CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2397, 8 February 1900, Page 46

CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING.

WELLINGTON, January 31.

The Champion cycling meeting of the New Zealand League of Wheelmen was begun at the Athletic Park to-day. The day was bright but windy, and consequently there were no first-class performances, though some of the jtimes were fairly good tinder the circumstances. The attendance. was not more than 3.000, and the fields, especially in the amateur events, were sometimes very small. Tn the cash events they were better, but Chalmers 'and Lewis were scratched for the Championship after the first race, the former having sprained his arm, and Derrett did not put in an appearance. The track, which is clay, was not in good order, and was responsible for some nasty accidents. A loose spot developed early at the sou^h-weat corner, where also the banking is imperfect, and it was nearly all the spills occurred. Barker fell in the first event, and somebody came over in nearly every lace. Amateurs wore the principal sufferer?, especially Macdonald and M'Gregor, of Wauganui. The former had to be taken to the hospital, where il was found he was considerably bruised, and there lie will have to remain for a day or two. Poster was unlucky enough to be go over the bank twice, but each time escaped personal injury. There is no doubt the fear of this .corner affected the riding of the men, who had to be cautious. The principal sensation Df the day was the downfall of Reynolds. He was blocked in the Half-mile, and won his heat in the Mile, but in the Enfield Cup !he was outgeneralled by Ralston, and later on suffered the indignity of being lapped by Tierney in the Ten-mile. The Enfiekl Cup was the best race of the day, but with the exception of this event there were only one or two other good finishes. W. Reynolds made up to some extent for his brother's non-success by appropriating the two Amateur Championships, and of the other riders M. Jfcandrup was the most prominent. The referee was dissatisfied with the loafing tactics adopted in several events, and on Saturday will exercise his right to. impose a time limit. Details: — HALF-MILE CASH CHAMPIONSHIP. Present holder, G. Sutherland. New Zealand record, E. A. Wall, 60 2-ssec. First Heat.— M. Bennett 1, E. A. Wall 2. 33. Reynolds, Humphreys, and K. Lewis also jstarted. Reynolds was blocked at the turn for '■home, and though he made a great effort, failed io secure a place by a few inches. Time, Xmin Msec. Second Heat.— Plunkett 1, Tierney 2.« Chalvners, Barker, and Ralstoi started. Barker Plunkett won as he liked. Time, Imin ■5 2-SSSO. . ONE-MILE CASH CHAMPIONSHIP. Present holder, A. C. Middleton. New Zealand record, T. Clarkson, 2min 1 2-osec. First Heat. — E. Reynolds ], Tierney 2. vßarker, Plunkett, and Lewis also rode. The v>ace was made fairly fast, and when the bell was rung the moa were still tocether. Lewis

