ON THE WHEEL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 538, 11 April 1901, Page 5

ON THE WHEEL

| BY

Cyclos.

THE LEAGUE CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS THE MILE WON BY W- REYNOLDS. The first day of the cycling championship 3 of the League of New Zealand Wheelmen, eventuated on Good Friday at Lancaster Park. There were fully three thousand spectatators present. The racing was of an interesting nature and some fast times were established. Kershaw, of Sydney, did not compete owing to an accident whilst training, and Barter, of Christchurch, was unable to start owing to illness: The following were the results: —

Two-mile Handicap (amateur) : 8. Frew, 190yds, 1; R. J. Martin, 235yds, 2;W. H Hollaway, 185yds, 3. Time, 4m. 41s.

Half mile Cash Championship. B. Connell (Temuka), 1; A. Ralston (Dunedin), 2; G. “Sutherland (Christchurch), 3. Clarkson (Palmerston North) also started The riders left the mark in line, and j ust before the final bend was reached Connell challenged, and getting on terms with Sutherland, wore him down and won by a length from Ralston, who beat Sutherland by a foot. Time, Im. 9s.

Qne-Mile Amateur Championship : W. Reynolds (Auckland), 1 ; Turnbull (Sydney), 2 ; H. Amos (Timaru), 3. Cucksey (Auckland) and Whitfield and Boyd (Christchurch) also started. At the sound of the bell, Cucksey led, immediately behind the pace, with Turnbull next. Amos then moved up and he and Reynolds were together at the last bend, when the latter j umped away and retained a lead of a length, Turnbull beating Amos for second place, Whitfield fourth. Time, 2min 15 2-ssec. Five-mile Royal Enfield Cup (also carrying five-mile cash championship) : G. Sutherland (Christchurch), 1 j R. Connell (Temuka), 2 ; A. Ralston (Dunedin) 3. Clarkson (Palmerston North) and Holland (Ashburton) also started. Connell led from Sutherland and the others in the early stages, but with two laps to go he touched Sutherland’s wheel and fell, bringing Ralston down with him. Sutherland then jumped away magnificently, and won by 30yds. Ralston mounted again and took third place. Time, llmin 19sec.

Three-mile Amateur Championship : H. Amos (Timaru), 1 ; T. Oates, (Christchurch), 2; W. Reynolds (Auckland), 3. W. Turnbull (Sydney), S. Boyd (Christchurch) and E. H. Cucksey (Auckland) also started. All the riders except Cucksey kept together until the last lap, and Amos won by a length from Oates, who beat Reynolds by two lengths for second place. Time, 6min 58 l-ssec. Two - mile Pudge - Whitworth Cup Amateur Handicap: E. G. Hammond (Christchurch), 1 ; S. Boyd (Christchurch), 135yds, 2; H. Lindsay (Christchurch), 150yds, 3. In the sprint home Hammond beat Boyd by a length and ahalf, Lindsay a fair third. Time, 4min 41 2-ssec.

Half-mile Cash Handicap : R. Connell (Temuka), 30yds, 1 ; A. Houston (Ash-

burton), 55yds, 2; J. Connell (Temuka), 60yds, 3. Time, lmin4 l-ssec.

(J. Chamberlain is a well-known English rider, hailing from Bristol will also represent the League of Wheelmen at Christchurch. During the seasons of 1898 and 1899 in England he met with exceptional success, carrying almost everything before him. At the beginning of the present season he arrived in Australia. The uncertainty as to which of the Sydney riders will compete is due to disagreement between the governing bodies of the sport. The League of New South Wales Wheelmen and the New South Wales Cyclists’ Union each governs a seperate branch of amateur sport, and neither will recognise the other. The New Zealand League invited both bodies to send representatives to its championship meeting. The Union responded first and cabled that its representatives were Kershaw and Turnbull. A few days later the New South Wales League cabled that it was sending a representative. The local League replied that the representative would be allowed to compete provided the Cyclists’ Union did not object.) is stated that Joe Megson will also be a competitor at the Championship Meeting.

W. Turnbull and E. B. Kershaw who have been chosen to represent N.S.W. at the forthcoming Championships, are two of the best amateur cyclists in New South Wales and have been prominent in all the principal events held there recently. Kershaw finished first in the Three-Mile Inter-club Team Race at the Commonwealth Celebrationsports on Jan. 4. The League’s Championship Meeting will be held at Lancaster Park on Good Friday and the following Saturday. W. Reynold’s, last year’s amateur champion, has been selected again this year as the Auckland Cycling Club’s representative in the Championships. Lord Kitchener evidently believes in the cyclist soldiers, for he was recently advertising in the Capetown papers for volunteers for a Capetown cyclist corps. The regiment was being formed to guard the communications of Cape Colony. The pay offered was ss. per day, and 2s. per day extra for the bicycle if furnished by the recruit. If a recruit could not provide his own bicycle his pay would be ss. per day, and he would be supplied with a bicycle free, which would become his own property at the end of three months ’ service. Rations (or allowance in lieu), equipment, and necessary clothing were to have been found by the Government