CYCLING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 810, 14 September 1905, Page 13

CYCLING.

The New Zealander, R. Arnst, has won the fifty miles road championship of New South Wales, doing the distance in 2hr 58min 53sec.

G. A. Olley covered 855£ miles, from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, in 3 days 20 hours 15 minutes, beating the unpaced record by llhr lOmin. The previous best was 4 days 7 hours 25 minutes, accomplished by Dr. F. W. Wesley, of Nottingham, last year. The route taken by Olley was via Exeter, Bristol, Gloucester, Worcester, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Kendal, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Perth, Blair Atholl, Inverness, and Wick. He set himself to beat the record by 15| hours, but was delayed by a heavy storm. The cycling race from Launceston to Hobart resulted thus:—A. Hardman, 1; J. Jones, 2; J. Doyle, 3. Only a length separated the three. In sixteen minutes the nine other men had finished Hardman’s (scratch) riding time was Bhr 21min 41 l-3sec, and his was also the fastest actual time. He will represent Tasmania in the Melbourne-Warrnam-bool race. Hardman fell during the trip owing to a slight collision. The ten miles Australian championship, under the League, was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and the result was a win for G. H. Horder, with J. Megson and B. Goodson second and third respectively. It was a great struggle home. The time was 23mi.n 445. Owing to some irregularities the stewards have declared it no race, and will re-run it later in the season. « • * * The finish of the great Dunlop Road Race from Timaru to Christchurch (105 miles) is thus described by “ Rover” in the “Canterbury Times:”—Faint echoes of cheers a long way up Lincoln Road were the first intimation the watchers at the racecourse received that the leader

was actually nearing the end of his long, toilsome, and wearisome journey. The people had waited patiently for hours. They had been on the tip-toe of expectation ever since about 4.30. The echoes of cheers from Lincoln Road soon became more distinct. They they were taken up by the crowds that lined the approaches to the gates, and shortly after that a mud-bespattered rider slowly and laboriously came along the grass lawn to the entrance to the course. From head to foot he was encased in an armour of mud. His features were quite unrecognisable. He might have been any one of the 170 who started. The scratch: man was evidently wanted by the public, and on all sides of the balconies theory was “ It’s Jack Arnst.” The mud, however, had not obliterated the figures on his back, and “ 217” showed plainly enough as the rider entered the track, and it was then known that O’Connor had scored a noted victory. There wasa stipulation that competitors should goonce round the course, which was in a very bad condition for cycling. He rodefor a short distance on the track, through heavy mud, and then gave it up, and, getting off his machine, carried it along on the side of the track. But that time he was accompanied by a large crowd of enthusiastic admirers, who cheered him repeatedly. He walked all round the track with his machine, sometimes carrying it on his shoulders, and sometimes pushing it along. When he neared the winning-post he seemed to be utterly spent. He leaned forward until he stooped, and he wobbled at each step. No soonei- had he passed the post than his machine was wrenched from his hands, and he was raised shoulder high above the crowd. In response to the hearty cheers he languidly raised his hand and lifted his cap. The caked mud on his face cracked as he smiled a tired, muddy smile. He was hurried into the dressing-room, but emerged soon after, and was taken quickly away in a motorcar. Sir Joseph Ward announced O’Connor’s victory from the stewards’ stand. “ I have very much pleasure,” he said, “ in announcing that P. M. O’Connor, No. 217 on the programme, has come in first in this road race. (Cheers.) The time occupied is 6hr 47min to the gate. On your behalf, and also on behalf of myself, I desire to convey warm congratulations to O’Connor for the feat he has performed, and the meritorious work he has done on a day such as this is. It is a feat in itself. I think I am right in tendering to O’Connor the warm appreciation of cyclists' throughout the whole colony upon the splendid time he has put up. (Cheers.) I hope that he may g.-> on winning road races in New Zealand, and still more in other countries.” (Cheers.) Sir Joseph Ward called for three cheers for the winner, and they were given heartily. Considerable timeelapsed after O’Connor s arrival before-

anything else happened, and then Humm came along, and shortly after him Bell, and later on the others In several instances there were comparatively close finishes, and the nrogress round the muddy course was watcned with great interest. The order of arrival would have been altered in some cases had not a stipulation been made that competitors should go round the course, as some were beaten on the track by those who reached it shortly after them. The following the order of arrival of the first eighteen ta finish: —P. M. O'Connor (Cricklewood), 45min, 4hr 47min; A. Humm (Spreydon), 35min, shr 12min 9sec; F. H. Bell '(Fairlie), 43min, shr 15min Isec; G. Smith (Riccarton), 50min, shr 25min 13sec; W. A. Bennett (Highbank), 45min, shr 27miri 25sec; G. N. Langford (Temuka), 42min, shr 37min 43sec; O. Neilson (Dannevirke), 23min, shr 29min 18sec; C. H. Butterfield (St. Albans), 50min, shr 34min 56sec; H. Lloyd (Wanganui), 23min, shr 36min 25sec; H. Henderson (Palmerston North), smin, shr 37min 51sec; P. Watson (Papanui), 50min, shr 39min 51sec; W. Walsh (Papanui), 30min, shr 40min 14sec; A. Birch (Fendalton), 35min, shr 46min 46sec; W. Rennie (Invercargill), 23min shr 49min 16sec; R. Jones ,Napier), 17min, shr 53min 36sec; H. E. Mehrtens (Spreydon), 25min, shr 53min 36sec; G. Carr (Makikihi), 42min, shr 55min 25sec; B. Prestney (Rangiora), 30mm, 6hr Omin lOsec.

We all know what an important factor the wind is with cycling. A wind that retards a man at his best to 10 miles per hour will allow of more than double the pace being made if running before it, and, what is more, with less than half the effort. It is a curious fact that the best times are always made in road races (over an out and home course), when the riders have the advantage of the wind on the outward journey. That I have repeatedly noticed (writes “Fortis”), and the explanation seems to be that the racer is better fitted to tackle harder work when he is thoroughly warmed, when his circulation is perfect, and when he is perspiring at every pore. He is full of running, and, besides, has dropped into his stride, which enables him to gauge to an ounce the exact pressure required to maintain a certain pace.