The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-25
CYCLlNG,

CYCLING.
Charlie Murphy, veteran racing cy
clist, mile-a-minute schemer, and HON
trainer record breaker, appears now in
new role, as he is waiting daily for
call for army service. It seems tina
when the war scare first started Murphy
went personally to General Miles anC
preferred himself for courier service. H,
gave his recommendations so strongly
that his was the first name enrolled upor
the list of special men and he was tolC
that his would be the first call to duty
1t is noticeable that the number o.
tandems on which the woman rides be.
hind is increasing. The only apparent
reason for this arrangement is that Of
protecting the woman from the wind.
According to women riders the skirted
sex does not appear to as good advantage
on the rear seat of tandem as on the
front. The women object to being placed
where they have to view mans back
1t looks like discourtesy on the part OF
the masculine rider to 60 in front, they
say. Furthermore, when in the rear
by others SO well as when in front.
If there is one man in all the aggre ga
ton of racing stars to be inflicted upon
the American public this season that
is, more in earnest than "Majah"
Taylor, the colored boy, in his wish
to do well in the middle-distance ranks,
that man has not been discovered.
Johnnie Johnson No. and Cissac. the
Frenchman, are also earnest workers,
and all three men are preparing most
carefully to shine in middle-distance
competition. Watching these men work
is inspiration in itself to others.
Bourotte. though much larger and
stronger than Michael, offers less wind
resistance than the latter for the reason
that he has the habit of getting down to
work so close that his chest rests on the
handle bars and his nose almost touches
his front tire, SO that after training the
imprint of the bars are plainly visible
on his breast.
The foreign racing men who are in
this country will be forced to give close
study to the L. A. W. racing regua-
tions. Track restrictions on this side of
the water differ materially from those
abroad. A practice that foreign riders
indulge in freely is looking back at the
finish of race. That custon n has been
found here to often precipitate bad &C.
cidents, and the L. A. w. race officials
are empowered to disqualify all riders
who make practice of looking back at
the incoming field.
Talk of the foreign riders now in
America becoming citizens of the United
States is SO much space wasted and SO
many untruths told. These men have
not the slightest intention of remaining
in America, and will depart these shores
instanter when money is not in sight for
them to win or try to win.
Those who haye had an opportunity to
study the cycle racing game in this and
foreign countries generally agree that
while we excel in races upward to the
five mile limit, and are able to vindicate
ourselves and even excel as sprinters,
we have very few men able to make any
showing against the middle
distance men, and the fast-paced men in
Europe.
All classes, from the royal princes and
princesses to the poorest workmen, use
the bicycle in Denmark. The number
now in use is estimated at about 100000
for population of 100000. The roads
throughout the kingdom are excellent.
Denmark is flat country, with hardly
any hills, and must be considered ideal
rom cycler's point of view. Supplies
ire mostly drawn from the United States,
out some come from England, Germany
md Austria.
Bourotte, the French middle distance
'ider, called the frog in France, was the
,nly rider in France to defeat Jacqueine
n a match race last season. Bourotte
,aincd name from that victory, and
lis performances later in the season, in
luding his thirty-two miles in the hour
md second in the great six-man race of
rance bore out the record. In the lat
er contest Bourotte defeated Linton and
linton now refuses to meet the French
nan May so at Charles River Park for t
ONE reason unexplained. ;
Fatigue of the arms, hands, hips and
bins, difficult breathing and compressed {
hest are the result of riding with the t
eat set too far back. If bothered in {
ither OF the above ways try placing the
eat further forward. ,