St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-05
JUST HEADS APART.
Close Contest in the Bicycle
Road Race From Waukesha
to Milwaukee,.
Dick Meyer, of the Beer City,
Crosses the Line a Wheels
Length Ahead.

MILWAUKEE, July 1.-The Milwau-
Waukesha road race this morning
was the greatest wheeling event ever
seen in the West. The weather was
beautiful, and two lusty youths crossed
the tape at the corner of Grand and
Twenty-eighth avenues, just heads
apart. Over 1000 people witnessed the
affair. The road was heavy with
dust and gravel beds and deeply
grooved by broad farm wagon tires.
The affair was like a steeplechase, and
the elements to victory were pluck, a
good wheel and an abundance of luck.
The fastest men met with accidents and
fell by the wayside, but there were so
many contestants that those who
Won places deserve well-earned VIC
tories. The race on the whole
was a game struggle and fine
exhibition of American pluck. Two
sturdy Americans with mix
ture OF Teutonic blood were the first to
win both the race and the time medal.
The winners were Dick Meyer. eighteen
years old, of Milwaukee, Wheelmen
club. 1880 handicap, first; Hugo Prues-
sing, nineteen years old, Milwaukee,
1890 handicap, second; Emil Ulbrehct,
fastest time In 1854.
The start from Waukesha was grand
sight, the entire population being out
in force. The sun shone brightly for
short while, and the air was cool. Two
hundred and ten brawny athletic men
lined up for the contest. At o'clock
the first men started amid cheers Of
encouragement, and by 9:13 all the
handicap allowance men had rolled
off in squads and the scratch
men began the run. 1t was splendid
race from start to finish. Parker Ser
combe, of Milwaukee. was the fastest
man. With one minute handicap he
sped away from the scratch men and
quickly moved down those with big
time allowances. The course was six
teen miles. When six miles from
Waukesha Sercombe had made big
gain over scratch men and was well
to the front. A few minutes later he
slipped on piece of wet Nadway and
shot into. ditch. This was the last of
Sercombe i'll the race; his legs were
badly bruised, his head cut, and he will
be laid up for two weeks. A game rider
was Fred Nessel, the king of Chicago
road racers. Five miles from the finish
he was ahead of everybody and
the time test, but was cut off by
a passing train. He was about TO
attempt to shoot across the path of the
locomotive, but was saved from hor-
rible death by quick turn into ditch,
where his wheel was reduced to atoms
and himself injured. A. l.. Leonhart,
who followed closely, generously offered
the champion his wheel, which he re-
fused. Leonhart then mounted again
and finished among the leaders. The
two youngsters, with liberal allowances
of 1880, were ahead nearly all the way.
The finish was fine struggle. Meyer
got in wheels length ahead of Prues-
sing. Both men rolled from their
wheels when the tape was crossed
and lay exhausted in the dust.
Fully two minutes later the next
men came i'll sight, and the
close order that the judges were at
loss to place them. They were busy
for six hours after, trying to straignten
out the tangle. Coming up Undertak-
ers' hill. one-quarter of mile from the
finish. fully thirty riders had got out
and were compelled to walk, some fall
ing III the roadway from exhaustion.
The hero of the race is Ulbricht, of
Chicago. winner Of the time medal. He
rode the course in 1854, beating the
best previous record by one minute and
htty-SlX seconds, made by Fred NeSSel
last year. He took the middle of the
road to avoid being cut down. The
fastest riders agree that Parker Ser
eombe is the best road racer in America
and will never again be allowed handI-
cap.
Following is the summary of best
time made: Emil Ulbricht, Chicago
Racing WheeImen, 1854; j. F. Retzner,
Mercury Cycling club, Milwaukee,
47:31; A. l.. Leonhart; Chicago Racing
Wheefmen, 1881; Arthur Gardiner.
Columbia Wheelmen, Chicago, 1914; F.
W.Sehmitz, Milwaukee Wheelmen, 4S:4S;
John Clark, Chicago WheeImen, 1921;
Ed. Roth, Milwaukee, 1904; L. Rich
mond, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1922; l..
o. Wilconson, Illinois Cycling club,
1875; Richmond, Grand Rapids, 1890;
Evgene Spike. Cook County Wbeelmen,
59:40; George Booker, Milwaukee Athletic
society, 1880; F. w. Asmun. Milwaukee
Wheehnen, 1915; Fl. FOOL. Milwaukee
Cycling club. 1858. The time of the
winners were: Meyer, SO :04; PrueSsing,
53:05. ana w. c. Schrader, 52:37. George
Krelwitz, of Milwaukee, won the donkey
prize.