WHEELING

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4824, 29 November 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

WHEELING

(By "Austral/') Tho twenty-seventh annual gather!? of tho Wairarapa OaieUomaau Society will bo held ou the Masterton Park Oval on New Year's Day. A programme of nearly forty events includes iho following cycle fixtures which will bo run under the New Zealand League cf Wheelmen's rules:—One mile maiden, prizes <£3 and AT; ono mile handicap, prizes .-£4 and .£1 10s; three mile handicap, prizes A 5 and A2; two mile handicap, prizes and Xi 10s, A unique event will be a ladies',, half mile bicycle race for prizes of X2 and <£l. but unless there are three competitors there will be no race. Entries close on 17th December with the secretary, Thos. Duncan, The ninth annual CheltenhamKiwitoa sports are announced for New Year’s Day. A long and varied programme inchides the following cycling events: —One mile maiden, prizes 30s and 10s; three mile handicap, prizes A 3

and £1; one and a-haif mile district hamlicau, prizes £2 ami 10s; ladies’ ,1,,..;. gold bracelet; live mile bracelet. live mile handicap, prize championship, prizes -07. £2 and £T with £3 3s Kill prizes; on* and a quarter mile consolation handicap, prizes £1 UI3 and Its. .Nominations close with J Santhev Fowler, hen. sec., 23rd December; handicaps will be declared on 27th Dccenib; r.

Saturday night last was Die time appointed tor the closing of entries for Die Wellington Cycling Club's billclimbing competition, from Kaiwarra to t.T oltoin The only nominations received were:—Le Sour, ,\V. i onug, J. Williamson, G. Hutchings, and .1. J. Mnrphv. The event will bo postponed to a i'ew weeks later than tith December, 1 tlio original date fixed. The weather has bee:* so unfavourable during the past few months that it has been almost impossible for riders to pet into northing l ; ke form to compete in such a Dying test ns a bill climb. Our Australian brethern would be somewhat astonished to see overcoats and winter clothing being worn in November os is tho case in Wellington. The elements have had much of their own way, and wheelmen are waiting impatiently for their innings.

