CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 910, 15 August 1907, Page 9

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

THE DUNLOP ROAD RACE.

After uninterruptedly and successfully organising and running the Timaru-to-Christchurch Road Race, and the many eliminating tests throughout the whole colony in connection with this great event for the past five years, and also in 1899, the Dunlop Co. has been advised that in view of the active steps recently taken by the police in the North Island to suppress road racing, similar action would be adopted here in the event of the Timaru-to-Christchurch or any other road races being again promoted. Such intimation has, of course, left the Dunlop Co. no other alternative but to abandon their race for this year. Although it had for some time past been feared that such a course would be adopted, the promoters had- hoped that in view of the objects for which this event has from year to year been promoted, viz., to allow of an opportunity to select the most capable rider in the colony to uphold its prestige in the great Australasian Road Championship which is held annually in Victoria by the “Dunlop Co.” over the Warrnambool-to-Melbourne course (165 miles), under the rules of the League of New Zealand Wheelmen, and in which in past years New Zealand riders had invariably covered themselves with glory, thus adding lustre to the reputation gained by the athletic community of this colony, and at the same time allowing of a comparison as to the calibre of “our boys” when pitted in honest and stern rivalry against many of the world’s greatest athletes who yearly compete for the Blue Riband of the Australasian wheel world in this great road race, it had been hoped that exception would have been made of the “Dunlop Timaru-to-Christchurch Road Race,” more especially as there never yet has been anything approaching the semblance of a serious accident in connection with this event, or the numerous eliminating tests held, so that it is small wonder the promoters and wheelmen generally had very good reasons to hope that the great road race would again materialise without police intervention, but unfortunately this was not to be, consequently very keen disappointment has been felt by numerous riders who have for months past been in active training for the race. It is to be hoped, however, that means will be devised for sending one or more accredited representatives to uphold the enviable reputation this colony has already gained through the instrumentality of the Dunlop Road Race, and the sterling performances of such riders as A. Ralston ,A. Calder, Arnst Bros., H. E. Mehrtens, Birch Hume, and many others, who have in the past figured with such gratifying success in these classic events, and of which the following acts speak most eloquently. The first time that New Zealand was represented in the Warrnambool-to-Melbourne race in 1901, when A. Ralston gained the coveted title of “Australasian Champion,” on which occasion he established the fastest time, whilst the following year Calder and Ralston scored second and third fastest times. All will readily remember the world’s record established in 1903 by that peer of road riders, Jack Arnst, who won from scratch in the record time of 7 hours 43 minutes, his brother Dick in the same event gaining second fastest place, whilst another brother W. Arnst, when occupying first position to within 50 miles of the finishing post, had the misfortune to break his machine and was disqualified. Jack Arnst that year, it will also be remembered, competed with conspicuous success in the Sydney-to-Goulburn Road Race (132 miles), in which he gained fastest time, and established a record for that course, whilst last year the fine performances of the New Zealand contingent is still green in our minds, when the coveted title of champ’on of Australasia was again brought to our shores, this time by that sterling road rider, H. E. Mehrtens, also the creditable performances of A. Birch and Hume in securing second and third positions in such a strong field. With these fine performances by “our boys” in the past, we can only hope that this

year’s-championship will not be allowed to go by default. The reputation of our colony is at stake and we shall now look to those governing the sport to devise some means whereby New Zealand may again be represented by her most capable men.