Cycling Notes.

Southern Cross, Volume 10, Issue 30, 1 November 1902, Page 7

Cycling Notes.

THE 25 MILE ROAD RACE. This took place on Wednesday, the route being along the East Road to a point beyond Woodlands, and back. It was won by A. Ralston, with T. Von Tunzleman second, A Branks 3rd, Gr. Cushuie securing the trophy for the fastest unplaced competitor. Twenty-five entries were received for the race, and of these 21 competed, namely :

The race, which brought a crowd of about 600 or 700 persons to the starting point, was carried out under the management of the following gentlemen .-- —Judges : Messrs C. R. Edmunds, A. ¥. Hawke, and A. E. Smith ; Referee : Mr D. A. Mitchell ; Starter: Mr R. W. Jones ; Timekeeper : Mr R. Ashton ; Stewards : Messrs McKenzie, G. W. Woods, Mitchell, McNamara, Jones, Harrison, J. Kingsland, C. Gerstenkorn, J. Brass, P. Dawson, Cook, and Murie ; Secretary, Mr J. B. Taylor ; Handicappers: Messrs Bone, G. Double, and D. A. Mitchell ; Officials at turning point; Messrs H. Hanson and W. Johnston. A light westerly breeze was blowing as the men were despatched on their journey, and as they dashed through the long avenue of onlookers they were sped on their way with words of cheer, and were soon the central figures in so many clouds of dust along the highway. The throng lingered,in the vicinity, and were advised of the position of matters per telephone message from Woodlands. Soon after 4 p.m. the advance guard of the returning riders was seen in the distance, and cries of “ Well done, Andy !” greeted Ralston, as he dashed in a short distance ahead. The prizes were won as under : 1. £2 2s (presented by the Southland Centre), and pair tyres and tubes (from the Continental Tyre Co.) : A. Ralston (scr.) —1 hour 11 minutes 29 seconds. ® 2. Tyre and tube (from Messrs Mackenzie and Roach), and free wheel and back pedalling brake (Mr R. Murie) : T. Von Tunzleman (7 mins.) —1 hour 18 minutes 9 seconds. 3. Acetylene lamp (Mr P. H. Vickery), and Coventry roller chain (Invercargill Cycling Co.) : Alex, Bracks (6 mins.) 1 hour 17 minutes 8 seconds. Special for fastest unplaced competitor ; pair Dunlop tyres from the Dunlop Co., Christchurch ; G. Cushnie (Hmins.) —1 hour 12 minutes 46 seconds. The time occupied by Summers, fourth man in, was 1 hour 14 minutes 44 seconds. The road was not very good, and the competitors could not take full advantage of the pacing, and the effect of the favouring wind on the outward journey was not so great as it otherwise would have been. The handicappers did their work well, and had the day been calm Ralston would probably not have caught the limit men, Padget and Gardiner. When at One Tree Point, coming back, they were leading by 3| mins, from the back division, of which Ralston was one. Ralston made up five minutes coming in, and gained more than 3J of these between One Tree Point and the winning post. He caught Cushnie at Long Bush going out, and they overtook the remainder of the back division near the turning point. Ralston lost Cushnie near Woodlands, and caught the other members of the back division at the turning post. Cushnie having a low gear, improved his position on the home turn against the head wind, and caught up on Ralston, and they

paced together. Ralston rode a Rudge-Whit worth machine, the one I that he used in the WarrnamboolMel bourne race. Von Tunzleman, though a young rider, put up an excellent performance, and his dashing sprint at the finish proved that with care in training he will come into the front rank. A. B. Branks and Crooks got a spill at the finish owing to the crowd closing in upon them. Crooks had hard luck, having had no fewer than four spills during the race ; nevertheless he finished exceptionally well. Corrie also lost a good deal of ground through a fall. M. Summers, who is one of the best riders in the Otautau district, did not seem to be in his usual form, nor did A. Cuff nor A. S. Peters, (who was second in the last road race), show up so well as was anticipated, and the same remark applies to M. Dowling, who is one of our fastest road racers. The spectators took great interest in the race, and one of the visitors (Mr Wright, of the Dunlop Co., Christchurch) commented on the enthusiasm displayed as indicative of the place that the pastime holds in popular favour. Mr C. Gerstenkorn, a member of the committee of the Club, photographed the riders before they started, and the picture will no 1 doubt be valued as a memento of the occasion. One of the men as they returned heated and dustcovered would have been still moie interesting. The contrast was certainly great. Many of the riders rode with too high gears, and this told against them when they faced the head wind coming back. Some riders never seem to consider that the time occupied in battling with an adverse wind is about twice as long as that taken in going with the wind. A few of the competitors rode machines geared up to 92 and 96, which was of course far too high. For a well trained rider 84 or 86 should be about right, and for younger riders about 80 would be ample. It is worthy of note that all the competitors went the full distance, Cushnie, who is one of the most popular riders on the road, had a spill between the cemetery and the starting point going out, and he was still further handicapped through riding a machine geared to 80, with 7in cranks, which is equal, with ordinary cranks, to 76.

min mm A. Ralston scr J. Crooks G. Oushnie H G. Henry M. Dowling 2* A. Brighton 7 A. Corrie 3 T. Yon Tunzleman 7 M. Summers 3i Frank Murdoch 7 A, E. Branks H G. W. Taylor n A. S. Peters 4 A. Stewart 8 A, Cuff 4* G. Fowler E. W. Jones, jn . Sh Donald Gardiner 9 J. Stewart 6 L. L. Paget 9i Alex. Branks 6