SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5192, 24 December 1884, Page 4

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CHEISTCHUECH BICYCLE CLUB. The evening race meeting arranged by this Club came off last evening in Lancaster Park in the presence of about 200 spectators. About 20 wheelmen rode in procession from Cathedral square, and racing commenced shortly after 6 p.m. The track was in very bad order for fast riding ; indeed, in some places it was so soft as to be really dangerous, and that this was the case was amply proved by one of the competitors — A. Clarkson — in the first heat of the Mile Handicap coming a severe croppar just after finishing, and as he was easing up. The track being so bad, Langdown, who wa3 put at scratch in each of the events for which he had entered, declined to risk meeting with a shaking. It is quite probable he would have come over, a3 he would have been compelled to have ridden hard to make up his handicap. The fact of his not competing took away a large amount of interest in the sport, and those who attended in the hopes of witnessing a fine exhibition on the part of this sterling cyclist were disappointed. The only event that caused excitement was the Three Mile handicap, the finish of this event being very close. Warren, who finished first, was disqualified on account of his having started 200 yards in front of his handicap mark. Mr N. Oakes officiated as starter, Mr A. Gundersen as timekeeper, and Messrs J. Wallace andß. Kent as judges. Besults : — « ONE MILE BICYCLE HANDICAP. First Heat— J. F. riaville, 440 yds, 1 ; C. Eeece, 200 yds, 2. Six started. Skinner (250 yds) came to grief at the first corner, and retired. Saville had no difficulty in keeping his place at the head of affairs, and won by about 20 yards from Eeece ; Warren (280 yds) a good third. Time— 2min 543ec. Second Heat — J. Martin, 210 yds, 1 ; J. Woodrough, 260 yds, 2. Langdown (scr.) started, but owing to the loose condition of the track, decided to retire after going a quarter of a mile. Martin went to the front about 250yd3 from home, and finally won by some 15 yards ; Coughlan (375 yds) close up, third. Time — 3min 5-tsec. .Third Heat— J. W. Painter, 100 yds, 1 H. V. Pillow, 400 yds, 2. A.. Lowry, 390 yds, was the only other starter. Painter caught Lowry a quarter of a mile from home, and Pillow a couple of hundred yards farther on, and won easily by 30 yards. Time — 3min lOJsec. Fourth Heat. — W. Thompson, 210 yds, 1 ; P. E. Lough, 260 yds, 2. C. Myhre, 300 yds, came to grief shortly after starting, and the other two were left to fight out the race, Thompson proving the better man by about 50yds. Final Heat.— Saville, 1; Martin, 2; Eeece, 3. Lough and Woodrough did not start. Martin and Recce began to draw up to the leaders commencing the last lap, and, about 300 yds from home, the former went into second place, Reecc immediately afterwards taking ttird position. A good

finish ended in favour of the limit man by ten yards. Time— 2min 54sec. ONE MILE TRICYCLE HANDICAP. A Sharland, 150 yds, 1 ; F. Cooper, 250 yds, 2; B. Davis, 200 yds, 3. Oates, acr, finding he could make no impression on the handicap men retired after going a lap, but Painter, the other scratch man, stuck to his task. Sharland, who went to the front after a lap and a half had been completed, eventually won by some 70 yards. Time— 4miE lOsec. THREE MILE BICYCLE HANDICAP. W. Thompson, 300yda, 1; C. Recce, 300 yds, 2 ; jP. W. Painter, 300 yds, 3. J. W. Painter, 150 yd s; F. E. Dunsford, 200 yds ; ' J. Martin, 350 yds; H. Thompson, W. Skinner, and T. Warren, each 400yda, also started. "Warren, who started from the 600 yds mark, held the lead all through, and ended up first by four yards, but was disqualified for starting from the wrong peg. For some considerable distance Martin, F. W. Painter, Eeece, and W. Thompson carried on a spirited contest. Shortly after commencing the fifth lap, however, the two former collided, and Martin, getting tho worst of it, was thrown out of the race. At half-distance F. W. Painter had drawn into second place, his immediate attendant being Martin, while Thompson and Recce followed a few yards away. J. W. Painter and H. J. Jenkins were too heavily handicapped to be dangerous. Commencing the last lap, "Warren was leading Recce and Thompson by about 30 yards. These two spurted hard to overtake him, and in the spurt Thompson drew away some ten yards ahead of Recce, who, however, recovered a bit of ground going along the back stretch against the wind. In the straight for home Thompson made one final effort to reach the leader, and a beautifully sustained spurt took him to within three yards as Warren breasted the tape. Recce was a good third, about five yards away ; Painter fourth. Time — 9min 53sec.