Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/98

 present agreed that I showed Tom Butler as fast a sprint, in that re-run heat, as he had ever seen.

In the first heat Frank Gately furnished the pace and when he dropped out at the last quarter Butler and I sprinted for ourselves. We flew into the home stretch about even but I quickly jumped, and shot across the tape, winning by a half wheel length. No pace-makers were used in the second heat, as is the custom in France, the riders loafing along until within 200 yards of the tape. At this point the pair of us made a gallant effort for first place. I won by a wheel's length. I received a wonderful ovation.

My next race, which marked the opening of the Grand Circuit, was held in St. Louis, in July 1899. No rider ever received a greater ovation than I when I won that championship.

I quote this account of it from a St. Louis newspaper:

"Major Taylor a Champion. Beats Them All In One-Mile Championship. Major Taylor won the one-mile national championship this afternoon. A large crowd was present to witness the postponed races.

"Tom Butler was a favorite with many of the spectators, who looked to him to win, but he disappointed their expectations by finishing fourth in what was a comparatively slow race. But the real race of the day was between Jerry Woodard, Major Taylor and Charles McCarthy. All three stayed together all through the race until the colored rider by a plucky jump managed to leave them at the finish line by a wheel's length. The crowd cheered the Major heartily and he evidently has many friends in this city.

"The final of the one-mile national championship was won by Major Taylor first, Woodard second, and McCarthy third. St. Louis has for years been a great cycling town, and has turned out many famous riders, such as, Charles McCarthy, Jerry Woodard, Dute Cabanne, the famous Coburn brothers, and many other fast riders." I received a most flattering ovation from the spectators, and officials.

Next I went to Chicago for the L. A. W. meet. In those days Chicago was a hotbed of racing. The city had turned out such famous sprinters as, Bliss, Githens, Diernberger, Lumsden, Was Sicklin, Spooner, Munger, Barrett, Tuttle, Rhodes, Gardiner, Bowler, Leander, Peabody, the wonderful amateur champion, and a host of other star riders. It was my first appearance in Chicago since I won the 10-mile road race against Henry Stewart, "the St. Louis Flyer," back in 1894. I was anxious to show the bicycle fans of that city how much I had improved in the meantime.

The one-mile professional championship event was the feature of the card and it was one of the greatest bicycle races that Chicago had