The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
CYCLE RACING OUTLOOK.
NOW TIE PRESENT SITUATION DE.
TELOPED " ITS MEANING.

pnreu-SP W promoters tOnttnG ana wa
Ones Likely TO Drop Out-No Regular
Pacing Tcums-Clubs to he More Active.
Bicycle racing will have a crisis to pass thi,
year. II all tho symptoms have been correctly
diagnosed by the experts. OF itself N"ont"st
of sreed on "a bicycle Is a struggle as inspiring
as any that n lover of genuine sport could ears
to look upon. 1t differs vastly from u game -
hockey or baseball. and with a rri5oNght ora
wrestling match 1t docs not class. II "omoS
more in line with running athletes and hor~A
racing. 1t is an acute test o. agility and man.
agcmcnt. It en- bodies to some extent :hS
'jockcying" feature in running races, good
head work being a large factor. tut viii" tho
running races draw crowds because OF the bet
ting. the cycle race can make boast of briug I
purer contest of man against man. hccauS" On
the horse the jockey does the heal work VIII y
the eguinc stands the test of endurance.
The Jockeys mount is animate, whjla
that OF the cyclist is n machine, an
he furnishes not only head hut motu-
power. The t~rotting race, probably. is tho
thing nearest akin to a bicycle competition.
One of the strongest features OF a cycle race.
outside of the fact that it is a case Of man
against man as truly as in a wrestling match,
is its picturesqupncss. The horse t'ot is pic
turesque. OF the two. however. the smaller.
swifter and more smoothly moving bicycle has
the advantage as it skins about the track. Thu
I sport lS one lnat, llke some OtncrS, mas gained
appreciation after years of struggling along
with only an ~esoteric support. The testimony
of the crowd that Nils the stands is: Il did not
like it at first because l did not understand.
Now ! see it all. 1t is superb"
Through fifteen years the sport OF cycle rae
ing has been growing until at last it has gained
n place Of recognition. Crowds of from 5000
to 12,OOO attend the big outdoor meets in sum
mer time. In Paris or in London such meets
49, -. NJ Dz.-l I-A
would be a bigger sensation than they were on
this side. In 1897 cycle racing interest and
enthusiasm about New York reached n height
not known before or since. The feature Of paced
races was then comparatively new. and with =
champion personally as popular as Jimmy
Michael was the sport bid fair to rival any other.
Last season was an of year. in all sports. The
war and the weather were made the chic
| scapcgoats. This year a revival all around is
looked for and cycling is expected with tho
others to enjoy n boom. 1t has grown from OBJ
scure amateurismt to professional prominence.
the track St"t owners a rs'i are div" diviided amons them.
selves. Ever since its organization in 1850 tho
pure. As an amateur body. organized primarily
for mutual protection and combined strength
lar rights. With racing control as a sub
in the sport and made no profit 2ut Of
without suspicion OF prejudice between the
racing men. track owners aud promoters. who
are as naturally nntagonistic as the counting
magazine; The League arbit rated for muuv
years, with satisfaction to all. There were one
ment, Of pro;cssionalism before the time was
rlpei but they ~tltekered out abruptly. Finally.
the Racing Board Craftsmanship was made re-
muneratlve. and the time having arrived profess
siHnalism was recosnized by the amateur, body;
The. rcmunerativeness of the Racing Board
Guardianship made IL n piece OF patronage To
be dispensed by the, President, and about it
A poor man might be installed because OF po-
litical services tor the President. Still the
aiismn and proiessionai nrom@tims became Fan
pant. The amateur clubs could not Compel" on
ne bass bass established ny the promoters with cap
slider themselves the, whole thing, At any
rate, It there We're il mistakes df !oi5 made which led to
ment" becoming, common. Then the trouble
began. A disgrnntl led element developed among
the riders and they declared Independence
OF the League. Suspension followed suspension
until the Racing Board had outlawcd, most OF
gathered, exchanged condolences and Grirv-
themselves as a body to control cycle racing,
The new body is the National Cycling Assoc
moterS, racing men and amateur clubs: Acer-
tain element ig the l.. 4. w.: realizing that
League has occupied IN anonymous rosItlon,hat
caused its true mission to b misunderstoYd,
ulRtu liluI -IHtIllE snbLIu De llTOIlIrl from Iil'
platform; This the majority Of delegates de-
c!ded only "a lew days ago could NOT ne done
DO lies pretending TO control cycle racing.
There are almost 1000 tracks in the country
are organized under the name Of the National
Cycle Track Association, There are more than
e. Noo3 o fyfIe TnGImE m aGon reE !5o psTti E{ Ip rnS / a e..
lively in the SpOrl last season. OF these about
E Syt1isyoG pn %ith s the 4, by T fhe l. 1t a rom W.:
prlses the fastest riders in the professional and
amateur classes; the men whose names arr
"]ir"wing cards at race meets, Tie KICK.
argues that its seventy stars Wi, be n
sanctions from II instead Of from the L..
4; W. which has only mediocre .taIcrt.
Old established and recognized body. with
powerful tentaclcs extending everywhere IN
il it,, alliances with the A. A L.. and tho ma
tlonhi evening organizations OF ali the foreign
Whatever struggle there is will be chiefly on
the Eastern tracks. Here the outlaw stars vii
Indicated by II" crowds at the Madison square
Garden last December, when OUTLAW" races
\. { A. has been llttle heard bout There are
tracks up the state wher" hundreds II
successful race meets are run every summer.
me managers and me riders know enough 70
e. ,bt an d. A W. 81 s]nnnGtlo4 the nromSters Of
thonsanIs 81 them, could not use the stars
i ,ht they ley. roq I'd - get ct. tnrM. The loGaL riders are
%hylvania town. whore there are six cycle meet:
run every summer, came to ,Acw, York III
other day GEd said to u friend: What Is all
this fuss about the n c. A.? We don't Under
stand II. Can't we run our races under l.. W.
rulrs Just the same as ever That is all wa
want out there
The promise about New York is that there
vii, be plenty of good racing. AZ many C"t'S
as there, were last summer aud probably moro
VIII hG held. A new promoting Organization.
th", Atlantic Athletic Association, is in the Goit,
and It Is questionable whether the American
cycle lacing Association, which conducted tho
biz meets at Manhattan Beach and at Madison
Square Garden IN 1870, Will reappear.
1t is expected that the cyclic clubs will run
more races this year tnan they did last SUM
mcr, when they wcr" frightened away. Paced
races are not expected to cut quite as big q
figure as heretofore, because tracks or promo
tiers will not maintain regular pacing teams.
! here vii, be paced matches, however. and tho
pacing will be AS good as ever, because nearly