Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/107

 of every timer rested on the quarter mark and as the machine flew by it, one of them shouted, “Twenty and one-fifth.’

This was at the rate of 1:20 4/5. The second quarter was 19 1/5 seconds. This was a 1:16 4/5 clip, or just 2/5 of a second slower than the time made by Joe Downey on the straightaway course. The third quarter was made in the same time as the first. The tripler was in readiness to pick up the Major in the last quarter, but as it turned towards the pole, the pacing machine with Taylor swerved aside and shot by the triplet as if it had been standing still.

“ ‘Now jump!’ Munger yelled to Taylor, who immediately made a greater effort and his wheel crept up beside the pacing machine and they crossed the line almost together, this breaking the record in the remarkable time of 1:22 2/5 much to the pleasure and shouting of the hundreds of enthusiastic spectators who had remained to see this successful trial.”

Naturally I was pleased at my performance and was delighted that this series of nerve-racking time trials was over with. However, I had no time to celebrate the establishment of the new record as I was scheduled to participate in the world’s championship races at Montreal within only nine days after I broke the world’s record for the mile. I was anxious to get to Montreal so that I might engage in practice on the track on which the world meet was to be held on August 12, most of my competitors having been there already for several weeks. Entries were received from practically every country in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia.