CYCLING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 797, 21 April 1910, Page 5

CYCLING.

■.:■'.;-'V'-;-^ —-♦-— r. ." ATTEMPT TO LOWER A RECORD. -: /FOILED BY'ArDOG. .■-.'.(By TeleErapn,.—Press ' Association.) Dunedin, April 20. Alfred Birch, the well-known cyclist, who essayed to cover the' distance of 2tt miles between Christchurch and Dunedin on a bicycle; inside of 12 hours to-day, was by extraordinarily bad luck defeated in his object when success was practically in sight. When-descending the Kilmog Hill, and, with only about 16 miles to go, and three-quarters of an hour to do it in, a."dog ran across" the..track. Birch swerved to avoid it, and ran into ; some rubble, which twisted his ■machine, and, with the pace at which he was travelling (about 30 miles an hour), his front wheel collapsed, and the. rider was thrown heavily on: his head. With 27 miles to go he was an hour and a half within the time 6f»12 hours, and once on top of the Kilmog' Hill'.'he started on the long run down'at a fast pace. Turn : after turn was rounded in fine style when, suddenly, a trap was observed, somo yards ahead. A dog which accompanied it . tried the -i norves of tho pacers,-but they passed it safely, and tho dog was just on the point of running to the sido of the road when Birch,' taking a swerve to avoid it, his machine met some 'loose rubble, and, in turning sharply'to get away from, the obstruction, the wooden rim of the front wheel crumpled up, and Birch was left lying on the ground, fully 15 yards ahead, and tangled up •'. in the rims of the machine.- The rider had sustained a terrific fall, and, when picked up, was unconscious and bleeding profusely. Fortunately Mr. Lindsay, secretary of the Council of the League of Wheelmen, is also district chief superintendent for the Canterbury St. John Ambulance Brigade, and. his services in the way of first aid were invaluable. The unconscious man was placed in" a motor-car and brought to Dunedin.