nd July.—Marseilles to, Nice, about. 204 miles. ' 4th July.—Nice to Genoble, 207 miles. 6th July.—Grenoble to Evian, 215 miles. . ' Sth July.^Evian to Pontarlicr, 132-J miles. ' 9lh July.—Pontarlier to Belfort, 7-1 miles. 10th July.—Belfort to Strasbourg, 90 miles. • '■ 11th July.—Strasbourg to Metz, 115 miles. 12th July.—Metz to Charleville, 80* miles. ' ' ' 'I3t.h July.—Charlcville to Dunkcrquc, IGB miles. 14th July.—Dunkerquc to Dieppe, 1554 miles. 15th July.—Dieppe to Paris, 205 miles. "... .The event naturally requires tremendous organisation, and the power behind it- all is M. Henri Desgrange, onetime cycle champion of France, and widely known as a sportsman and organiser. It was in 1903 that he organised the Tour do France, and from a comparatively small beginning he has seen it grow to a huge undertaking. Originally the raco was decided over 1508 miles in six stages. It is now of 3338 miles in 22 stages. Except in the first race, no competitor has won the event when taking part ■in it for the first time. ' Tho task in front'of the Australians and the Now Zealander is tremendous, and if they are well up at the finish they will be registering a remarkable achievement.