AUSTRALIAN CYCLIST

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1929, Page 15

AUSTRALIAN CYCLIST

OPPERMAN’S PERFORMANCES. Over the past five or six years Hubert Opperman, the noted Australian cyclist, who has come to the Dominion under contract to rid© in Christchurch, has a remarkably fine record. Opperman, or “Oppy,’’ as the Australian crowds call him, is 25 years of age. He is sft 7 3 / 2 in in height, and weighs lOst 31b. His last big achievement of note was registered recently when he knocked Bhr 4min 20see off th© Sydney-x Melbourne cycling record, bringing it down to 39hr 42min. Among other records established by the Victorian within the past four years are: 23min off the world’s dirt track record for Iffi) miles at the Payneham Oval, Adelaide, and 38min Bsec off the Australian record made last year by J. Strafford; 100 miles, unpaced, standing start (asphalt track),. 4hr 22min 39 sec; 1 mile, paced, flying start, 58 2-ssec; 10 miles, paced, Hying start, 9min SOsec; one hour’s riding, 53 miles 953yrds; 24 hours, unpaced, 416 miles Dunlop Grand Prix, round Victoria, (ibO J / 3 miles, 40hr 4ilmin 34sec. In 1924 Opperman won the Launceston to Hobart road race over 120 miles, his time being shr 59min, which still stands as a record.

The Victorian was a member of the Australian team, which inelpded the New Zealand champion, Harry Watson, that competed in the great road race, the Tour de France, last year. The Australian team, because of its limited strength, was handicapped in this event, but acquitted itself well. Opperman praised the performance of Watson who he termed a game rider, and one who would bo an asset to any team. After the Tour do France, Opperman competed in the 80l dOr twenty-four hours’ tandem paced track event. This h© won, and his performance of 587 miles in the twenty-four- hours stands as a world’s record. Opperman was advised to continue and complete 1006 kilometres (625 miles), and his time of 24 hours 10 minutes for this distance also established a world’s record. Another world’s- record held by the youthful champion is the twenty-four hours’ unpaced road record. Discussing future Tour d© France races, Opperman said that his plans, at present were to take part in the 19JH race, with another , big road race of 700 miles to follow. H© said that he intended to go to Franc© with R. W. (“Fatty”) Lamb, who is on his way back to gastralia after a -season in America, and, who, it will be remembered, toured New Zealand as an amateur a few seasons ago. “I don’t know how long I shall be over here,” Opperman said, “but it will be until after the New Year at any rate. After my contract is completed in I shall be . open to further engagements.” —Post, Wellington.