Cycling.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 208, 25 June 1904, Page 21

Cycling.

The ciack New Zealand road-ndeis, J and R. Arnst, are both in tiaimng, with a view of competing in the New Zealand Dunlop test lace from Tiraaiu to Christchuroh (112 miles), which is to be held on July 16th. The. event is being held by the- DunLop Tyre Company, so that the fastest New Zealand roacUideirs can be selected and sent to Victoria to compete in the big Dunlop road race from Wai rnambool to Melbourne, in August next. Last year, it will be lemembeied, the Arnst brothers were sent across, and succeeded in carrying back : to Maonland thehonoms of the lace, J. Arnst winning the event from scratch, besides establishing a world's record by ruling 165 miles in the wonderful time ot 7hrs 43mins. One of the most ambitious motor rides attempted m any pait of the world is that recently planned and attempted in England by Mr. Cecil Edge, of Londont Mounted on an English-made 35 horse-power car, and accompanied by a companion and a press observe,! he set out from London to try and iouraey from one end of England to the other, and back again to London (a total distance of 2000 miles), without stopping his engine for any cause whatever. Mr Edge and his companion decided upon' taking eight-hour stretches at the steering wheel,. so that a few hou is sleep could be obtained in the oar The ride was started at midnight on Satuiday April 23rd, and, despite most unpleasant experiences in crossing the Grampioiw during darkness all difficulties were surmounted and 'John o' Groats, a distance of 109 U miles, was reached on Tuesday before midday, without a single stop oi accident to the engine. The return journey «ras immedj ately entered upon, and Kendal— about 200 Si from the startmg joint-«j reached on Thursday, when tyie Soubfes overtook the party, necessitating a considerable delay Up to this staVe Edge had covered considerably ove? 1600 miles without stopping his engine, a marvellous performance. Don ' Walker, the well-known Austialian racing crack, left Sydney for San Francisco by the 'tora/' He accompanied Major and Mrs. Taylor. The arrangements^ tor the test races to be held in. the various centres ot the colony to choose a dist.net representative to compete m the Dunlop Ti.ma.uChnstohuroh road race are well m handThe Wellington test race will be run on the 25tli instant, over a course of thirty miles The Nelson and Inveroargili eWts take place on the 29th instant over a distance of forty-eight males and fifty-three miles respectively , and the Auckland and Dunedm races eventuate on the 2nd pi ox , the distances being seventy-eight miles and fifty-six miles respectively. The Manawatu test race is> to be ran on July 6th, and the distance set dow n is seventy males. Information with ieferenoe to the Napier test race is not yet to hand, but it mentioned as probable that Mosterton will hold a similat race, so that the big event on July Ibtn, and for which entne® close on baituiday, July 2nd, will be represented by the finest road-iiders that eveu 1 competed in the colony. So the big Gordon-Bennett Cup Race came oft on Friday last, and Fiance carries off the honours. The contest took place at Hamburg, in Germany over a course 86i miles round, which had to be traversed four times, so that the length of the race was just 340 miles. Great Butam, Fiance, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Belgium wene each represented by thiee oars, and one of the Frenchmen — Therv, to. boot— -has won, covenng the distance in ohis 50mins 3secs. Jenatzy and Decaters, of Germany, were second and third. Gieat Britain's three representatives were S. F. Edge (who i etired after the third round with a damaged tyre) Charles Jarrott, and S Girling. Edige won the Cup for Britain in 1902, taking it from Framce, but it was lost in July last to Jenatzy, of Germany It is estimated that, including the cost of building cai-s, etc , the total cost of holding the eliminating races and conducting the great event itself would amount to £250,000.