Evening star., 1901-04-04
CYCLE RACING REVIVED
EXCELLENT PROSPECTS FOR THE
COMING SEASON.
Many Tracks Being Built Throughout
the COuntry-TwO Weeks TOurna-
ment at Buffalo.

Bicycle racing, augmented by motorcycle
pacing will be given a grand impetus the
coming summer. and the racing pastime on
wheels will be more exciting and interest
ing than ever. Sprint racing, except from
an amateur standpoint, is practically dead,
and although much enthusiasm was aroused
in this sport when properly managed in the
past, it will not be revived, put succeeded
by a much more popular form of entertain
ment People now want speed, sensational
racing and noise, and motor-paced racing
supplies all that.
The National Cycling Association has now
come into full and undisputed control of
bicycle racing, and, strongly organized un-
der an efficient, progressive management,
the sport will receive an unreStrained boom.
grand coliseum circuit of bowl tracks
is now practically determined upon and laid
out. Franchises have been bid for and are
now nearly all issued, and an outline of the
greatest racing circuit of cycle tracks ever
known can now be given with certainty.
Numerous tracks were promised last
year, when everything looked bright. but
only about one-half of the projected ovais
were completed. The promoters of these
thought it better to wait, with the result
that those who made the trial won out in
the coin of the realm without exception
Night and Sunday racing having been made
an entire success on bowl tracks by some
promoters, others want to enter the field,
and companies have been formed to build
large number of tracks throughout the
country.
Plans for active promotion of racing in
Philadelphia and New ork have been on
the tapis, and Boston is a hotbed of the
sport. Buffalo, with the pan-Anerican ex-
position, promises to be a central point.
Boston will be headquarters for New Eng
land, Neward for the metropolitan dis
trict Buffalo for the territory west as far
as Toledo. Beyond Chicago there is COM
MOI trtr lnfa
Salt Lake City Is reached. Butte and
Helena are also good racing towns, while
California is center for the sport, out
these far western points will arouse only
local interest and attract very little ma
tional attention
AS outlined now, the national circuit of
the year should include Chicago, Toledo,
Cleveland, Pittsburg, Buffalo, Rochester,
Brockton, New Bedford, Lowell, Waltham,
Boston, Providence Hartford, New Haven,
New York, Brooklyn. Newark, Philadel-
pha, Atlantic City, Baltimore and Wash
ington. The route as now planned covers
about 1900 miles of territory, with a track
to every 100 miles on the average. Other
places mentioned. among them being
Wilmington, Del. which Is in direct line
for racing on the circuit.
Cycling Tournament ut Buffalo.
At Buffalo a bicycle tournament, In con-
nection with the pan-American exposition,
of two weeks duration at the beginning
of August is being arranged under the FER
sonal direction of Mr.. A G. Batchelder.
president and chairman of the board Of
control Of the n. C. A. The first week will
be devoted to amateur racing, local cham
pionshps and preliminary heats for the
national championships, and the second
week will see finals In both amateur and
professional championships
1t is understood that in the neisnbo"hood
Of will hn lot tod &c iva
money for the bicycle tournament, which
will be held at the Stadium. which has seat
ing accommodations for $4,000 persons, add
will be devoted to all classes of :thletic
sports at the Buffalo show this summer.
Mr.. Batchelder sailed for Genoa, Italy,
March IS, on the steamer Kaserin Maria
Theresa. in order to attend the spring meet
ing of the International Cyclists Union al
Alessandria Italy. Easter Monday. Subse-
quently he will visit Paris. and perhaps
Berlin. in the effort to attract foreign
champion cyclers to attend the pan -Amari
can exposition tournament. MIR. Batcnaller
will especially endeaVOr to secure the
appearance in this country of .Iacqueln,
champion sprinter of the world; AllaGard of
Denmark, Mono of Italy, Arend of Ger
many, Edouard Taylore of France and A.
E. Walters and A. A. Chase of England.
There is a well-defined rumor that Man
haitian Beach track will be this season
weekly with none but first-class attrac-
tions. 1t is said Manhattan Beach and
Newark Will 10TH d COlIDIdtlON III q way
and try to hold in the metropolitan district
many of the cracks who would otherwise
locate elsewhere. Manhattan Beach, New
ark, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washing
ton form a circuit which promises to be
popular, and things are pretty well settled
that this will be a circuit in itself.
The New Local Track.
The new track in this city will be one of
the standard bowl-shaped coliseum tracks,
and with Washington included in such a
circuit as the one proposed, with the possi-
BILE addition of Boston, only first-class sport
of the highest character would be assured
In these cities weekly. All cycle racing will
be under the auspices of the N. c. A., and
during the championship season riders will
be booked to follow circuits only, and they
will be compelled to compete at all the
meets in the circuit they are scheduled for
or disqualified from racing anywhere in
this country.
The six-Iap coliseum has saved racing In
several cities in this country and will no
doubt make Washington a stronghold for
the sport. The small track gives to the
public the most interesting kind Of racing
and, furthermore, If properly built will
show more speed than the larger tracks of
three and four laps.