Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-05
CYCLE GIANTS WORK
~ U -.
Plans Of the Racers at the
Coliseum.
THE WHEEIMEN READY
GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST In THE
WHIZZING MOTORS.
Twenty-Five or More Tracks Will Be
Operated in the East This
Summer.
THE WHEELMEN READY

Despite the disagreeable weather of the
past week the cycle giants at the Coli
scum, at 14th and East Capitol streets. have
stuck to their training and the whizzins
motor wheels have made welcome music
to the ears of the race-loving people gath
cred to watch the process
Next week Champion, the phenomenal
French rider, who has become a star of
the first magnitude since coming to the
Coliseum, will go to Boston for the meet
there. He will be accompanied by Manager
Eckhardt. Floyd Mcfarland will arrive
early In the week, and while developing his
own prowess will keep a friendly eye on
Tommy Hall, the English midget.
Along about May 1 more of the cycle
luminaries will rise above the Coliseum
horizon and then the dangerous motor cycle
game will begin to be an irresistible attrac-
ton for the public, which will throng the
Coliseum track every day to watch the
riders follow the ''choo choo" machines.
Last year the interest in these races was
largely confined to the bicycle riding pub
lie, and the others seemed to feel that such
sport was only for those who are addicted
to the wheel. This year the conditions will
be reversed, as the public at large isawaken-
ing to the fact that motor cycle races and
motor paced races are vastly different from
SIMPLE bicycle racing, and it is beginning
to be appreciated that there is no more SEN
sational or interesting form of racing. So
c1ety, too, is going to turn out in large num-
bers at the cycle races, and Coliseum box
parties will be part of the scheduled
amusements of the haut ton.
The amateur wheelmen of the city, whose
nne races Will form a strong adjunct of the
faster and more exciting professional ma
chine work, are girding up their loins for
the brave days to come. Nearly all the
clubs, the Arlington, the Yale, the Levant,
the Navy Yard and others have appointed
their racing representative, and these am
bilious aspirants for prizes and honors will
commence training at the Coliseum next
week.
The Cycle Game is Booming.
Indeed. the great days Of "a and 80,
when bicycling was at it's height of popu-
larity, will be overshadowed by public in
terest in the motor cycle and motor pace
races this summer All over the country
there is tendency toward a healthy en-
largement of the sport Teams are being
organized on a much larger scale, cycle
tracks are being constructed on modest
lines and not so extensively to involve
the builders in financial difficulties, and the
Coliseum circuit is being rapidly enlarged
until, when completed, the chain of TWEEN
ty-fve or more tracks throughout the east
err country Will give steady and profit able
SIGNALS, of W hich number probably seventy
five will be pace followers seventy-five
sprinters and the balance pace makers,
trainers and managers
Successes scored last year led many men
into the game who will greatly benefit it
by their presence. Base ball men are espe-
cially numerous, for in cycle racing many
an old-time base ball manager and many
manager who Is. even now greatly interest
ed In the game finds a ready profit and a
most fascinating field of employment
Spooner and Wells Of Newark led the way
In organizing large teams. Theirs will be
team in two parts, one in New England and
one south of New York. James c. Kennedy
followed with strong team organized
much on the same lines. The third team
OF this character is practically formed by
Messrs klosterman Of Baltimore and
Turville of Philadelphia, with George Lean
der. Gussie Lawson and Howard Freeman
as the stars. Spooner and Wells have Joe
Nelson. the great little Swede. brother o.
Johnnie Nelson; VIII 8. Fem, the unpaced
champion and handicap king. now a pace
follower, and Jimmy Hunter. the former
amateur champion of pace following Mr.
Kennedy has Tommie Hall, the English
Champion, the Frenchman. Other than
these the teams are Of one and two men
each, with the usual complement Of pace
makers and pacing machines.
The Pacing Outfits.
Two tandems and one single machine
comprise most of the pacing outfits
as a great majority OF the races ar
ranged for 1902 VIII be for tandem pace
with a single machine for the relief ma
chine. The new single pacing machine is
so much of an Improvement over the old
style machine rebuilt from the regular mo-
tor bicycle, that the new Is more attrac-
tive and just efficient as the tandem
The tandem will be seen as frequently as
last season, but the single will enable the
riders to receive their regular pace at all
times as 1t may be carried along with the
team at all times. thus saving the delay
while awaiting express delivery. In train
ing the single will be almost generally in
use. the rider being trained back of It,.
His work back Of the tandem Is then a
easier to follow than the single.
Willie Fem, whose great name in the
cycling field was gained as the amateur
sprinting champion Of 1900 and the second
son, is delighted with pace following as
compared to his oldtime work. Fem says
that following pace is easy as compared to
the oldtime grind in an unpaced event of
the pursuit order or in a handicap race
from scratch where he was forced to make
his own going. In his work back Of pace
he shows remarkable abilities. being able
to drop his pace and regain his position
with the greatest ease while going at
very fast clip. Always cautious. he is thus
by his great strength of limb able to keep
out OF trouble ne says. rem mas started
his training carefully, and is working slow
ly into the paced field. He meets Bobbie
Walthour in a paced race next Thursday
night at Atlanta, Ga, and hopes to make
good showing against Walthour AS the
southerner Is at present going as fast as
he ever went in his life, Fem does not ex-
pect to gain victory. but will be content
with his showing even though beaten by
two laps. Walthour is the king of pace
followers this year and rider not to be
denied in whatever paced race he enters, no
matter against whom. In preparing for
this contest Fem has not trained especially
for the fiveSmiie distance, but has main
tanned his regular work for the middle dis
lance. Waithour and Leander were so bent
upon beating each other that they dropped
all training except for the five-mile distance