"ROUND THE MOUNTAIN."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 19, 17 July 1911, Page 5

"ROUND THE MOUNTAIN."

THE CYCLE ROAD RACE. The entries received for the "Round the Mountain" cycle race up to Saturday night totally sixty-six, of which one came from Melbourne, several from each of Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Masterton, Gisborne, Nelson and Wanganui. There are entrants from about thirty towns in New Zealand, and Taranaki is, of course, largely represented. The entries closed in the various towns on Saturday night, so there should be a number in to-day's mails. Three competitors are practically certain to come from Geelong (Victoria), and a party of five is probable from the members of the Burwood Cycling' Club (New South Wales).

The intending competitors include all the "crack" road racers in the Dominion and several'of the best in Australia will probably be here. Those at present entered include the fastest time men in the Cliristchureh-Timaru and Australian road races, and several of the scratch men in these events.

This is the most valuable cycle road race in Australasia, the prize money bein" worth £3OO, whereas the grcatAustralian race lias only been worth ,-£2OO until this year, and even now it is not within £SO of the prize money offered in the "Round the Mountain" race,

The committee leaves on Tuesday morning for a trip round the mountain to finally decide the course, to appoint committees in each centre and to set up committees to attend the provisioning of the competitors as they pass through. The committee has to decide between two routes. One is from Xew Plymouth to Opunake, thence.via Kaponga to Eltliam and on to New Plymouth. On account of the reported state of the road between Abingntoki and Kaponga. an alternative route is suggested from Opunake to TCHhnm. This proposal is to go by wnv of thn Mfiin South road from Opunake to Manain. thence bv the Maliain road to Kannni, alone the Skeet, road to Matanu. thence to Eltliam, and on to ?Jew Plymouth. The first is estimated to be about ITT) miles, and the Mnnaia ro/ite about 11# miles. On the Thursday previous a race is to be run from Waitara, to Tnglewnod and Xew Plvmouth. returning to Waitarn. Most of the leading riders are in this race also. . . ' I