The San Francisco call., 1897-06-04
LUCIEN LESNA,
CHAMPION CYCLER
He Is the Greatest Long
Distance Rider in the
World.
Arrived Here Yesterday From
a Successful Pilgrimage
10 Australia.
Can Ride Twenty Miles at a Tive.
Minute G it, and Now holds ALI
Austr allan Records

Lucian Lesna, the champion cyclist OF
France and also the champion long-dis-
tance rider of the world, arrived here
yesterday morning on the steamer Mari
posa from Australia and is stopping at
the Palace. He is accompanied by his
manager, Raymond PognOn.
Lesna has mad a remarkably successful
career, and in securing the title of cham
uion of France has defeated such men as
Michael, Linton, Rsvierre, Fournier. Bou-
hours, Arthur, Lumsden, The, Garin and
many others. When it is remembered
that such American cracks as Johnson.
the Buffers, Macdonald, Murphy and
Kiser all met defeat at his hands. Lesna
easily ranks as one of the cham pions of
the world, for in no country is the game
as thoroughly understood as in France.
Lesna now holds the 100-kilometer
cha pionship of France, the three-h hour
record and all records from 50 TO 120 kilo-
meters. He is purely a Iong-distauce
paced rider and is not in the class known
as "sprinters.
! In 1895 he lowered all French records
from 1 kiIometer to 100 miles; beat Tom
/ Linton and Michael in 90 III ometer
match race; beat Constant Huret and A.
| Linton in different races and finally won
| the championship of France.
In 1896 ne won the championship of
Europe at Berlin.
Lesna does not speak word of English,
/ and modestly left il to his manager, NJ.
Pognon. to tell of his more recent vic
tories in Australia where he has been the
past four or five months. He secured the
half, one, five and ten mile records OF
Australia. He says Lesna is not a sprin-
ter, but his mile record of :49 2-5 would
seem TO be pretty good Sprint He rode
I - q L. -, 0.E0 a MOO
most two-minute gait for both distances.
Lesnas great speed and endurance pre-
vented him from getting many matches,
and he had TO resort to different style.
SO he entered a 20 mile race, himse
against four men, he to ride the full dis
tance, and they to alternate in RELAYS as
often as they chose. He won this race
by nearly lap IN 44:321z.
HIS greatest victory WAS in the ten mile
championship, the cycle Derby of Aus
trslia. In this he defeated "PIugger''
Martin, the American; Megson, champion
of Australia; Jack Green, the English
champion; Walne, the best sprinter in
Australia, and Porta, the Italian cham
piOn.
Lesna has lowered every Australian
record from l TO 100 miles. The 100 miles
W ere ridden in 1854 made in Sydney, which
beats the American record of 4:0S. His
hour record is q miles 1860 Yards, and was
Lesna will not ride In California, as he
has early Eastern engagements which he
must keep. He will remain here until
Saturday to see the ST. hts, and will then
start for Chicago, stopping off at Sacra-
mento TO see the races at the meet of the
Capital City Wheelmen there Sunday
His ideas and opinions OF this meet and
the style of racing should be very inter sst-
ing when he compares them with the
French, European and Australian styles.
Lesna and his manager will be rendered
the usual courtesies by the prominent
local wheelmen during their short stay
here. Last night they paid n visit TO Chi
natown. Both seemed much surprised
when told that California was the only
place in the United States which sane
toned Sunday racing. They said that
Sunday racing was fixture everywhere
else in the world, and could not under
stand why it is not so in America. As
many as 25, 900 people turn out to attend
the meets in Paris and in Australia. and
cycle racing eclipses every other sport in
popul arity.