'ike V* eiiiiigion Cycling Club’s new plum* now iUturna tfie ruauing room, uml is an mvaluauie acquisition to tnc club. On buiuruuy mgui a concert ot quae an impromptu nuture brougnt to 1 L'yciiug events were lionJ al ili-nark m connection with Uie Tasmanian Amateur .uiiletic Association s spurts. There* was not a large attendanev* of the public. A lour lap novice race went to C. StanduJofh E. ivuif, bcinq second, and T. Kedberg third. There were omy four siaiLexo lor ihe one mile championship. A tier riding a waiting race till the last couple of laps T. S. Aing, willi a weli-timeu spurr, secured first place, with E. ileadowcroit second and Tinker third, T. »S. King also accounted for a two laps event and the five mile championship, E. Meadow croft and E. iiedberg finishing seconu ami third in the latter event. Mr George Broadbent, handicapper of the great Austral Wheel Face, commencing m the ‘'Australasian/' says:—"On performances Don Walker premises to be on top this season, his series of brilliant wins at Sydney proclaiming him tlio llcelest sprinter in Australia. Naturally, these successes, together with a liberal start for him in the Austral, have made him a warm favourite for the groat event. He is on the 30 yards this year, as against 40 vards last year, and 50 yards in 1900, and - although irresistible in scratph races, and in gnod. experienced company,'he rarely shapes well in an open two" mile event. As a matter of fact, the events of this description in which ho competed last season, could be counted on the fingers of one hand. That ho will ride well in the Austral Wheel Dace is to be expected; but as to the way he will finish depends greatly on how the race is run, and the class of riders .among whom he finds himself. His victory, however, -would bo most popular/' Walker, after his phenomenal riding in Sydney, was penalised to 25 yards behind scratch on the last day of the Sydney meeting. He decided to stand down from the handicap events. The heats of the Austral will he decided on Glli December, and the final on the 13th December. An enormous amount of public interest is already evinced in. Melbourne in reference to the prospects of the various competitors.. F. Schcps, the South Australian rider who put up a brilliant performance by winning the Sydney Wheel Race in world’s record time lately, has boon disqualified until Ist January for alleged foul riding at Sydney. If this penalty is confirmed. Schcps, whose chances in the Austral appeared favourable, will he ds* barred from starting. New Zealanders M. Band nip ami C. Burton, who finished second and tlura respectively in the Linton Plato (ten mile scratcnj, at Sydney, broke away from the field with Pye, the winner, and Mutton, who fell in - the finishing straight..- Sandberg (Victoria), A. A, Middleton (Victoria), and E. Murphy (Vctona) were each suspended till 28th November lor deliberately slowing the field, thus enabling all the four riders named to get away. The race was finished in heavy rain. A recent cable announced that "Major" Taylor, the negro champion of the Unified States of America, will visit Australia during the present season. Taylor is about the fastest sprinter in tho world at present. He is coming out under contract to ride in only twelve races for wnicii ho will be.paid .£ISOO. Should. Taylor visit .New Zealand our more lucky friends in Christchurch, with their excellent track, will probably hold a race meeting at which the famous Yankee will appear. Taylor was "unearthed" by a parly of travelling American racing cyclists some four years ago. As is the custom in tho United Stales the fop-notchcrs travel around tho various States following a circuit. Taylor was a hotel servant at one of tho towns tho riders passed through. As the cyclists were short of a "rubber," or assistant trainer, they offered to take him along with them. Taylor accepted. Occasionally he wo-s allowed to have a sprint on the training track, and showed such a phenomenal turn of speed that ho was taken in hand by a well known trainer and shortly after defeated the world’s wonder, Michael, in a match. Since then Taylor has coined money despP» the animosity of the white riders. 'JtU symmetrical statuedibe figure earned for him during his visit to Paris last year the epithet "tho living bronze." « The following interesting particulars of the recent deal in connection with the importation of "Major" are given b tho "Sydney Morning Herald":—"The negotiations with "Major" Taylor (tho world's champion) regarding his proposed visit to Australia, which were dropped owing to his inability to arrive here in. time for the League’s carnival this month, were re-opened last week. A cable was sent to the League's American representative asking what Taylor's .best terms would be to come to Australia and ride 12 races. A reply was received on Saturday stating that "Major" Taylor would be prepared to engage to come to Sydney and ride ..in 13 races during the months of January and February for .£1503. On Saturday tho League's American representative was cabled provisionally accepting these terms on tho following conditions: First, that Taylor would leave America bv the Sonoma duo to depart on November 27th, and booked to arrive ir Sydney on December 29Mi, and that lie would bo prepared to race in onen competition as may bo desired. The provision regarding his departure on the 27th instant was made, so that the Vorld's champion would have ample time to recover from the voyage and ve' himself into, condition and acclimatised before* ho would be called upon to race, as when 'tho world's champion visits Sydney he should be seen at his best. The League is now awaiting a reply i the provisional acceptance. (Taylor* has accepted the terms.) It is that tho coloured champion will win at least <£looo in prizes, while in Australia, so that his total fee will probably amount to about .£2500. Ddn Walker, Morgan, and Walne can be rolled upon to gel into thoir best form to defeat tho champion. Anyhow, the\ may be depended upon to offer Taylor good healthy opposition. Furthermore the fact that Major Taylor is visiting Australia is bound to bring out some of the other cracks from Europe and America, as there will be good opportunities for matches, and they will piobably also bo arriving about thai time in preparation for "The Sydney Thousand," the big ,£IOOO handicap, to be run in March next. The rtv tainer offered to Major Taylor is the largest ever offered to any cyclist i? the world, but as the public of Sydue* will be -afforded an opportunity of seeing the absolute world’s champion cyclist in all classes of racing, scratch races, sprints, and lon<r distances, open handicaps, matches, motor-paced tournaments, th? money will be well expended. Probably Taylor will wait over for "The Sydney Thousand" wher he sees the big prizes being offered for cycle racing in March next.

The fir«t dav’.> racing of tho Melbourne Bicycle Club's three days' Austral race meeting will be held this afternoon. Tho programme consists .of tho M.B.C. . I'lato (11 miio open handicap* for pr : zes of -£OO, .£2O, and Jis, and also the Commonwealth Stakes. lu the latter event the twenty best riders at the time in Australia will bo invited to take part over distances 1,2, 3. and 5 miles. The winners of tho 1, 2' and 3 mile events will receive 20sov each, and for the final event, ti miles, (he competitors will qualify to take part bv points Rained in the preceding contests The prize for the final will be JC7S; 2nd, _C2O; 3rd, JCS.