Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/138

 opening race of the season. I knew that my poor showing at the Manhattan Beach track was due to the excess weight I was carrying so I set about taking off the extra poundage that I might be in the best possible condition for the remaining races in that campaign.

Since Frank Kramer had recently defeated Tom Cooper his name was on the tongues of all followers of the bicycle racing game. He was looking for new worlds to conquer and on several occasions suggested that he would like to take me on for a sprint or two. Before long Kramer and I were signed up for a match race for a purse of $500, the winner thereof to take all. This race was held on the Manhattan Beach track on June 30, 1900.

I trained hard and faithfully for this race with Kramer and on the eve of it felt I was riding fast enough to give him my dust. Incidentally, I had an additional motive. I felt that if I defeated Kramer and won the $500 purse it would just offset the fine that bicycle moguls had imposed upon me in what I have always considered an unfair manner in the preceding season. So faithfully had I trained for this race that a few hours before I went to the track I weighed but three pounds above my best sprinting weight, indicating that I had taken off five pounds in one week’s training.

I quote from a New York newspaper of July 1, 1900, concerning that race:

“Major Taylor Defeats Frank Kramer. Negro takes two straight Heats in decisive Style. The great special match race between Major Taylor and Frank Kramer at Manhattan Beach track vesterday afternoon, was a treat of the first water. Last Sunday Kramer, who has been riding like the wind, administered a crushing defeat to Tom Cooper, the N. C. A. professional champion at Newark.

“Kramer defeated Cooper in two straight heats. but yesterday Major Taylor served the same medicine to Frank Kramer and he turned the trick so easily that his position in the very foremost ranks of the sprinters must be acknowledged.

“The race was single paced. Bob Miller was put in front and he cut out a good fast clip. In the first heat Tavlor lost the toss for position and took the place on the rear wheel of the pacemaker. When the last turn was reached Kramer tried to jump by, but Taylor beat him to it and pulled away from him up to the home stretch until there was only a peck of daylight between them as they flew past the tape.

“In the second heat Kramer was obliged to take the pace, and he was outgeneraled by the colored boy in every wav. Even as they reached the last turn Kramer made the least bit of a bluff to jump and then tried to get the Major past him, but no, Taylor just simply