The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-13

team OF the Acme Club wheelmen of Oak
land, the Bay City Wheelmen OF this City
being close second.
The race was re plete with incidents and
accidents, and the ride was hard one for
all the contestants. The day was warm
and sultry, and the course over which the
race was ridden was in very poor condi-
ton. Falls were numerous, and, while
nothing serious happened, many a man
finished bruised and dusty-sometimes on
o borrowed wheel, his own having been
smashed in some collision or tumble.
As prophesied in THE CALL last Friday,
the Aomes won the race and won il fairly.
but their most-feared competitors, the
Bay Citys, who entered their men at the
last moment, having almost decided not
to ride, gave them a much harder battle
than was expected, and but for the foul
riding Of Woman Of the Reliance Club,
who elbowed and threw MEME of the Bay
Citys, the latter club might have easily
won.
The trouble occurred on the south side
OF the triangular course, near the railroad
crossing. The race was paced throughout
by tandem teams from the different clubs
and at this point Reliance team swung
into the lead. To be first behind a tandem
is some advantage, and all the men in the
group of riders sprinted for the coveted
position. MEME got il, but this did not
suit Yeoman, who rode alongside of him
and tried to crowd him out, using his
elbow. NJ enns would not have it that
way and elbowed him back. 1t was over
a rough bit of road, and Yeoman's wheel
went into rut, throwing MIN heavily and
bringing his opponent down. also. The
rest of the bunch cleared the smashup and
kept on, but the wheels of the two who
hal fallen were wrecked and they could
not follow.
But happily for Yeoman clnbmste of
his came along and loaned him his wheel,
and he was soon off again and caught up
what he had lost, while MEME had to wait
several minutes before he could get an
other mount 1t was deliberate foul,
| and lost the Bay Citys the race; but they
are too sportsmanlike club to claim it on
any such grounds, and will go no further
than to denounce Yeoman's foul riding.
MeDne is a much better man than Yeo-
man, and would have beaten him. By
this foul he finished over four minutes b.
hind Yeoman. As the Bay Citys only
lost the race by one minute and
twenty-eight seconds, owing to kraft's
wonderful ride in the second bunch,
where he gained over three minutes on
every man who started with him, it is safe
to say they had the race we'll in hand. As
President Kerrigan said, after he had
heard the particulars ofthe foul: well.
/ guess Yeomar OF the Reliance Club woi,
the race for the AGNES, but never mind
You remember the AGNES won the first
relay race, and with one. exception we
have won it ever since. Maybe this race,
which has to be contested every year.
will also turn out that way; here S
hoping"
parture with the associated clubs, but will
be an annual feature hereafter. The
trophy is an elegant silver cup, hand
somely engraved. AS the association
already has annual ten and twenty-five
mile races and the hundred-mile relay, it
was decided to have twenty-mile race, to
be competed for by five men from each
club which entered, and the lowest aver
age net time of any team would give to
that club possession OF the trophy for q
year. 1t has to be won three times. how
ever. to become the personal property OF a
club.
The fact that the race was limited to
amateurs kept many good men out of it,
but when the association passed rule
that no man could ride who had ever
raced in class of the League OF American
Wheelmen (though the league last Fehru-
airy had restored ali such men 10 anna
teurism), the big clubs lost interest III it
entirely.
The Garden City Cyclers and San Fran
cisco Road Club would not enter teams,
and the Bay Citys only went in half
heartedIy without much hope or care OF
winnins. As a matter OF fact, that rule
was rushed through by the Alarmed a
County delegates To the association to
keen ont the ex-class B crackajacks of San
Francisco and San Jose. who had been re.
turned to amateurism, for last year when
that class fiourished class B men aero SIS
the bay were as scarce as silver Democrats
to-day.
The ride was started ct Fitchburg, on