The Washington herald., 1922-12-08

AN OlNIlN
Wonders of Human Systel
AS They Pedal Around
Many Meals and Few
By THOMAS L
A1EW YORK, Dec. I've ar,
~ Nowhere is this quotation
~ bike racing, such as now in
den. What a wonderful machine
engine bearing up like iron sha,
grinding wear and tear.
And wonder Of wonders, some
days and six nights gain weight
keeps them going, as they burn j
the track as an engine burns up
As great racing machines use the
highest class gasoline, so do they
use the highest grade food. They
eat eight times a day. Some Of
these meals are light, but three of
them at least are gorgeous and
that make an onlooker marvel. II
Is like the replenishing of a great
tank of a racing car at a pit.
DRINK 8 PER CENT ALE.
Steaks. lamb chops. eggs-great
quantities of eggs swallowed raw in
a drink. Baked potatoes, custards,
celery, prunes. orange and prune
juice, milk and ale-real ale. The
riders put them away in such
amount that the cost Is stupendous
All are expertly prepared.
The ale, which is s per cent,
comes under the heading Of
medicinal purposes" 1t Is a
soothing tonic, musty and delicious
1t quiets the nerves, strained and
often frayed by the grind, the din
and the everlasting pedaling over
the boards Also as they sleep It
builds up the sorely tried tissues
Of the body.
Orange and prune Juice 10 taken
out of a bottle often as a rider
pushes his bike around and around
while his team mate is getting much
needed sleep. to slake a parched
mouth and throat, to ease the strain
on the stomach and as physic.
Three hours at a time, once q
day. Is all the sleep a rider really
gets. Sometimes when riders try
to steal lap a sleeping rider has
TO be awakened. His mate may
find 1t impossible to hold the pace.
to keep up. and danger Of a loss
Of lap-once around the track
makes 1t imperative for the sleep
ing rider to hop on his horse"
and go into the JAM" as lap steal
ing attempts are called
SLEEP ON COTS.
The regular" sleep is taken on
rude cots under the stands. The
sleep" they attempt to get in the
hunks in their little track-side
shacks Is only a rest, mostly. Ut
terly exhausted they sometimes do
drop off, the din in the arena not
withstanding. But usually they lie
down in the shack hunks to rest
their knee joints. their arms, their
eyes and have handlers use cleo
trio massaging machines on them.
Underneath the track is the hos
pltal." 1t is also chtropractic
laboratory. Bottles of medicine,
hqndages, and plasters for cuts in
CURED in falls and, perhaps Of most
Importance, eye cups and boric acid
bottles.
The eyes suffer greatly from the
strain of the dizzy circling dust,
looking at the black lines that guide
them.
Their bodies are rubbed and mas
saged there, stiff muscles assuaged
of pain.
Some Of the riders fare very badly
in "tumbles'' and present a sorry
Il - NarN ovNI hav 10
There are lucky and unlucky riders.
some never enter a race without
getting cut and bruised in falls.
Others seldom are unfortunate.
One, the greatest rider Of the pres
ent day. Alfred Goullet, has never
had a fall in more than fourteen
years of riding. That Is something
to marvel at when one considers the
fearful jamming up that occurs.
GOULLET Is A STAR.
And what do they get out Of It?
Why not some other profession?
Well, II is their game, they seem
made for It and they do very well in
II financially.
The highest paid rider by far Il
Goullet and he deserves to be. He
Is a wonder of wonders. Accor1ins
10 Joe roger nlmSel1 famous
rider Of other years, now an Off
cial at the Garden race, Goullet
gets a guarantee of 1000 a day
Last year he received $500. With
out him a sixday race would lose
great glamour. No rider is paid
less than 500 for every day he Il
in the race. That Is why some oi
them, Tapped and back in the ruck
keep on pedalling as long as they
can. And also to win spectator
prize money for sprints, which the
leaders sometimes let them win II
help them out.
Oscar Egg, the noted Swiss rider
! is said to receive $500 a day. Maur
/ ice Brocco, the idol of the CALLER,
gods and popular with all-what Il
a six-day race without British