CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1008, 1 July 1909, Page 13

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

Major Taylor’s aversion to racing on Sunday—the sports day of the Continent —is well known, but as he desires to win the world’s championship and another important annual event, always decided on Sundays, he is going to break through his rule and leave it to his conscience to settle hereafter.

It seems that up till May sth last, A. E. Wills’ world’s hour record of 61 miles 973 yards had not been officially passed by the International Cyclists’ Union.' The delay originally arose through the time sheet being lost in transmission, and another one wa s to be~prepared by the timekeeper. Matters were being straightened out when the mail left, but the English papers blame the slackness of the German officials. “ Probably,” one of them concludes, “if the record had been made by a German rider, it would have been accepted months ago, at least that is bound to be the impression here.” Wills’ attempt took place so long ago as August last.

The War Office seems now to have accepted the inevitable—that the motor vehicle will be an indispensible adjunct to the defence scheme of the Empire;’ and in an army order issued last month it is mentioned that the daily allowance to officers of the Army Motor Reserve for use by the military authorities of a motor car of 20-h.p., or over, seating at least 4 persons, is fixed at 355; for cars under

20-h.p., seating four, at 32s 6d; and for cars of 10-h.p. seating two, at 255. A mileage allowance of 8d in the first case, 6d in the second, and 4d in the third, will also be given when the miles run per day exceed 60.

In April last the first Inter-Univer-sity Motor Cycle match, between representatives of Oxford and Cambridge Universities was held on the Brooklands track, consisting of a time trial over half a mile, and two teams races of two miles and six miles respectively- The scoring was by points, and the team with the highest aggregate in a race won that race. The Oxford team won the half mile speed test by 6 points to 4 points, and the two miles by 7 points to 3 points; but lost the six mile race, scoring only 4 points against Cambridge’s 6 points. Thus Oxford won the match by two events to one, and by 17 points to 13 points.

The great annual cycle road race from Bordeaux to Paris, the 19th of the series, was decided on May 2nd, and was won by Van Houwaert, who also was successful in 1907. The entry for this long distance event (370 miles) is never large, but it is at all times a very “classy” one, and this year was no exception. Van Houwaert led by 15 minutes, finishing in 18hrs 54min, with Trousselier, (last years’ winner) second in 19hrs~ 19 min, and Georget third, in 19hrs 38min. Single pacemakers were allowed, and the cracks of the various firms were followed by motor cars, with attendants, food etc. Sixteen racers started in this year’s contest.

A member of the Victorian motor trade, Mr. Colin de Fris, who has just returned from a trip to Europe, is bringing out a flying machine, which he will operate under engagement with Mr. T. N. Tait. He will first publicly exhibit the machine in the Town Hall, and then give a flying exhibition in a suitable place, probably on the Flemington Race Course. The machine is of the aeroplane type, which is opposed in principle to the airship in that with the latter the difficulty was to get down when up, while with the aeroplane the trouble was to get up when down. The Australasian rights of this flying machine were acquired from Mr. Wilbur Wright-

Another pace following disaster is reported from Germany. At Treptow, on April 25 th., the pace follower, Pongs, trailed by Junggburt, came down in a 50 klms. race against Przyrombel and Rosenloecher. Englishmen will scarcely wonder at anything happening with such an array of names; evidently it was too much for the track..