CYCLING

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 48

CYCLING

The final bicycle meeting of any importance for this season was held on Saturday and Monday last, when tho Melbourne Bicycle Club brought off their autumn fixture on the St. Kilda cricket ground. On the first day the Easter Cup, two miles, went to J. H. Sandberg (140 yds), with R. Mutton (60yds) 2nd, and J. A. Stewart (190 yds) 3rd. The Mile Scratch Race went to Don Walker, from E. F. Wilkoch, and tho latter won the Ten-miles Scratch, with R. H. Walno and J. Megson in the places. On the second clay the chief attraction announced was ?• motor-paced match between D. J. Walker and G. R. Morgan for a stake of £50, but it turned out a fiasco. Morgan won two out of three events, but the pacing was conducted under such unsatisfactory conditions that it is difficult to say whether the best man won or not. Dcopite the warning given by the breakdown of Morgan's motor on Saturday* the same thing occurred on the second dny. The three-mile event, which was postponed from Saturday, was run first, each man taking the motor he followed previously. The result was an ex net repetition of what ocrurred on Saturday. Morgan's motor failed to keep pace with that oE his opponent, and, after gradually falling back, broke down altogether in the fifth lap. The event was declared no race, and at a later stage was run again. The motor which Morgan followed again broke down at about the same stage of the contest — this being the fourth fai'.ure. The competitors, however, were on this occasion only about a dozen yards apart, and Morgan, leaving his pace to look after itself, dashed out and caught up to Walker's wheel. After a few yards were run Walker, in a most sportsmniilike and chivalrous spirit, pulled out and allowed Morgan to have his sliart of the pnee. After two hips were run in this fasliioii', Morgan's motor pae-ing-nincfiinc was set going again, and, coming at a steady pace, tucked up its man, and carried him past Walker to the front. For a time the men kept at the same distance from each other; then, as Morgan's pace spurted. Walker's, in attempting to respond, nnapned their chain, and another failure was added to the long list. Morgan won by 50 lengths in Gmin 2 3-s sec, the last quarter being scored iv 2G 4-oscc, and the last mile in lmin 44 3-osec. After fo ma ly disablements it was decided to run the mile event without pace. As they entered tha straight for the last lan Morcsui came past liiv <j2J t r^sfla.\ i and, W*ikeju.in-

stead of fighting it out to the end, raised his hand for a futile protest. Morgan accordingly won the second contest by two lengths. Notwithstanding the fact that the match wps decided by Morgan's victory in the two first events, the third one, of five miles, waa run off, and now that it mattered little whether the erratic motor cycles bohaveu ill or well, they provided excellent pace for the greater part of the distance. "Walker led for half a lap, then Morgan, and the men kept dodgin" to tho front in turn till four miles and a-half were scored. Then Morgan's motor returned to its old tricks, and, refusing to respond to the mechanism, let Walker get a. lead of 60yds at the bell. During the last lap it faded away still further, and Walker had the honour of winning the third event by 150 yds. W. B. Tay'.or (scratch) won the Novice Handicap, E. F. Wilksch the Three-miles Scratch, and J. A. Stewart (145 yds) the Autumn Stakes, one mile and a-half.