Evening star., 1898-07-30
GENERAL CYCLE CHAT

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The record made Saturday evening by
Fred Sims in the one-mile handicap, in
covering the mile from scratch in 200 fiat,
has been allowed by the chairman of the
racing board and will stand until some
other rider succeeds in lowering it. His
record made in a previous handicap race.
of 1.59 As, in which he finished fourth, was
not allowed because he did not win the
event.
Harry I. Dodge, one of the local pro
riders, is in trouble with the racing board
While an amateur he attended race meet
in Baltimore and had some trouble with a
race meet official. Shortly afterward he
was transferred into the professional class
During the week he received notification
from Albert Mott, the chairman of the
racing board, that he had been fined S25
for his conduct at Baltimore, and that
pending the payment of the fine he would
be suspended from all privileges of racing.
The question now comes up to whether
a professional rider can be made to pay a
fine for any violation of the rules which
occurred while he was riding as an anna
teur. The transfer to the professional class
| is thought to wipe out all previous Of
fenses committed as an amateur.
A fulI-size plaster cast of A. c. Moran
was placed on exhibition during the week
in the 14th street show window of the
Eclipse bicycle store. Inc cast was viewed
by number of persons, who wondered at
its excellent likeness to the original. The
work of art is from the studio of L. S. J.
Dunbar, the sculptor, who has been pre-
pairing the model for several months. The
cast is of a life-size figure. and represents
the rider in a racing attitude, with full
racing suit, shirt, trunks and shoes. To
make the image more lifelike the cast is
on a regular racing wheel, with hands on
the bars and feet on the, pedals, the toe
clips coming over the shoe.
W. A Bolden of the Century Cycle Club,
who appeared on the track in several race
meets held early in the season, and who
was included in the wholesale transfer of
local amateurs to the professional class,
while still indulging in riding, is keeping
away from all race meets. This is done to
preserve his amateur status, according to
the advice of Chairman Mott. His case
will be brought before the next meeting of
the national assembly of the League of
American Wheelmen. and a vote taken as
to whether or not he be returned to the
amateur ranks Bolden is anxious to re-
main an amateur. While Chairman Mott
may be- convinced that his transfer to the
professional ranks may have been a mis-
take, yet the chairman of the racing board
personally has no power to rectify the
mistake.
The system employed by the official
Handicapped of Maryland Mr.. Watkins, is
quite a departure from the system used in
ILLS city. Ills style Is a SOOu OSal ike the
manner in which riders have been started
in local handicap road races. Instead of
giving a distance handicap Mr.. Watkins
gives time handicap. All Of the riders
in the event are lined up at the tape. In
placing the men they are arranged accord
ing to their handicap. The limit men are
placed at the pole, the second limit men
next to them. and SO on down to the
scratch men, who are placed near the out
side edge of the track The limit men are
first sent off, after them the men with the
next highest handicap, then the third high
est and so on down. When the scratch men
go the pistol is fired aad time taken. The
advantage of this style Of handicapping is
two-fold. The start is made directly in
front Of the grand stand and is witnessed
by ALL For the scratch men it is a bene-
fit, because every man in the race has to
ride the full distance. In the distance
handicap this is not the case. In a one
mile race man with 100 yards handicap
does not ride the full mile, but only covers
1.G6O yards, while the scratch man has to
ride the full LEO yards. If the rider with
the handicap Of 100 yards had to ride that
full distance it would lessen his chance of
winning considerably.
One Of the new rules of the racing board
which was expected to create so much
cCmmotion, has been but little heard of. |
1t is attached to section 3 of the racing |
rules, relating to positions, and reads. |
When trial heats are to De run in the
presence of spectators who have paid an |
admission fee, 1T Is recommended that the |
following be printed upon the entry blank |
and on the score card, and that the heats |
be run accordingly: I'm all trial heats for |
scratch races there shall be pacemakers |
pf.sition positions. A pacemaker or |
pacemakers. shall be designated by the |
referee, who shall start from the scratch, |
at the pole, and the pacemaker, or pace |
makers, shall qualify for the final, provid- |
ed they finish over the tape. These pace
makers shall not be declared distanced. |
When there are more than two heats, no |
rider in the slowest heat shall qualify for |
the finalr'
So far as known no races have as yet /
been run under these conditions. The |
riders objected too much. They objected |
when the clause was framed, and since it !
has become operative no race meet pro- |
moter has had the temerity to print these /
conditions on the entry blank for fear of +
not receiving any entries to the particular |
event. There is no doubt, however, that |
the rule is good one, and it would have |
the effect of aboliShing the loafing which /
characterzes the trials and finals of a |
good many races.
The hoodoo for the Park track continues. |
The rainy weather Of Wednesday after |
part of the week upon which rain ap-
peared, lost the management Of the place |
good round sum. Last Wednesday |
marked the fifth occasion this season on /
which rain interfered with either the sport /
or the attendance.
want ads. In The Star pay because they |
bring answers.