Cycling News. FIXTURES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 149, 23 December 1895, Page 2

Cycling News. FIXTURES.

December 26.— Feilding Athletic Club Sports (3 races). December 26.— Pioneer Bicycle Club Annual Sports (Christchurch). January I—Manawatu1 — Manawatu Cycling Club Sports (Palmerston N.). January 2 and 4. — N.Z. Championships at Christchurch. January 22.— Feilding Cycling Club Annual Sports. January 23.— Five Mile Australasian Championship, Melbourne. ZIMMERMAN DEFEATED BY A NEW ZEALANDER. (Per Press Association.) Melbourne, December, 22. Tho weather was fine for the Zimmerman Cycling Carnival yesterday, and the gathering attracted an imiusnse crowd of spectators. Parsons was unable to compete owing to an attack of influenza. The meeting was remarkable for the double defeat of Zimmerman by Pither and Walker. The enthusiasm over the wins of the Australian riders surpassed anything previously seen on the ground. The following are the results : — One Mile Open Handicap. Martin (America), scratch 1 Walker (Victoria), 40yds 2 Marsh (Victoria), 100 yds ... ... 3 Won easily by two lengths. Time, 2 mm 21 4-sth sees. Pither and Porta also competed. Invitation Scratch Race, 1 mile. Pither (New Zealand) 1 Zimmermau 2 Martin 3 A fast race. Zimmerman was leading at the end of the third lap, when Pither stole a march on him, and got level with him 50yds from home. Pither kept going with a tremendous spurt, and wearing down the champion beat him by a good two yards. It was a magnificent finish, Martin claiming that he should have been awarded second place. At the finish the people rushed the ground, and carried the winner shoulder high to the pavilion amidst long and deafening cheering. International Scratch Mile. Walker (Victoria) 1 Zimmerman 2 Martin 3 The American made the pace a cracker after the first lap and a half, and stole away with a 40yds lead from Zimmerman, who, with a magnificent spurt, caught him lOOyds from home. The champion then had to answer a challenge from Walker, who stuck to him right to the post and beat him by six inches, Martin a fair third. Time, 2min 31 2-sth seconds. Zimmerman's defeat is taken as proof that he cannot sustain au extended spurt. After the Invitation Race Zimmerman undertook to lower his own half mile Anstralian record of Imin 5 l-ssecs, and accomplished the task in 58secs, finishing 20 yards in front of the pacer. This Day Zimmermau admits that be was in the best form and health, and the only explanation he can give of his two defeats is that he was unused to the small exhibition track, while the winners, being well acquainted with it took advantage of the awkward corners. Pither's victory is generally regarded as the outcome of one of the best races ever ridden in Australia, and was all the more creditable as he is suffering from a burnt arm, which was covered with bandages. During the afternoon Zimmerman attempted to lower the Anstralian J-mile record of 30 l-ssec, but failed by 3-ssec Between four and five hundred cyclists attended church parade yesterday.