Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/39

 road racers of America. In this classic were some of the most coveted distinctions in the bicycle world.

Monte Scott, the best road-race rider in the country at the time and myself were the scratch men. Throughout the race I was never off his rear wheel, and we were having a beautiful duel until we came to within one-half mile of the tape, then somebody threw a pail full of ice water in my face, and before I recovered from the shock Scott had crossed the line a winner, while I was forced to take second place. I might say that the water throwing episode was due to accident rather than design as many of the riders arranged for such a stunt, and some trainer evidently miscalculated when he showered the ice water on me.

Itching for an opportunity to show my speed as a road-race rider, I jumped at the opportunity to enter the Tatum 25-mile road race which was scheduled to be held at Jamaica, L. I. Two other riders and myself were the scratch men, there being about 60 in the field. The other scratch men framed it up against me with the two one-minute men to have the latter stall along until the scratch men came up, and within a certain distance of them, the two scratch men were to suddenly jump away from me, catch the two minute-men, and by alternating pace make it physically impossible for me to overtake them alone. However, their plan failed. They used every trick in the calendar against me but without success.

Five miles from the finishing line I decided to try one of my own tricks to throw off my rivals. I pretended to be exhausted and made difficult work of holding on to the leaders. The field fell for my stall and immediately dropped their foul riding tactics and set sail for the tape. In reality they were playing right into my hands when they were doing that, and I held my sprint in reserve until we only had a half-mile to go. Then I shot past the bunch and won out by six lengths, George Hicks second, Wallie Owens third, and Bill Loosie fourth.

Since this was my first victory in a race of this distance I was overjoyed at winning, and particularly since I was able to overcome the foul tactics of the strong combination that was lined up against me throughout the event.