The sun., 1898-02-27
SHALL PACEMAKING LIVE?
NOT CONgIDERED A FAIR TEST OF
SINGLE RIDERS SPEED.

| Paced bicycle competitions are admittedly
popular. but racing experts declare that the re-
suits OF such events in no sense determine tho
speed qualifications Of the contestants. All
new forms Of sport are attractive and hold
high interest for period, but the results OF the
paced match races, in which the leading Amori-
| can and foreign riders have been engaged in
this country within the last year. have not been
| a fair test Of tho superior speed OF any one
rider. On the contrary. they have merely illus
| trated with what proficiency some racing men
| can follow pacemakers.
During last season Jimmy Michael earned the
reputation Of being the fastest middlo-distance
man in this country. He met the best Ameri.
| can and some well.known foreign riders in
| paced match races at various distances, varying
| from fifteen to twenty-five miles, and scored
easy victories. These circumstances and re.
view Of Michael's various races and repeated
victories indicate that paced bicycle contests arc
purely artificial tests OF man racing abilities
1t Is felt that thore are number OF Americans
who In point of speed and gencralshp can out
wit and outrido the welshman at his special
distances in unpaced races. This provokos the
criticism OF tho expert race follower that whlo
| Michaers victories are well earned, they arc
not, In the true sense, sportsmanike contests.
In catering to the demands OF the public for
racing attractions tho promoter seems to over
matches except to furnish such contests where
enthusiasm will run high.
In some Of the races Michael hns won he has
crossed tho tape victor miles in advance OF
his competitor. which to the racing enthusiast
Indicates that he is without peer. The result
OF tcam pursuit race. held recently in tho
Madison Square Garden. in which French and
English teams qualified for tho fnAl heat, fur.
ntshed ono of the best contests witnessed at q
rnCe meet IN ms section. aud DrDyCt tho uttRr
worthlessncss OF the idea that specially paced
events are In any sense the most exciting form
OF riders.
In paced races competitors follow pnccmakcrs
and strive by aquick exchange OF the machines OF
the latter and an expert system of trailing their
leaders to secure an advantage. while in pur-
Ing, from opposite sides Of the track are com
PEELED to exert every muscle and nerve % over
winner and only the fastest tr men qn WIN IL such
races. In n contest like the latter the merits of
% F Tie Of ss be-
Racing men advocate paced match races by
reason OF the liberal purses offered. hut they
In talking with THE Sun renortcr yesterday
The consideration OF paced racing in this
SGuntry xS.thy naturally brings up the question
his various events by reason Of his speed. From
the observeti ms of a racing man do not think
Rsrsy 81 IN f n ANY &c hs5
that 1t is elways the fastest man who wins.
OF course, Michael's repeated victories Indicate
in a sense, but his success is due solely to his
adoption OF ono line of racing viz. paced CON
practicine daily riding with these men naturally
makes rider perfect in paced events. Michael.
other form OF competition. I know for fact
that the short-distRnce American riders have
been been most anxious to get him into open eompe.
prepared for their races with him with Job lots
following pace Invariably suffered defeat. -
Paced races are full Of excitement. and. I
that for men TO aspire to attain the leading
rank In such contests they must make a bust.
like to see the Introduction OF some rules for
match contests that will do away with the need
Of pnccmaSng Races without pacemakers now
adnys resolve themselves into veritable crawls
until the final sprint. Such contests are wholly
devoid of interest. but there various means to
max both competition and match events full of
interest without pacemakers Let the racing
promoters who devote their time to arranging
start pace equally during race. and the impo-
sition Of time limits will aid matters. Expert
but outside Of fast times think the public en-.
Joys seeing the fastest man win occasionally.
som SON ething which does not always occur under
John c. Wetmore. the /. A. w. expert talked
with thereporter on paced races AS follows:
Too little share OF the credit OF the victories
pacing hrigades. In the performance OF tho
tingie, rider whose name is too apt to be men
toned exclusively where victory is concerned.
the work his pacemnkers did toward 1t is Lost
by the most Of them at that. From the very ma
ture Of the contests the pacemkkers are the
prime factors for It is a paging game. and pre-
derful ability Of tho pace followers 10 keep up
with the marvellous pace set is in itself r notable
BATTLES. and / would be the last one to rob
Michael. Taylore, starbuck. nnd NcDuffie OF tho
one follows the game the more fully does he re-
hlize the wondor OF their ,pace;;following ahil-
idea as whole: this muiticycie paced racing is
to my mind by far the grandcst form OF athletic
contest yet invented. 1t presents the features
riders, and above all. enerniship by the handler
Of the pacemakers. There is the ability 10 fol-
the wonderful cndurpnce Of the teams that
mako It. and the chance for the Individual
to extricatc himself from difficulties. But great
as is tho chance for the follower nnd the makers
% sh ~bsn to the
pared with the almost infinite Opportunities
offered to the directors of tho teams 10 win by
proper use OF their forces. or lose by failure to
absolute misuse Of their briRadcs
problems to he solved How best shall use my
leans TO get the greatest speed In tho long runl
riders at this game that they nav " almost I'm EeS be
left out of consideration, and the question
uleTeiy netOtneb now 10 get tho TnSteSt pace Tor
! them. IL 1t better to rush them along with
Gmick changes or TO save them by longer relays
The endurance OF the paccmakers must be con.
sidered; The public is too ant to, forget
Michael at Boston last spring merely because
his pacemakers were exhausted at the end.
Is II better to use tho quick. jumping triplets
and tandems1 They are speedy. but they have
not the suction, and in this particular the team
follower must be considered or should rather
the big quipts and seNtets be usedf But they
are not 40 quick for jumping In an emergency.
they nj n
PAGERS must be considered. So You see the com;
herein lies tho beauty OF the game from a
strategic point OF view, even when tho wonder
full speed attained and the endurance mani
Tested are not considered. But there are
pretty plays made by tho single riders, too.
IN Paris In a race Of six men last summer Tay-
lore's pacing machine broke down. ana tho
French lad jumped from opponent to opponent
for two miles until his own pa"ems kers could
ee9mo GONE to his rescue, and he won he race; TOO.
was ever seen than Michacls jump last Satur.
day. night from his nnnyaling mace past Tnylore
I l..l-a