Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/145



Keenly disappointed because of my defeat in the half-mile professional championship at the Indianapolis meet on July 18, 1900, I determined to show the same riders, if possible, the way home in the next race at that distance. My opportunity came on the famous Buffalo Athletic Field track on August 2, 1900. This meet attracted the cream of the country’s bicycle stars including Owen Kimble, Frank Kramer, Earl Kiser, Johnnie Fisher, Al Newhouse, Otto Maya and Charles Kunkle.

So intent was I upon winning the half-mile professional championship race at the Buffalo meet that I decided to spend some time on the track there preparing for the event.

A Buffalo newspaper carried the following item a few days before the race was held:

“Major Taylor Comes to Buffalo and Astonishes Cycle Fans. Major Taylor who is credited with being the speediest cyclist now before the public, accompanied by his trainer, arrived in Buffalo yesterday from Indianapolis. He went to the athletic field at once to do a little work in preparation for the big race meet that is to be held here next week. Otto Maya, one of the fastest riders in the country, arrived at the same time and the men worked out together. They alternated pace for a number of laps after which they wound up by reeling off a mile in the remarkable time of 2:02. That Major Taylor is capable of even better efforts was demonstrated later in the day when he covered a mile in 1:59.”

On the day following the meet this item appeared in one of the Buffalo newspapers:

“Major Taylor Still Fast. Kramer and Kiser Unable to Hold Dusky Streak Who Won the Championship Race. Defeat of the Leading White Professional Riders. Major Taylor, the sprinting cyclist, still rides fast. At the Buffalo field last night the Major proved conclusively to the large assemblage of cycle fans that despite his enforced absence from the track and being blacklisted by the riders’ association he has not lost any of his old-time speed. The feature of the National Circuit Meet was the half-mile professional event with increased points to count in the records for the championship, which was captured by the dusky whirlwind.

““The riders were divided into two heats, four men in each heat, the winners and second men in the fastest heat to meet in the three-cornered final provided for by the rules of the N. C. A. Board of 123