Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/96

 This is the first time a sprinter ever used such a high geared wheel in a sprint race, and manage to win out in a sprint with it.

"Tom Butler, who is to ride Taylor a match race at Westboro on June 10, ran second in the sweepstakes, he having 50 yards on the man whom he is to ride from scratch with. Butler rode well, however. Major rode a splendid race in the two-mile sweepstake. He started from scratch with Nat Butler and the pair caught the bunch on the sixth lap and the Major set the crowd wild by a magnificent sprint down the home stretch which carried him in first. The time was 4:34. Tom Butler on the 50-yard line was second, Frank Butler on the 80-yard line was third, and James J. Casey, 120 yards, fourth. Watson Coleman and Eddie McDuffee also ran."

On June 10 I lost the match race to my great rival Tom Butler at Westboro, Mass. Naturally, Butler was elated at this victory over me and especially since it was by a very wide margin, thereby removing considerable of the sting attached to my victory over him at the Charles River Park meet 10 days previous. I always considered my loss of that race due to the fact that I was obliged to ride my wheel with the big gear, which I had used in the sweepstakes race in Boston, only a short time before and partly to the fact that the Westboro race was run on a four-lap dirt track making it impossible for me to jump as fast as Butler. He was at his best in that race and as a result he led me over the line for the first time in his life.

In addition to the purse offered for the race at Westboro, which was divided 75 percent to the winner and 25 percent to the loser, the winner also was to get 25 percent of the gate receipts. On top of that Butler and I placed a side bet of $200 all of which was to go to the victor.

Three weeks later, July 2, I more than atoned for this defeat at the hands of Tom Butler. This match race was held on the Charles River Park track, Boston, and in it I had the use of my sprint wheel which was geared to 92 inches.