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The latest old-time champion to
announce his intention of "coming
back" is V. Dupre, who, according,
to L' Echo des Sports, has decided
to dispose of his restaurant and,
make a determined effort to restore
French sprinting to its pre-war
level. It was in 1909 that Dupre
won the world's championship
from Poulain and Rutt. The
German is still racing, Poulain has
recently re-emerged, and if Dupre
follows suit, there will be a 12-
years' gap bridged.
* * *
With the Bath Road “100" over,
there closes a succession of racing
week-ends absolutely without
precedent. With the exception of
the Meriden Day of May 21st,
there has been at least one open
road race every week-end since
May 1st. This is too much, and
open events will lose all the
glamour and importance, which
should be their due, if this con-
tinues. The number of open events
ought to be no more than the first-
class clubs could support without
any interference with their own
programmes.
* * *
Mr. S. Vanheems's week-end was
even more strenuous than I said,
for between the start of the
novices' "12" and his entraining he
put in a useful morning's work at
his West-End establishment.
Again, he had, in France, the for-
tune (or misfortune) to fall in with
a party of French cycling jour-
nalists. They were, like English
cycling journalists, a very fine,
merry set of fellows, and there was
no sleep for our friend that night.
At 2 a.m. the last stage of the Tour
commenced, and what followed
Mr. Vanheems may say for himself
in a future issue.
* * *
Whatever happens in the World's
Championship road race to-day, let
us remember that the English
virtually taught the Continentals
how to ride in these events. It is
30 years since a party of English
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men, headed by G. P. Mills, went
over and made a clean sweep of
the Bordeaux-Paris race. Their
methods opened the eyes of the
natives, and thenceforward no
Englishman caught them napping
,again, except in 1896, when Arthur
Linton dead-heated with Gaston
Rivierre for first place. England,
as the cradle of road sport, should
appropriately win the first cham-
pionship.
* * *
Just now there is much talk about
“bona-fide" travellers, and it
reminds me of a friend who called
at a licensed house during "off"
hours. He was, I regret to say,
taking part in a time trial, and he
was much wearied by exertion and
exposure, and presented a forlorn
sight. As he collapsed on a wooden
form the hostess asked: " Are you
a traveller?" He could only
groan: “No. I'm --- stationary!”
(Deleted by censor.)
* * *
A case of an extremely rare
nature came to my notice the other
day. Just prior to the Oak tandem
"100," the proprietress of an inn
at the turning-point, where feeding
was to take place, received a type-
written letter, purporting to come
from the club secretary, asking her
to cancel all orders for food and
accommodation, and to send on the
bill of costs, if any. Fortunately,
some Oak men arrived at about the
same time, and were able to declare
the letter to be a forgery. However,
the club are naturally anxious to
find out who is responsible, and
they are offering a reward of £5 for
the information. Communications
should be sent to Mr. L. F. Dixon,
46a, Tollington Park, London, N. 4.
* * *
It is very gratifying to, see the
Way in which new members are still
coming in to the C.T.C. There are
close on 400 names in the August
Gazette alone, and these include a
sprinkling from Scotland, Ireland,
and America. To show how the
Club are catering; for these
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numerous. clients, I need only point
out that the same. Gazette contains
the names of over 200 new appoint-
ments to its hotel list, as well as
repairers, camp sites, etc. So long
as this activity is maintained, there
is hope that cyclists will organize
on a bigger scale than heretofore.
* * *
Everyone was glad to see the old
familiar face of Charles Moss again
at the Bath Road "100." After
seven years, away from bicycles,
he has returned to his first love
with many regrets that he ever left
it, and, although the first of his
four fastest times in the Bath Road
"100” was in 1907, he is yet
younger than some who were com-
peting last Monday. It is not un-
likely that he may again ride
against the watch, although he has
no desire for the limelight and
would be content to, potter through
a race for his own amusement.
* * *
I hear that the Anerley B.C.
have as many entries for their
open 12-hour handicap as the Poly-
technic received for the Gayler
Memorial event last month, viz.,
51. Of these, Selbach, Davey, and
Newell share the scratch mark,
with W. A. George on the 3 min.
mark. Nine club are in the run-
ning for the team race, and both
this and the individual competi-
tion is close enough to prevent any
attempts at prophecies.
* * *
No doubt the attitude of the
N.C.U. in the matter of the late
enemy countries has been fairly
well justified up to now. I notice
the Union delegates have just re-
affirmed it at the U.C.I. congress,
and, doubtless, they shall maintain
it at Paris next February, when a
definite decision is to Be arrived
at. I have, however, heard the
N.C.U. policy rather freely criti-
cized lately among the clubs.
Would it not be advisable to test
the-feeling of members on this sub-
ject through the clubs and centres
before February next!
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