The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-06-13
RECORDS SLIP Down
ON COLISEUM TRACK
Champion Makes New Time
Behind Motor Machine.
French Cyclist Negotiates Final Mile
IN I:22 r-5-Defeats Free
man of Oregon.

Over 5000 people saw Al Champion
the French bicycle rider. shatter mum.
Der of paced records at the Col
iseum race track, Fourteenth and East
Capitol Streets northeast, last night.
Champions rival was Howard Free
man, Of Oregon, who up to last night
had defeated nearly all of the best pace
followers. Freeman forced the French
nan to break the records from one t.
ten miles in order to beat him. The
circus. which has been running at Tie
Coliseum since Monday night. was
given before the races.
Fast Time Made.
The first beat was a spirited ore, AID
during TIE first mile or so the large
gathering saw that 1t was to be race
that would be talked Of The first mile
was ridden IN what is usually considered
very good time, 100. When the second
mile vas made in 1928 the crowd rose
and began to look closer to see what was
being done.
When Champion began to let himself
out in TIE next mile or so and covered
the six laps, which constitute a mile, in
the short time of 1;26. the Off
Gals began to look up their dope looks
and discovered that % of second, had
been clipped off of the record.
The Frenchman rode each following
mile faster and faster The tenth mile
was ridden by Champion in 20 2-5.
Freeman experienced trouble with his
machine early in the game, and the
Frenchman began to draw close to him
Freeman was Tapped during the sew
enth mile, and again in the eighth At
the conclusion of the race. Champion
had ridden three rings around him. The
time for the ten miles was II minutes
p seconds.
This shattered the record which was
made by Champion In Baltimore en-
Tuesday night when he negotiated the
distance in Ii minutes a seconds.
Both Hit 1t Up.
Everyone expected a hotter race in
the second heat, but what they saw
was far more than what they expected.
Never before has any man Travelled be-
hind pace at such speed as Champion
did in the second heat. Major Taylor.
the colored rider, once rode a mile in
minute 16 seconds. but that was be-
hind machine which had large wind
shafts, that completely broke the wind
before the rider.
Champion rode behind an ordinary ten
horsepower motor. without any wind
guards, and made a mile in | minute
p 2-5 seconds. The first mile in the
second heat vas made in 1871 The sec
ond was made In LIS As, breaking the
record by almost second. In the
fourth mile. Champion. secured three
eighths of lap on his opponent. and
in the endeavor TO lap him, he rode the
mile in minutes % 3-5 seconds. He
could not lap him in this time, and it
was necessary to ride the fifth mile in
/ minute % seconds fiat.
The best mile ridden on the local
bowl was made by Bobby Walthour. last
year. when he made the distance in
1926 rs. Champion clipped exactly
three seconds from that record, and es-
tablished new figures for the cycling
world
During the seventh mile the riders
were riding the race of their lives.
Freeman was fighting hard against
being Tapped. The seventh mile was
made in the phenomenal time of 1:22 4-5
On the last mile. Champion again let
himself out, and made it in % Is,
clipping more than four seconds from
the record.
He was as fresh as ever at the conclu-
sion of the race, and did not show that
he had exerted himself in any way In
fact 1t was believed by everyone that he
could have made better time if he had
so desired.
The time for the ten miles was 1i:O3. |
This is the fastest for any rider in the |
world.
Although Freeman did not win the /.
race, he is deserving of great credit, |
as he compelled Champion to break the
records in order to win. In the en-
leavor TO avoid being Tapped Freeman /
'ode several miles in record time and |
should be given as much credit as any
1ne else.
The following is the time for the two |
heats:
First heat-First mile ridden in 1870;
second mile. 1:2S 1-5; third mile, 12G: /
ourth mile. 1:27 Is; fifth mile, 1921 40:
sixth mile. LIS 2-5; seventh mile.
"a 3-5; eighth mile. 1926; ninth mile.
&c 2-5; tenth mile. 1:25 2-5. The i've
niles were ridden in 7:19, making a new
'ecord for that distance.
Skaters All Records.
Second heat-Being the fastest. Free
mans time was taken