SPOKES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1352, 27 January 1898, Page 28

SPOKES.

At the last Victorian League of Wheelmen meeting the Brassard match took place between Walne and Green. It will be remembered that the Brassard Cham • pionship had.go.ne to Wain© owing to Megson's disqualification. In the first test, 1 mile, was witnessed one of the finest races seen in Melbourne, Wame getting home by a few inches in 2min 25sec. The Ten Mile Test proved a fiasco, for Green's pacing proved to be week, and caused him to throw up the race. Green declined to race Walne in the Five Mile Test, being indignant at the hooting to which he had been subjected. The stewards asked James Carpenter to take Green's place so that the public might have a race. Carpenter consented to do so, and Walne won with .ease.

At the meeting held in Sydney to raise funds to send an athletic team to England, a bicycle-pedestrian event was got off between Eerr and Macpherson respectively. Both men got off at the sound of the pistol. At 50 yards Macpherson had gained nearly 30 yards on Kerr, and was going so much faster than the cyclist that the officiate cried " Oh, oh 1" Macpherson took this to mean that Kerr had had fallen,- 1 and turned half round to look. As he did so he tripped and fell, with the result that Kerr bounded in a winner by 20 lengths. In order to give the spectators some value for their money the race was run over again. Macpherson again went away with a terrific lead before Kerr could get his machine going. The runner was as 75 yards when Kerr was at 50 yards, but in the last 50 yards the cyclist was travelling at such a rate that he was beaten only by a yard, and if ehe race had been twelve yards longer Kerr would have won by at least three or four yards.

The League of Victorian Wheelmen, in its judicial capacity, has bitten the very dust. Eeduced to a cash capital of 4>500 odd, and with the risk of an unsuccessful race-meeting fearing it in the face, the league cast aside its poor little bit of "frill," and made a desperate effort to resusticate Bilmartin' (says the Bulletin). Bill, in days of yore, was a never-failing attraction, so the league advertised that he would come to the assistance of the recent meeting in the event of his disqualification being removed by the S.A. League. Subsequently a Melbourne petition to that end was despatched to Adelaide ; also, the secretary of fthe L.V.W.' sent a telegram announcing William's readiness to star at the local show show if .the S.A. authorities would relent. Which telegram was a shocking waste of silver, considering that the L.V.W. might just as well have posted an old newspaper with Bill's name lboTuing large in the advertisement, The

trobj&Wed plugger didn't get his disqualification annulled.. Moreover, the Adelaide League dropped some nasty remark* concerning the L.V.W,!a,4nar»e,bLpßlkv- s and as soon as begin to grasp the fall Bigmneacce (k those remarks they denounce governing body of cycling 7 ' as a vain thing. The almightydq%rVtbfe ruling power on the bike tracks. Circumstances, beyond; the control anybody in particular> will alwaya>-prevent man-racing from being bossed to the same degree that horse-racing is made respectable. And heaven knows-the management of the Australian turf doesn't command nil possible respect. V \

The cycling events got o& at the Friendly Societies' sports at Melbourne, recently, are destined to become notable in the history of; sport: because ih the final of the half-mile,-the riding of Barden, the English oi Megson, holder of the BraßSaird badge, and therefore champion tit Victoria,, and of C. B. one of the four fastest riders in Aaslferalia, was held to have been improper, and the three was disqualified for one month. The offence of which the men were accused is by no means an uncommon one, and is technically known as "loafing for pace;" The three were sitting by the back of the field of twelve riders, Bardeh being on scratch and Megson on 10 yards, Darrell on 65 yards got going quickly, and led the field a merry dance, while E. Payne, on 15 yards, rode splendedly, and soon showed that he was bound to get up with the leaders. Megson was slow in getting away, and Barden and Kellow caught him in a few lengths. The three then waited, each hoping that one of the other two would go to the front and make the pace. Megson and Barden would not go out, each declaring that he was not going to do the " donkey work " for the other. Kellow also declined, because, having been ill and ill bed for a couple of days during the week, he did not feel strong enough to pace; Naturally the result was the complete discomfiture of all three, for they lost ground, and, while Payne won with a final sprint, the three cracks at the rear pulled up amidst cries Of "Eub them out." The effect of the disqualification for the month was serious for all three riders. Barden had just struck form, and was in winning veirij as was shown by his form .in the heats and the two miles and half mile handicaps, both of which he won "from scratch. Ho must soon have begun to win good prizes. Megson by the decision forfeits 'the Brassard championship and its salary of five pounds per weekly arid Kellow, like the others, had to stand down in important races which were to he held after the F.S. Meeting; •' \-

Another track has been marked:off at the Basin Reserve for the Natiy ; e»* ;; Association cycling races on Saturday, and riders will be given the choice between the track, used last Saturday an i the new one, which is almost circular in shape. .

Platt-Betts, the English cyclist, at Sydney last week oovered five miles in 9min 30seo, being 13 l-sseo inside his own Australian .record, and also lowered the Australian tenmile record by 41 2-ssec, doing the journey in 19min21sec.