SIX DAYS' CYCLE RACE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12707, 9 March 1912, Page 5 (Supplement)

SIX DAYS' CYCLE RACE.

A GRAND STRUGGLE

WATCHED BY 20,003 SPECTATORS

SYDNEY, March 2. The .Melbourne six days' race terminated last Saturday night, and after a slashing sprint over two-thirds of a, mile, Goullet fairly flew over the line, a winner by a length from Ivor Law.vjn, with A. J. Clark trailing his wheel, third. The pace at the finish was a re .elation, for when Grenda unwound a two laps' sprint, followed up by a magnificent 300 yards' dash by Goullet, the pac. was .so hot that riders like Clark and Lawson had all they could to hang on, ; ;id they had to jump at the finish. V\ hen the race terminated at five minutes past 10 there were still seven teams in the contest, and one of them, Dotzaver and Bell, were a lap to the bad. At tha finish of the 141 hours' ride a total of 2026 miles had been ridden, v. ith the following teams level : Gou:!et and Hehir, Clark and McNamara, Lawson and Mitten, Grenda and Walkn-, Gascoyne and Lloyd, and Yeend and Crook. To decide the prize-winners a three laps' sprint was determined on, the six teams that tied being represented by Goullet, Lawson, Clark, Grenda. Lloyd, and Crook. Clark and Goullet were equal favorites for the de^idin^ event. The final .sprint race appeare! to result in a terrific struggle ior iJSOO between two combinations — Goull.-t .and Grenda, and Clark and Lawson. Starting off, all six riders crawled ar> uid th.? track, whilst 20,000 spectators Ktood expectant and silent, waiting on<! watching for the final jump, upon vhich so much depended. At half a mi _» to go the pace improved, Grenda beir.j in the lead, with Goullet trailing las back wheel. Lawson came next, with Clark' following. At two laps to go (7\. 4 yards) thousands roared, "Grenda's oil" !'' and so he was. The red and whito hooped figure streakted out at a pace of 35 miles an hour. . Goullet jumped after ' him, and so did Lawson and Clark ; the rest were dropped. At a lap to go (352 yards), the pace was terrific. The positions were still the same ; everyone stood up and roared. Entering the back straight Goullet's light blue sweater was seen to flash out trom behind Grenda;, and in an instant he passed the Tasmanian crack, with Lawson ai d Clark close behind in hot pursuit. Round the bend, into the finishing straight the blue sweater led by a length. Lawscn gradually crept up, dragging Olark with him, but Goullett sustained his magnificent sprint, and flew over the line a length winner, with Lawson and Clark .close up. • Qrenda finished 25 yar.Js further back, fourth; then came, Ll:>yd and Crook. The last two laps (70/ yards) were ridden in 42 3-5 seconds — wonderful pace after a week's riding. Goullet's win was exceedingly popular, and he received a tremendous ov'ati . n as he was carried shoulder high olf tho ground. To win both the Sydney and Yslbourne six days' race is a wonderful achievement for the ' Goullet-Hehir combination to bring off. The winning team rede Dunlop tyres in both events. The total mileage scored is 60 miles behind the Sydney figures, which is rather siirprisiryj, considering that the smaller and better-protected track at the Melbourne Exhibition building should have made ior a better mileage. Again, the weather all through the week was almost perfect. The mileage for each 24 hours of the race is interesting : First 24 hours, 456 miles ; second, 368 miles ; third, 348 miles; fourth, 430 miles) and fifth; 299 miles. Appended are the prize-winners : First, £500, A. C. Goullet and P. Hehir. Second, £5200, I. Lawson and W Mitten. Third, £100, A. J. Clark and R. J. McNamara. Fourth, £75, G. Walker and A. F. Grenda. Fifth, £50, T. J. Gascoyne and A. G.Lloyd, Sixth, £25, P. Yeend and A. L. Crook. Seventh, £25, G, Dotzauer and G. Bell. The promoter, Mr J, D, WUJiams, it> to be congratulated on the sporting and financial success of his bhj undertaking, but it is doubtful whether a similar event will again draw such attendances. 'The track is too big for this class oi racing, thus minimising the chance o. exciting racing. The contest j'lst decided' was deadly monotonous most of the time, for no determined efforts weremade by the cracks to gain a lap, and the only exciting incidents of the race came from ppcond-class men. losing and regaining laps, If any further six days' raceci are. contemplated later on something more than this will be necessary to maintain the interest that the first event of its kind stirred up in Melbourne, As showing the difference between American and Australian conditions, only/2026 miles were ridden in Melbourne as against 2716 miles in the, recent six days' race won by A. j. . Clark in New York. The record for this class of event is 2737 miles, to the credit of Macfarland and* Moian, so there is just cause for calling attention* to the slowness of the Melbourne event. This class of racing requires special tracks. A. T. Goullet, M-ho, in conjunction with P. Hehir as team mate, won both the Sydney and Melbourne six days' races, has already made a Morld-wide reputation as a racing cyclist, although he is only just 21 years of age. He is la Victorian by birth, and a splendid stamp of athlete.. Gou}let has had a brilliant career as a pacing cyclist, iHe first came into prominence a few years back on the Melbourne Saucer track, and it was not long before he figured on the scratch mark. Two years ago he went to America, 'and h# showed prominently m pursuit . races, defeating such cracks as Kramer, . Fogler, 'MacFar land, and Fenn, Last year he paid more attention to sprint racing, and ended up by winning more races (handicap and scratch) thau any other rider in America. He has twice beaten A. J. Olark in match races, floullet is st't i 7in high, and weighs in condition about 11 stone. He rides a Dunlop-shod I machine, with 6£-inch crank . and' 92 gear. P. Hehir, who shares with Goullet the honor of carrying off the two Austra < lian sijc days' races, is also a Victorian. He is a. trifle shorter than his team mate,, but heavier, fifehir has been racing for six years with considerable success, amongflt his wins being' a six hours' team ra«e on. the Mjslbpurne Saucer track in conjunction with S. E. Gordon. In 1909 h« vimt to Amerjca. and quickly developed into a. first.gjass rider, and soon figured on the soratoh mark along with Ivor Lawson. In 1910 Hehir and Goullett finished fourth in the big New York six days' race, and like hfa team mate, he uses Dunlop s—6£in cranks ai?d 92-inch gear.