retired as soon as sprinting began. t Two hundred yards from home Barker stole' up on the inside, but Tierney and Reynolds overhauled him, and the former sailed up the straight looking all over like a winner. Reynolds made a desperate effort, caught his man on the post, and won by the rim of the wheel — a very fine race. Time. 2mm 20 3-ssec. Second Heat. — Ralston 1, Humphreys 2. Bennett and Wall started. None of the men would set the pace. The only racing was m the last few yards, when Humphreys, coining down from the top of the bank, outpaced Wall and Bennett, but could not catch Ralston. Time, 3min 7 2-ssec. The finals of the above events will be decided on Saturday. TEN-MILE CASH CHAMPIONSHIP. Prespnt holder, E. A. Wall. New Zealand record, E. A. Archer, 22min 28sec. Tierney 1 Eeyiiolds „ 2 Ralston, Bennett, Barker, and Humphreys were th* only other starters. Fresh pacers were put on at each lap, who made the running so merrj that after three miles only Tierney, .Reynolds, and Barker were left in. In another half-mil" the last two dropped back, and were lapped. They tailed on again, but could not improve their position, and at the twentieth lap Barker gave up. Reynolds persevered to the enct, but was beaten by a lap. Tiemey clung grimly to the pacers all through, and rode a game race. Time, 24min 58 3-ssec. HALF-MILE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Present holder, G. R. Bell. Time, Imin ; 10 l-ssec. W. Reynolds 1 T. Whitfield 2 M'Gregor, C. J. Foster, and Westbury also started. Westbury fell, and Foster did not finish. Time, Imin 9 3-osec-One-mile and a-half Amateur Handicap. — J. M. Ryan, 80yds, 1; R. M'Gregor, 25yds, 2. C. J. Foster, and F. J. Macdonald also xode. They had scarcely started when these two ran over the bank at the south-west corner, and were hurled on to the fence. The former's machine was badly buckled, but he himself escaped with a few bruises. Macdonald was knocked senseless, and was carried- off the field. Ryan won by more than his handicap. Time, 4niin 7sec. ONE-MILE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Present holder, H. Thompson. Time, 2min 23sec. T. Whitfield .. ._„ „ .. 1 W. Reynolds 2 W. Reynolds, M'Gregor, and C. J. Foster started. This was a slow race, and when they did begin to bustle in the last lap Reynolds fell on a loose patch at the fatal corner. Foster and M'Gregor, trying to avoid him,' rode clean over the bank on to the fence. The former again escaped, but the latter could not ride any more. .Whitfield rode home as he plea-sed, and Reynolds, remounting, secured second place. Time, 2min 57sec. FIVE-MILE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Present holder, H. Thompson. Time,, 13min 25 l-ssec. W. Reynolds .. 1 T. Whitfield 2 Reynolds won by a lap and a-half. No time was taken. No other nders. E.OYAL ENFIELD CUP. Five miles. Present holder, E. Reynolds. A. Ralston.. .. .. .. „ 1 Plunkett 2 Reynolds 3 Tierney, Humphreys, Wall, Barker, and Bennett also started. Reynolds veiy nearly rode over the bank in the first lap, but just eacaped. Each lap was paced, and at first the work was rather clumsily done, but afterwards the men took up the riders with more skill. Barker, Wall, and Humphries retired before half the distance, and in the seventh lap Bennett fell near the stand. Tierney could not keep up, and dropped behind, but the pacer took him on, and he . regained his position at the eXpense of so much exertion as to put him out of the final sprint. This Plunkett headed, and he rode so vigorously into the straight that he looked to have a good chance of winning. Reynolds wore him down, but Ralston dashed up from the rear, passed both, and won by half a wheel. Plunkett at the same time made another struggle, and just beat Reynolds for second place. This was really a fine finish, and the Dunedin man's victory was loudly applauded. Time, 12niin 1 4-ssec. Three-mile First Class Cash Handicap. — M. Randrup, 150 yds, 1: M. Bennett, scr, 2; Humphreys, 310 yds, 3. Chalmers scr, T. Clarkson 90yds, Coe 140 yds, and H. J. Randrup also rode. Clarkson and Coe retired at half the distance, and in the seventh lap Bennett spurted up to the leaders.- Chalmers then gave up, and the pace, which up to this had been warm, slowed down to a crawl. In the run home Bennett could not reach Randrup, who raced . down the straight very determinedly, and won by a foot. Time, Bmin 29sec. Sandrup also won the Second Class Handicap, in which there were 14 starters, with Burton second. In the Half-mile Cash Handicap he won his heat, but did not start in the final, which was appropriated by Larsen, with Legrove second. • February 3. The second day of the Cycling Championship meeting produced a better attendance and much better racing. The day was fine, j but again windy, and some of the times, under the circumstances, were very good. This was largely owing to the vigorous pacing in the scratch events. Under its effects very few riders maintained their places to the finish, and most of those who did were lapped by the winners. A high net was fixed lip on the bank where so many accidents occurred on Wednesday, aud falls to-day were few. The most unfortunate of these was in the Threemile Ca«h Championship. Just as Tierney and Reynolds were preparing to fight out the last lap the former was so bruised and cut he could not start in the Five-mile. E. Reynolds by his performances tc-day quite rehabilitated himself as the best of the league's representatives. He won the Mile without any very great exertion, and fairly romped home in the Three-mile and Five-mile. In the former he had only Tierney left against him when that rider fell, and in the latter he was alone at the finish, the rest being lapped. His brother took two more amateurships, being, in fact, the only competitor in the Ten-mile. In the handicap events M. Randrup, of Wanganui. proved both that his riding earlier in the week was no fluke and that he will have the be reckoned with in future. In theTwomile First Class Handicap he won from Bennett after the Dannevirke champion apparently had him beaten, and his sprinting in the second class events was by far the best shown on the ground. The following are the results : — HALF-MILE CASH CHAMPIONSHIP. Tierney 1 Wall 2 Plunkett and Bennett also started. The former led to the turn,, where Tierney went to the front, and won by six lengths. Time, Imin 5 l-ssec. ONE-MILE CASH CHAMPIONSHIP. E. Reynolds 1 Tierney 2 "Rulston 3 Humphreys also started. Pacers were put on to nrevent loafing, but they did not take up

