Cycling.

Southern Cross, Volume 8, Issue 31, 17 November 1900, Page 3

Cycling.

Thirty-one miles in just over half an hour is very fast travelling for a vehicle on the road, but M. Riga!, the well-known French motor cycle crack has just accomplished this performance on his motor tricycle on the Orleans-Salbris road. In essaying to beat Beconnais’ world’s fifty kilometres record, the clever little driver succeeded in covering the distance in thirty-six minutes, thus securing the record. * * * It has been generally understood among cyclists that they were free from the risks of lightning whilst cycling on account of the Dunlop tyres acting as non-conductors, but an Adelaide cyclist,* named J. Couche, was unpleasantly undeceived last week. Mr Couche was riding to work, and whilst turning round a corner of one of the city streets was struck on the handle-bar of his machine by a vivid flash of lightning; he remembered nothing more until he was picked up inside the plate glass window of a shop, he and his cycle having been driven across the footpath and through the window. Barring a few cuts and bruises, Mr Couche sustained no serious injuries from his unique accident. * * * Particulars are to hand of the great French twenty four hours’ contest — the 80l d’Or —the result of which was cabled to the Dunlop Tyre Co. last month, M. Cordang, the Dutch champion, being given as the winner. The English Cyclist says that the race began splendidly and ended miserably. It was interesting as a duel between those three giants of the long distance game, Walters (England), Huret (France), and Cordang (Holland.) Huret, who was still suffering from a recent fall, could not remain in his saddle, and was forced to give up after three hours’ riding and many mishaps. Walters rode superbly (covering three hundred and forty-nine miles fifteen bnndred and ten yards in the first twelve hours) for fourfifths of the journey, beating all the world’s records and lapping his opponent. But towards the nineteenth hour his knees began to bother him, as a result of the recent fall ; they soon swelled ; he gamely straggled for awhile against nature, when, he too, to his own disgust and the crowd’s disappointment, was forced to give up, leaving the victory to Cordang, who had been riding consistently all through, but who was then thirty miles behind. He would have left the tight but for bis trainer, who forced him to go on. The weather was perfect, the night still, and the track, illuminated by torches, with the cabins of the riders here and there in the background, and the riders themselves going their endless round, presented an almost fantastic appearance, especially when Huret’s petrol tandem caught fire. Ten men faced the starter : Walters, Foureaux, Oliver, Carin, Cbevallier, Huret, Muller, Frederic, Robl and Cordang. The winner, Cordang, covered 595 miles 19 yards, with Robl second and Garrin third. As showing what a game and plucky effort the English Dunlop crack made to carry off the one thousand pounds prize, it was found upon his dismounting (when he had practically won the race) that one of his knees was disclocated, and of course he was unable to continue riding. Walters won this race last year, covering six hundred and thirty four and one-fourth jmiles in 24hours.