The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05
CYCLE RACING IN 1895
CHANGES IN RULES WILL MAKr rrrr
SPORT MORE INTERESTING.
"on the spots Review Of the F,e,a
and Expectations OF Promoter--A
Wave of Professionalism.

classes, the amateur and professional ana
the former viii be so strictly under sur
VIGILANCE that Ii will not be safe for the
pure amateur TO transgress the rules. The
amateur will be confined closer the yalua
tion limit OF his prizes will be SIS lower. and
ne Will be compelled to be what the name
Implies, an amateur. and that In all senses
OF the word Throwing into the professional
ranks IS not going to suffice with the rae
ing BOARD this season. Summary punishment
Will De inflicted besides. The man will be
suspended Tor time from all racing, this.
Tor gaining goods under false Dretenses, as
u were ana when his punishment is ended
he viii be cast in with the professionals.
professionals will be watched by an eagle
eye and their every act will be noted Chair
man Gideon expressed himself very forciblv
at Baltimore and at the national assembly.
when ne did not expect to be chairman of
the racing board this season, when he said
tnat were ne once again to fill the office the
rules would be obeyed or some one would
suirer. Chairman Gideon Is again in the po-
Sitlon and, with his board, in control of
racing IN the United States. IL is sincerely
to be hoped that the rules will be insisted
upon as strictly as the chairman has said
they will be. The number of racing men
Tor the coming season. those in the profess
sional class, is very large. ana numbers may
be dropped without understanding the field.
There was total Of over seven hundred
pros when Class b was abolished. and
these. with the seven hundred men. will
increase the number of pros to near the
1.5O0 mark. The Glass B men have not
changed their coats from pure amateurism
at least, the 80 or more per cent have not
out II Is fully expected that all will, either
nil irc~fxy ~
Many amateurs of last seasons Glass A will
so over to the side of the dollar sign. for
the reason that that was where they be-
ionged last season. Then, again, the restric-
tons as to limit of distance they may travel
and the change ia the limitation of the
prizes, places the man who is able to ride
and who wants 10 ride, in prison.
professionalism will be no disgrace 1t will
be an honor conducted this season, and
riders viii find riding for the dollars with
out suspicion far superior to riding for gold
medals and constant suspicion. But there
VIII be other changes this season and the
least is not that in the programme of races
Inc meet promoters are willing TO accept
the gospel that has been preached to them
this season and are willing to place on their
programmes races for classes. Iong-distance
races and other races that will give some
other but the pronounced cracker Jack all
the show. In last years prize list barely a
dozen men won one-half of all the prizes
of the season and over one hundred men
shared the Dickings Men good at one par
ticular distance, the mile, had things pretty
much their own way and men good for dis
tances over two miles and under a half
mile, had nothing in the long run Class
races were run in four instances in nearly
nd
prettily contested and were very exciting.
The race-meet promoter for the coming
season is disposed TO place on his pro-
gramme invitation races for the big men
of the path; class races for the slower men:
five, ten, twenty and hour races for long
distance men: tandem races for others and
handicap races fer all. With the so-called
big men CT the path confined to invitation
races, more would enter the handicaps and
these races would become, as they should.
the point of attraction
WILL RACE FOR MONEY.
Another change of the coming season eff
fects one side of the racing mans pocket
book. The makers seem to have combined
TO keep the poor % racing man guessing.
The man of the path is now racing for
money and this money when won is his
and not his employers. Salaries in Glass
b were high and it is said that in profess
sionalism this will not be the case Some
racing men have signed. The contracts are
reported to have been E5eral in the ex-
IRENE. This is keeping others at the guess
ing point and meanwhile those in positions
sit, back and smile and wait for the poor
man on the outside to do just what they
have done-sign and say little about it.
There will be little change in the matter
OF teams Some of the makers have drawn
out. others are coming in, and coming in
fast. The number of teams will be greater
and the number OF followers OF the circuit
will be. greater. Men will come out this
year at their own expense and win money
enough TO keep them going. They may win
more than money enough. When this is the
case positions will be offered them for win
ners will never be without position. There
Is just the same warm competition among
the makers to-day as was the case for
many past years, even since the early days
of cycle racing and as will be the case to
the end of cycle racing.
But the main change will be the change
in the opinion regarding professional rae
ing. For years there has been a feeling
against the sport The old Cash Prize
League went under and the professional
races run OF late years, or until last year.
old skates John S. Johnson. Walter Sang
er, Harry Tyler, Con Baker and host of
others rode great races all last season and
never once was a faint thrown their
brand of professionalism. No taint will be
thrown out this season and 1,4OO profession
al riders will give the American public
brand OF sport that viii. in the end. land
cycle racing at the pinnacle OF sport in
America.
Some change will DE necessary this sea-
son in the matter OF pacing II a fair deal
Is TO be given TO all The multicycle pacing
that existed last season made fast racing
and the public seemed TO be pleased. But
the public did not see that the that
caught the first OF the procession behind
the pace makers was the man that. in the
majority OF cases, won the races. For this
there was some reason The first in the
procession had steady pacing, while the
others lodged from side 10 side 20 hold
their place and in this way wore themselves
out before the finish. Tom Eek says that
it is practical TO race without pace
makers and compel every man 10 appear