The times., 1899-04-09
CYCLING CHAT.

CYCLING CHAT.
Eastern racing men will gather for their
eaerly training at Washington Manager
Jack Lasley, of the Park Bicycle Club
track, is making preparations to entertain
number of the riders from New York.
Philadelphia, New England, and other
points. He has over thirty professionals
and amateurs registered from his district
alone. Those riders who gather at Louis
vile and Cincinnati during the present
month will move East about the lst of May
and will take up quarters at Washington.
where they will prepare for the opening
of the season at Ambrose Park, and more
particularly for the great Jubilee Handicap.
which is to be decided at the opening
Washington meet, May "a As the Balti-
more meet is the same evening. the riders
Will be able to remain in Washington for a
month, with trip North for the meets OF
May 20 and Il at New York and Newark
respectively.
Few of the professional racing men of
today but who, in their early career
amounted to a great deal in road contests
When spring rolls around each year these
riders begin TO think of road racing, and
many would doubtless take a shy at
great professional road event, providing
such could be run. Gardiner, the Chi
cagoan, was a star on the road He be-
lieves that a grand sweepstakes event
each spring would bring large entry list
The abolishment of the old-time classifi-
cations has met with universal approval
among the racing men. Marks established
he of rod
back in "a and '95, when races were paced
by multicycles, have barred these men from
the classes among the present-day riders
to which they rightfully belong. The new
plan OF classifying the riders only upon the
times in the finals is an idea which has
been commended by all the prominent men
and others. Many a rider has been dropped
several classes through winning fast heat
of a race in the final of which he found
he had no show at all. new plan will
result, say many. in grand series of class
races during 49,
Harry Elkes will not return to the
League of American Wheelmen ranks this
year. The Glens Falls Shadow has made
a contract with the Atlantic Athletic AS
sociation for number of races on the
Manhattan Beach track. Manager Blau-
rock closed this contract with Elkes pre-
vous to the California trip. Who his COM
petitors viii be Elkes does not know. He
Will not meet Eddie McDuffee or Edouard
Taylor, as both these riders have returned
to the L. A. W. ranks. He will not meet
Major Taylor. who is also an l.. A w. man
and who would prove one of the most pop
ular competitors that could be secured fer
Elkes. He may meet Floyd Mcfarland of
California, upon even terms and Gibson
with a handicap allowance or he may meet
Johnnie johnson, who is to enter the mid
die distance ranks. Joe Vernier gave
promise last year of being a good one. and
may develop this year. Elkes Is now gath
ering his pacing team, and viii enter hard
training at the Waltham track.
There is trouble in the Chicago Cycling
Club, and Messrs. Greenburg and Root
newly appointed officials OF the National
Cycling Association, may not it is said
be able to swing that club to the new asso-
citation before the meet of May 20. This
meet is to be held on the new track at
Sixty Street and Stoaey Island
Avenue, now being built by Mr.. Hands
Chairman Fred Gerlach SAYS number
of the amateurs of the Metropolitan Dis
trict have applied for reinstatement In
asmuch as all of the three tracks in New |
York and that at Newark are N C. A. !
tracks, it is hardly probable that the one |
hundred pures who were thrown profess |
sional this past winter through competing |
with Ertz, the l.. A. w. professional re- |
instated by the n. c. A., will care to re- |
turn and be compelled to travel at an ex-
pense to race L. A. W. away from home. |
Ertz refused reinstatement when it was |
offered him.
Harry Elkes will train on the track at |
Waltham, Mass, and Will shortly have his |
pacing team gathered there. He is con- |
tracing with riders in various parts of the |
country new and expects to have one of |
the finest teams ever mounted. Elkes will |
stay by the n. c. A, the Waltham track |
being allied with that organization Over |
at the Charles River Park Eddie McDufee |
will do his training. Elkes and McDuffee |
are the undoubted champions of their re-
spective controlling organizations and will |
never meet on the cycle track as had been |
planned previous to McDuffee's return to |
the league. Up to the present time the
Glens Falls boy has no races arranged |
he Is still anxious to get on a race with |
Mcfarland, his conqueror out in Califor- |
MIA, and late letter indicates that such |
a contest is not an improbability. although |
1t VIII have to come later in the season |
Mcfarland gained name when he de- |
feated Elkes and does not intend to throw |
1t away by taking a too early chance with |
the champion. He Will first gain more ex- |
perience.
Eddie Bald is very wroth over the knock |
ing which has been going on in the press |
of the country, owing to his having spent /
the past winter in the quest OF pleasure. |
The inference from all that has been said
has been that Bald would amount to little
this coming season. Il cannot see why |
that should be- said Bald the other day. |
Il feel better and am in finer condition to |
enter training now than | ever was before |
True, / have done lot of knocking round. |
but have taken care of myself neverthe- |
less. Because ! have been placed more
prominently before the public this winter
than ever Before l am made to suffer from