Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-02
DAY OF DAYS NEAR
FOR CYCLING FANS
Kramer and Rutt Are to Start
Important Series of Races
Tomorrow.
BOTH RIDERS IN TOP FORM

once AMI in addition he has gone
over to Europe four times and won
the majority of the races In which he
competed over there. In fact, no
rider has ever accomplished what our
own Frank Kramer has. But in going
over his record here and abroad 1t
shows that he has never in any year
defeated all of the best professionals
here and abroad. 1t just happened
that he never met the best man of
any year when that rider was at his
best. In 1912 Kramer won the cham
pionship of the world (and Rutt did
not compete, and last year Rutt
captured the title with Kramer over
1000 miles away from the scene of
the battle.
The title of champion of the world
has never been clear title for the
reason that all of the best riders of
the world have never come together
in the big race once in the twenty
one years 1t has been run. Also it
has been won by luck many times by
riders who were fortunate in being
in tip-top shape at the time the
championship was run while better
men were off form. If a series of
races were run to decide the worlds
championship in the same manner In
Which the American championship Is
run, it would be far more satisfactory
and the winner would have a clearer
claim to the championship. And If
ali OF the best riders In the world
competed, the title would be abso-
iutely clear. But this will never come
to pass.
Match VIII Decide Title.
The match races between Frank
Kramer and Walter Rutt are going to
decide for once who is the worlds
greatest bike rider. Kramer is SUI
preme in the western hemisphere
while Rutt holds the same position In
the opposite hemisphere. Last year
Rutt won 3fty-three races in Europe
and his defeats can be counted on one
nano: he won open, handicap and
matcn races and every rider in Eurore
fell before the Germans speed. He
met Leon Hourlier, the next best man
OF Europe, four times, and in three of
the matches Rutt was returned the
winner. 1t was In the fourth mat h
with Hourlier that Rutt fell and sus-
tanned a fractured skull that almost
resulted in his death. FrioI. Moretti,
Pouchois. Lorenz, Dupre, Poulain and
Msrguer, the best sprinters of Europe,
all went down to defeat before the
big German. No rider ever estab-
Hshed such a record for a full season
in Europe, and Rutt occupies the
same enviable position In Europe that
Kramer enjoys in America.
Kramer, in poor shape, stale from a
s!x-day race and a long campaign in
rNNaE a 4--ka
best man here last year, even though
he did not approach Rutt's European
record, which was made. against a
bigger field OF star riders than we had
in America.
If Kramer wins two of the matches
with Rutt, he will be acknowledged
the peer of all bike riders, and if he
takes the three matches, as he did
with Friol two years ago, it will be a
great climax to great career.
Races Are OF Great Importance.
This series of races is the most i'm
portant in which either riaer has
ever engaged If Rutt can win he
will have accomplished what no other
rider has ever done. Kramer has been
beaten in match races by several diff
ferent riders, but wnen he was beaten
he was not in shape; but. he is in
shape now and riding faster than he
ever did in his long career on the
bike track. The riders who have
beaten Kramer in match races are
Charles Vandenborn, of Belgium; Ga
briel Poulain. of France; Henry
Mayer, of Germany; Jackie Clark, of
Australia, and ALT Goulet, of Aus
tralia. But for every defeat he met
at the hands of these riders he has
administered a dozen or more wal
lopings in return. Vandenborn scored
more victories over Kramer than any
other rider in match races, but the
Belgian met Kramer when the Yam
kee was out of form In the early sea-
son of 1905.
Riders VIII Meet on Equal Grounds.
Rutt and Kramer will meet on
equal ground tomorrow. The German
champion has been here long enough
to know the Velodrome track as well
as any rider, and he is thorough Y
acclimated. He has shown by de-
feating such sterling performers as
Clark, Goullet and Grenda that he Is
in good form and At to put up the
race of his life. The best man will
win tomorrow, for both Rutt and
Kramer are good sportsmen, and
there is not q chance in the world of
either rider taking an unfair advan-
tage Three referees will govern the
match, but 1t is safe to say that the
race could be run without such off,
Gals.
Something New for Fans.
The five-mile open tandem race on
the card tomorrow is race that has
never been tried here before, but
Mana per FIovd MaCFarland Save that
1t is going to be a bear" and will
please the fans. The tandem races
which have been run at the Velodrome
have all been very interesting. al
though the speed and the more or
less reckless riding which has marked
these races has sent cold shivers
along the spinal column of thoseAwho
have witnessed them. There will be
thirteen teams started in the race,
which is about three times as many
as ever were started in one-heat
race before at the Velodrome. 1t is to
be hoped that there is no "jinx" in
the number starting. Following Is the
way the riders are paired for the
race: Rutt and Goullet, Lawrence
and Ryan. Thomas and Cameron,
Grenda and Pye. Hanson and Car
man, Jokus and Krebs, Hill and Fog
Ter. Bedell and Bedell, Spears and
Cory, Drobach and Walker, Kopsky
and Coburn, Anderson and Vanoni
and Reeher and Blatz.
The half-mile handicap profession
al will bring out all of the stars eX-
cept Rutt and Kramer. Jackie Clark,
Goullet and Grenda will start from
scratch. Four amateur races fill out
the card.