CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 12

CYCLING.

There were eleven falls at the A.X.A. cycle meeting, Melbourne, on Saturday. MacFarland came down twice. Larson and Walker were seriously hurt. Mr. E. Xorden. secretary of the League of Xovr Zealand Wheelmen, contemplates resigning his position at the next annual meeting. The Canterbury Athletic and Cycling CJ-.ib I Xew Zealand) has cabled to Melbourne to endeavour to secure Ivor Lawson and Floyd Mscfarland for a New Zealand tour. A euricms. but unfortunat-ely fatal, accident occurred in London last, month. A cyclist was smoking a pipe while riding. and his machine came down on the grease, and the stein of his pipe (which was probably a clayi inflicted a wound ou liia tongue. His doctor did not consider the ease serious, but he got worse, and died a week after tbe mishap. "Cycling" is responsible for the statement that the late Jimmy Michael is estimated to have made £40.000 out of cycle racing. Yet it is said that he had hardly a penny left after his boat passage, w.hen he started on what proved to be his last journey., was paid for. That wild mania to become a jockey and an owner of racehorses fairly emptied his well-lined pockets. He isn't the first and won't be the last who has tried to •'beat the ring" and failed. The racing at the A.N.A. meeting was remarkable for the form shown by Rutt. In the A.N.A. Wheel Race he bridged the gap of 100 yards on his own account, and then won from a strong field with a brilliant sprint. In the mile championship of Australia Rtitt proved a surprise. Ellegaard seemed to have the race in hand, when Rutt tackled him in the straight, and beat him heme by a length with a magnificent sprint. Farley, who finished strongly, wa* only inches behind the Danish champion. In tbe evening Rutt. in the semi-final of th« two laps* dash, finished brilliantly, jnst beating McDonald on the post by inches. The Five Miles Gold Stakes he won by four lengths from Morgan and McDonald, Ellegaard being hopelessly beaten in the final sprint. From the reports to band the attempt to revive human pacing on the winter track in Paris has not been a success. The spectators want something more spicy. It is the element of danger in motor-paced races (to the performers) when high-powered engines are used which makes this game (five men were killed by it last season) so attractive lo such a sensation-loviag attendance as a Parisian crowd. One of the chief cycling sports promoters in Paris has signed on Kramer, who has won the American championship for three years in succession, for a three months' eogaga»ent, coaaaeacißz ia April next.