Motoring and Cycling Notes.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 October 1911, Page 4

Motoring and Cycling Notes.

' ■ '<• r - DUNLOP ROAD BACK. WA'RPvNAMBOOL - MELBOURNE. O'SHEA (N.zT~CHAMPION. (From the Dunlop Rubber Company). An almost- perfect day, a splendid field, with the course in fair order, .and a magnificent finish, all tended to make the "Warrombool" of 1911 one of the .most successful of the--Beries. The fifteenth annual Dunlop road race from Warmambool to Mel'boure (165 miles) was, after a desperate finish, won by A. It. Colins, a Victorian rider in receipt of 44min. start by half a wheel from J. Tcbbs' (42min.) with F. Lcssing (34min.) third third, close up. The winner's time was Bhr. 4omin. llsec. —equal to an average of If) J miles an hour. Fastest time wont to P. O'Shea (scratch) of New Zealand, 'he riding the 165 miles in the good time of Bhr. IBmin. 44sec.—an average of 20 miles an hour. THE RACE. _ A few minutes before 0 a.m. the riders began to gather at the starting point in Warrnambool, and as the morning was bright they wore all lightly clad. -Many, however, parried spare tyro tubes across their shoulders or affixed to various parts of the machine. Precisely at the hour, the Mayor of Warrnaunbool (Councillor Younger) despatched the first batch of riders. They had 00 minutes' start, and "in tho intervening time till the scratch division was sent away at 7 a.m., 281 riders had been handled 'by tho officials. < The .light head wiml soon steadied and bunched the riders, for instead of the 43 miles to Camperdown being compassed in two hours the time generally was fifteen minutes longer. Among the first through th«t town were Lamb Ditchfield and Keon (60min.), Wing Palmer and Jenkins (oOmin), at 8.24 a.m., while O'Donnell (N.S.W.) passed a minute later. Collins (34 nun.)— the winner— and Hughes (fourth.) were checked at 8.34. Slan°.v (fifth) having preceded them at 8.28 a.m. At Colac, 72 miles, Keon was still leading with Wing and O Council, the latter having jjained a minute, the time, then beinp five minutes past 10 a.m. At Winchelsea (do miles) the riders swept past m such big bunches that it was utterly impossible to check them, but prominent in the first crowd—about 154 strong—were Snell, Bainbricfre, Keon, and Hird. the first riders wore checked here at 11.20 a.m. Leaving Winchelsea, the larger bunches seemed from a distance like a long train crossing the, plains, followed :by the inevitable column of dust. At Geoinng (119 miles), however, the race began to be more definite as regards position. W Giieiin (30 ihin.) who had ridden most consistently tibro'tifthcut, had picked up the front markers, and was leading at 32 mini, past 2 p.m.. with Teb.bs. Leasing, Hughes and Collins. In the run up to Melbourne, Guerin failed ftr a while, and was dropped, but comiii" through later made a, fine effoi-f and after chasing the leaders for fire miles ca.me up with them only to meet with a puncture, which Wt (him out of the running. Keen had .lost 2min. at Gee.long. while Harker (42mm) who finished .sixth, passed at 38min. past 12 p.m. At "Werribee (145 miles), and 20 miles from Melbourne. J. E. Millar (44min.) was I leading, with Slaney. Hughes. Ledger #> Collins. H. Kirkham, Guerin. Lessmg, Tebbs and' Harkef in that order at 7min. past 2 p.m., Snoll and O. Colvin passing 4min. later and Cupples (24min.j; J. Tozer (lOmin.. and J. E. Koenan ras, (Bmin.) being checked at 17min past 2 p.m. Tlie scratch division took matters easily at first McSweeney (W.A.) falling at 8' miles through some defect inflris machine. At Winchelsea, 9o miles, Keewan was 28min. behind tho. leading I bunch, while O'Shea (scratch) and Grey (lOmin.) reached Geelong (119 miles) ait 12.50 p.m.. 18min. later than the first batch. Gascovne passed at 12.58 p.m., and M'Sweeney at 1.15 p.m. Tmenty miles from tils© finish (at Werribee) O'Shea. had further improved, , his position, and. was only llmin. behind Collins, and he < continued to gain until at the finish there was a difference of 7 min. only. Tn all, 195 competitors completed the journey, and out of those 181 will receive time medallions for covering the course under 10} hours. THE FINISH. Over twenty thousand excited people lined the barriers at the finisih, whilst a tremendous crowd was congregated along the last five miles of the course. The crowd extended as Jar as one could see down the road but the press was greatest in the vicinity of the "finish" harrier which waved over the iheads of the judges and officials. A small army ot mounted and foot constables was on the scene, but the crowd was so great that they were unable to keen order. Once the first batch was tnrough. Loud shouting through the dust in the distance proclaimed the fact that, at lOmin past 3 o clock the leaders were in sight. The sunhg.it flashed on handlebars tor a second or two, and the ridel's six of thorn, became hidden in a narrow lane between human hedges, iney emerged into a wider strip" of roadway, which led to the banner Tlcto n?' of-ly one hundred further on. Thi"-e riders were pedalling almost side 'by side. Their features were hidden under coatings of dust and perspiration, their eyee were strained, their machines and thleir sweaters and their knickers were the colour of the roads. Only one hundred yards to go in a race of 165 miles, and three riders stilil fighting to be first. Men in thein- wild excitement roared at the three brown riders at if in anger with them, and women shrieked. The was a. whirl of wheels jis*. under the banner, and a long deafening shout went up. One of the dint-covered men had passed thie maa-k i foot in front of the second man, and the third, shouting hoarsely, arid holding up an a,rm in protest, was only a machine's length off. The first man. A. R , . Collins, fell off his machine from exhaustion as tho crowd closed round him, but he soon recovered. TJhie second man wae J Tebbs, and the third F. Lessinj; Lessing subsequently lodged a pretest against the winner on the igrouml that Collins had interfered with him during the final sprint. L: finer ending to a. big wheel race couild not have been witnessed.

Tlhe winner, Collins, a quiet, unassuring yovng man of 22, has'been ridingtwo yearn only. Ho finished' fifth in lasi/ year's Warrnambool, "There was a head wind all the way," he said, '%it nothing to compare with what we had to face in Gee-lons*, and I had a. fall font was not hart Eight to Winchelsea I rode in a hog bunch, and we made veiy good time, taking the wind kind' dust into consideration. Tebbs and Lessing for.ght the race out with me, and £h3 finish was about as close as it could he. I did not interfere with Lessing. O'Sihea, the winner of the Aiistralasian roid champions.hip bin© riband' amli badeo is a sturdily hnilt fellow of 22. weighing list. 71b. and standing 3ft. Bin.. "I never felt sanajuine of my cilibnce of teing fitst in" he said, "but T was out for the blue riband and meant to take it with me to New ZfeaLand if hard riding, could do it. I never once got off saddle,"

- LWIN.