Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/108



Upon my arrival in Montreal for this international meet I read in one of the local papers that I was looked upon as the most likely winner from this country in the short distance events, while McLeod, McDuffee, and McCarthy were named as the likely winners in the long distance events. When I made my first trip to the Queen’s Park track I found more than 100 professionals and amateurs from all parts of the world training on it.

As I was now in my very best physical condition it required the best judgment of my trainer and myself to keep me in trim for the big championship race. I knew that if I overtrained or undertrained the least bit it might cause a reversal of form at the last moment and, of course, that would undoubtedly throw me off my championship form. By dint of hard work we happily struck the right combination and I finished up by light sprint practice for several days before the championships on my 88-inch sprinting gear which I changed to my regular 92-inch gear on the day of the big championship event.

I won the world’s one-mile championship at this meet shortly after I had been “‘jockeyed” out of a well earned victory in the half-mile open event for professionals the day before. All through my racing career my one outstanding motive was to win the world’s championship—and the same desire inspires every rider to his greatest efforts at all times.

This country furnished about 60 percent of the contestants at this international meet. England, France and Australia sent the cream of their cyclists to participate in this, the greatest bicycle program of the year. So keen was the interest of the public in the meet that thousands of enthusiasts gathered at the track daily to watch their favorites going through their training preparations. In the breast of every one of that contingent of riders, amateurs and professionals, burned the desire to win the world’s championship title in his chosen distance, and take the crown back to the country under whose colors he rode.

The first race in which I participated was the half-mile open for professionals. The starters were Nat, Tom and Frank Butler, Charlie McCarthy, of this country, Angus McLeod, D’Outreion, Harley Davison, Blaney, Clarence Carman, Tom McCarthy the Canadian, Harry Gibson, Calgar, Watson Coleman, Jimmie Bowler, James J. Casey and Church.

Through a weird ruling of the judges I was forced to take second