Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/109

 money despite the fact that the rank and file in the crowded grand stand insisted that I had won. But let the following clipping from a Montreal daily tell the story as a disinterested reporter saw it.

“The World A’Wheel. Greatest Gathering in the Records of Bicycling. The world’s record in a racing way, and the world’s attendance in an attendance way—that tells the story in a small kind of way. There were more than 5,000 people who could not get in at the Queen’s Park track yesterday for the International Races. Inside were gathered 18,000 bicycle race enthusiasts.

“There was only one mistake and it is extremely difficult to account for. That was, why Major Taylor was deprived of a race that he had won. Just what the judges could have been thinking about no one seems to know. That Major Taylor won his race seemed clear to all the spectators who arose in a mass and cheered the colored rider every time he appeared on the track. This was the only difficulty of the first day’s meeting. It was unfortunate, however, for the man who won the race was not credited with his winning. It was ‘Taylorian Day.’ Color cut no ice at any stage in the game.

“The largest crowd ever seen in Montreal was gathered inside Queen’s Park track for the races and the program was worthy of the gathering. Chief interest centered in the half-mile open race for professionals in which the most prominent speed merchants were entered. The leaders were Major Taylor, Nat Butler, Frank Butler, Charlie McCarthy, Angus McLeod, D’Outreion, Harley Davison, as well as a host of other fast riders who gave promise of being heard of in cycle circles in the future.

“The final of this race had a most unsatisfactory termination in that the majority of spectators were of the opinion that the Worcester, Mass., boy had won the race in which he made such a spectacular finish by crossing the tape not less than a foot ahead of McCarthy and Nat Butler.

“The first heat was won by Nat Butler with McCarthy second and Blaney of Toronto, third. The second heat went to Carman, T. B. McCarthy second, and Gibson third in a terrific finish.

“There was a broad smile on Major Taylor’s face when he lined up for the third heat. Frank Butler cut out the pace; behind him riding leisurely came Major Taylor who was greeted with cheers at every turn. Woodward and McLean trailed Taylor. There was little interest from a strictly racing standpoint until the last quarter of the lap when the black wonder straightened out his limbs and fairly lifted himself into the lead. He ran away from the Cambridge rider in the sprint and finished easy. The Detroiter, Woodward was second while Butler had to be content with third place. The trailers were Murray and McLean.