IMPERIAL ROAD RACE. - FRANK BYRNE THE WINNER. - The San Francisco Call, 04 Feb 1895

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=== IMPERIAL ROAD RACE. ===
==== Good Time Made by the Many Contestants. ====
===== FRANK BYRNE THE WINNER. =====
===== A Large Audience Saw the Finish of the Run. ===== 
====== SEVERAL RACERS WERE INJURED. ====== 
====== Acme Club Men Will Try for a Record on the 22d Inst. – Central Park Ready for Use. ======
What promises to be the most active year ever known in wheeling circles was opened yesterday afternoon, the occasion being a race::five-mile handicap road race, run by the members of the Imperial Cycling Club from High street, Fruitvale, to a point on the Haywards road, some 300 yards beyond San Leandro.
Considering the severe storms of the past two months the course was in fair condition, there being a narrow but rideable strip of road all the way. Near the electric-road power-house a section of about 200 yards of freshly graveled road tended to make that portion of the journey very unpleasant. A strong wind from the northeast also militated against record-breaking, but in spite of these drawbacks the time made by the racers was very satisfactory.
Promptly at 1 o'clock Starter Howe sent the three men who had the extreme time limit, two minutes, on their journey, and the twelve other starters followed them in rapid succession at intervals of fifteen seconds. N. Hurst, one of the scratch men, collided with E. Barley and did not finish. Barley was badly cut and bruised, but stayed with the race to the finish, exhibiting considerable pluck. A. L. Holling also met with an accident, having his wheel wrecked in a collision with an inexperienced rider.
The following is a list of the contestants with the positions in which they finished:
CONTESTANTS. 	Finish	Handicap 	Actual time.
P. Metcalf 	1 	1-1/2 min.	15 m. 40 2-5s
A. L. Holling 	2 	1-1/2 min.	16 m. 3-5s
W. C. Howe 	3 	1-1/4 min.	15 m. 59 3-5s
F. M. Byrne 	4 	Scratch. 	14 m. 52 4-5s
J. Jaegeling 	5 	45 sec. 	15 m. 41s
J. S. Egan 	6 	1-1/2 min.	16 m. 29s
C. W. Conger 	7 	45 sec. 	15 m. 45s
G. Panario 	8 	1-1/4 min.	16 m. 42s
J. Catanich 	9 	1-1/2 min.	16 m. 49s
Nels Olsen 	10 	2 min. 	17 m. 39s
J. R. Callahan	11 	2 min. 	17 m. 40s
G. Radke 	12 	2 min. 	17 m. 40 2-5s
L. C. Edwards 	13 	45 sec. 	17 m. 11s
E. Barley 	14 	30 sec. 	19 m. 24s
W. Hurst 	* 	 	
* Collided wilth E. Barley and did not finish.
The handicapping was done by Edwin W. Adams and gave general satisfaction, A large crowd of wheelmen and many people interested in the event, gathered at San Leandro to see the finish, which was quite exciting.
Frank Byrne, who won time prize, gets a handsome gold medal offered by the club, while P. Metcalf, who won first place, now holds a first mortgage on an elegant silver pitcher, which must be won three times by any one man, however, before it becomes his personal property. The other prizes for place have not yet been announced.
The following were the officials of the race: Referee, Edwin W. Adams; starter, W. D. Howe; clerk, Mr. Eisert; timers, W. Wilson, W. L. Elliott, F. J. Williams, Mr. Millett and Alex S. Ireland; chief umpire, F. Tommereg; scorers - J. G. North. P. H. Douglass, T. Egan, Martin Berendt and M. Macdonald; judges - E. C. Douglass, J. F. Burns and J. S. Conwell.
It may be noted as a peculiar feature, and an evidence that the handicapper was well acquainted with the abilities of the men, that the three limit men finished within one second of each other.
The Reliance Wheelmen of Oakland took a spin to San Leandro yesterday to witness the finish of the Imperial Club's roadrace. C. C. Harbottle, who is one of Champion Ziegler's team-mates, has decided to join
the Oakland club. 
The Acme Club Wheelmen of Oakland also rode out to the finish of the race, and Captain Kitchen lead a scorch home, just to keep his men in condition for the race:annual 25-mile race on the 22d inst.
Messrs. Rosburg, Nutter, Davis, Goddard, Ready, Kanzee and the Hancock brothers of the Bay City Wheelmen were over on the triangle yesterday. The Hancocks rode to San Jose in the afternoon. 
The California Cycling Club held a run to Haywards yesterday, which was well attended, while the Olympic Club Wheelmen got out their old "ordinaries,” and rode to the park. The roadrace kept all but five of the “has beens" from the run.
The track at Central Park will be ready for use to-day. It will be necessary for club members desiring to train on it to secure tickets from the secretaries of their organizations.
The coast five-mile road record is in great danger, for the Acme Wheelmen of Oakland are after it next Sunday, on the course from San Leandro to Haywards. Captain Kitchen will do the handicapping, and the entries will be published next Thursday. This will be an exciting race, and all the wheelmen hereabouts will go over to witness it.
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