the men smartly, and the race was rendered some seconds slower than it should have been. Tierney led till the bell rang, and round most of the last lap. At the home turn Reynolds challenged him, and after a capital set to won by a yard. Time, 2min 19 3-ssec. THREE-MILE CASH CHAMPIONSHIP. Present holder, E. Reynolds. New Zealand record, J. Grant, 6min 43 3-ssec. E. Reynolds 1 Pluhkett 2 Wall, Chalmers., Ealston, Bennett, Barker, Tierney, and Humphreys were the other starters. The pace was severe froni the start, and after a mile or so Humphreys, Bennett, and Chalmers were disposed of, and Barker and ! Ralston dropped behind, and were distanced. With three laps to go Tierney, Reynolds, and Plunkett alone were left, and the last-named was quickly falling behind. At the bell Tierney and Reynolds were still together, but, most unfortunately, the former hit the pacer's wheel as he was drawing off, and fell. Reynolds had no difficulty in winning by 100 yards from Plunkett. Time, 7min % 4-sseo. FIVE-MILE CASH CHAMPIONSHIP. E. Reynolds .. * ... 1 Wall , .' 2 Ralston 3 Chalmers, Bennett, Barker, Plunkett, and Humphreys also rode. Humphreys's chain bioke after a lap, and the pace-makers very quickly broke up most of the others. Chalmers and Barker retired at a mile, and then M. Randrup took up the pacing at a great rate. Reynolds fastened on, and immediately established a commanding lead. Bennett, Ralston, -and Wall alone persevered, and they were lapped in a few rounds, and rode on lor second money. Reynolds completed the distance in 12min dead, and Wall secured second place by a length from Ralston. TWO-MILE TANDEM CASH CHAMPIONSHIP. Gardiner and Humphreys 1 Barker and Bennett 2 These were the only entries, and much to the surprise of all, Barker and Bennett, after a spirited race and ding-dong finish, were beaten by a few inches. It turned out that Barker lost a pedal in the last lap. Time, 4min 57sec. THREE-MILE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Present holder, H. Thomnson; time, Bmin 12 l-ssec.~ W. Reynolds" i Whitfield 2 Foster also started, but retired at the end of the first lap. The severity of the pacing soan left Whitfield hopelessly in the rear, and Reynolds rode home a winner by nearly a lap" in 7min 47sec. HALF-MILE AMATEUR HANDICAP." Westbury, 25yds 1 M'Leod, 40yds „ 2 Ryan, 20yds 3 Foster and M'Gregor also started. Won easily. Time, Imin 12sec. TEN-MILE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Present holder, D. Crozier; time, 26inin 56sec. W. Reynolds was the only competitor. Assisted by pacers, he rode over the" distance in 27min 0 4-ssec. TWO-MILE FIRST GLASS CASH HANDICAP. M. Randrup .. \ Bennett 2 Plunkett 3 Chalmers, Tierney, Humphreys, Burton, and H. J. liandrup also started. Tierney and Chalmers retired after thjee laps. The rear division then caught the leaders, but M. Raudrup and Burton broke away again, and established a gap which the others had great difficulty in overcoming. At the bell only five weie left on the track. Benuett challenged Randrup, who was in the lead, and passed him at the turn for home; but the. Wanganui boy was not done with, and sprinting up again, beat the Dannevnke champion on the post by a wheel. Plunkett a bad third, H. J. Randrup and Humphreys bringing up the rear. Time, 4min 52sec. Randrup was heartily applauded for his fine riding. For the One-mile Second Class Cash Handicap 17 started in two heats. M. Randrup, from scratch, won the first heat, beating Caulton by a few inches. H. J. Randrup wqii the second heat on the post from Coe. Final: M. Randriip, scr, 1; H. J. Randrup, 80yds, 2- Coe 10yds, 3. Caulton, Jeffries, and Sullivan also started. The scratch man soon caught the field, and a great race ensued in the last lap. H. J. Randrup led into the straight, but his brother's sprint brought him home first, all the rest close up. Time, 2min 37 3-ssec. This was the best finish of the meeting. For the Half-mile Second Class Cash Handicap 14 started, M,- Randrup being penalised 10yds. He won his heat with a tremendous sprint, but as nine men were allowed to start in the final he was blocked, and had no chance. Sullivan, 55yds, won, with Anderson, 70yds, second. Time, Imin 4 l-ssec.