New Britain herald., 1926-03-11
BICYCLE RIDERS
 LIVE LIKE KINGS
Nothing Is Spared in Providing
 Athletes With Best Of Food

New York, March ii H) -- Six day bicycle race fans are having their second "slceplcss week" of the winter at Madison Square Car den while the riders who maintain the dizzy whirl live off the fiat of the land"
 It costs approximately sl00,000 altogether 10 put on this unique sporting spectacle, with the payroll of the podallers mounting 10 s75,- u00. but the item of principal in- tcrrst is the food bill. It amounts 10 G3, 300 for the week. an average of more than s100 for each Of the 32 riders who started the race last Sunday night.
 Nothing is spared in providing these wheeled athletes, the utmost in nourishmcnt. No thoroughbred is cared for with any more atten- ton 10 detail. Charts are kept of the amount of food. water and sleep they get. Their digestion, pulse and general condition is care fully watched their gain or loss in weight registered.
 Three shifts of French and Ger man chefs prepare the menus. There is an abundance of expcrtly- prepared food, especially selected to provide energy, but in spite of the unusual amount most rides eat the average contestant loses from three to ten pounds during the week.
 Our greatest danger is that the ! boys will over-eat," according to Charlie Stein. a former rider and once national amateur champion. who has served as chief steward , since 1915 for the Madison Square Garden races.
 Stein lists the following as a sample of weeks food order: $50 dozen eggs; 500 steaks; 42 braces of lamb; G2 beef roasts; 460 pounds of chicken; 10 crates of grape ruit; 6 crates of oranges; 45 pounds of rice; 75 pounds of coffee; $50 quarts of milk; 40 quarts of cream BIO loaves of bread; 110 pounds of butter and 500 individual bags of tea.
 Such vegetables as Spinach. eel cry, onions, peas and asparagus also form part of the menus but few potatoes are used and only two pounds of flour are required for the week.
 Stein recalls many startling feats at the training tables he has di. rccttd over the past decade but he i hands the palm 10 Alphonse Coos i ems, the Belgian Bcarcat." and Pete Van Kempen, Hollands great sprint man.
 "Gooscns once ate 365 eggs dur l ing the week of race" Stein said, That, I believe, is a worlds rec ord. Van Kempen used to consume six full meals during 4 hours of riding, including almcet two pounds of meat to a meal. In between he would take a little hot soup, bread and coffee"
 Sharing Stein's task of keeping ! the riders in condition is Jack i Neville. the head trainer.
 These boys drink no plain water during a race" Neville explained I've have mineral water by the case and they can have all they want. It aids their digestion"
 "The rules of the race provide i that each rider must pedal the ! same number of hours as his part. 1 ncr," Neville went on.
 They work in shifts and in some cases we provide alarm clocks tc notify riders when they are due tt 1 take the track. This eliminates ar. 1 Eumcnts which used to be a prohlen for the trainer in the old day; when riders tired and became ir ritable toward the close of the grind
 Each team has three helpers tc watch the condition of the riders and determine [ 2 shifts. One is { mechanic. who keeps the wheels il repair, another the trainer and thu third a general helper.
 'The riders are paid by the da, and it is to the advantage of eacl ! one 10 keep in the best physica condition. Only in case of a scriou accident is a rider who quits th track before the end of the rac paid in full. When Ali Grenda sui fcred a broken collar bone on tn last night Of the race two years qg he was paid in full and he woul have been treated just the same wa lad the accident happened On th opening night. The management 1 fair, but strict in its rules to com bat the loafer."
 In addition 10 about s75,000 whic is paid for salaries, guarantees an prize money during a race, all tn care necessary 10 keep the per formers in good riding condition provided free by the promoters c the race. Tires also are furnished
 
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