A Bicyclists' Collision.

Hastings Standard, Issue 256, 25 February 1897, Page 3

A Bicyclists' Collision.

A NUMBER OF •' CRACKS " GOT SEVERELY INJURED. [By Telkgi:u hj" (Per Press Association.) Wellington, Feb. 21. The opening of the Championship Cycling Sports at Wellington yesterday was attended with a series of accidents. The track is of cinders and clay, 520 yards round, and well banked at the corners, but it was not at its best because heavy rain had fallen overnight and softened it a little. In the afternoon the sky cleared and the weather was hot. Ttie attendance was not so large as expected, about 1400 being present. The programme opened with some handicap events and all went well until the first championship, five miles, came on. For this there were no fewer than 16 starters?, including all the cracks, and they bad not gone far before they got bunched and all but sis or seven fell. The rest went on. btitnearing the end something occurred, and the remaining riders also came to grief. Some managed to remount, and Dexter came in first, followed by Wall and Allen, but it was declared no race, and will be ridden again on Saturday. On counting the casualties they were found to be serious. Ritchie, of Chrisichurch, had a collar bone broken, Carbolt was believed to be injured internally ; Mac Donald had his nose broken, and all three were taken to the hospital. Most of the others were a good deal knocked about, and displayed plenty of abrasions. Machines were damaged wholesale, and for the rest of the day some of the men had to ride borrowed mounts, to which they were unused, and this no doubt had an effect on the racing.