Track cycling world championships 1899

Major Taylor became world champion of professional sprinters in Montreal.

The track cycling world championships in 1899 took place from August 9th to 11th in Montreal . The organizer was the "International Cyclists Association" (ICA), a predecessor organization of the Union Cycliste Internationale . The races took place in front of up to 12,000 spectators. There were hardly any European drivers at the start; Even the American cyclists, who normally earned their living in Europe, did not interrupt their season to start in Canada.

At this world championship, motorized pacemaker machines were used for the first time in the 100 km races. But only the later winners got this benefit; They were several kilometers ahead of the runner-up. Only motorized pacemakers were used at all subsequent world championships.

The journey of the European delegates to the World Championships turned out to be adventurous because the ship that was supposed to bring them to Canada got stuck in the drift ice for a day. At the ICA conference taking place parallel to the World Cup, a decision had to be made as to which of two opposing cycling organizations should represent the USA, the "League of American Wheelmen" (LAW) or the "National Cyclists Association". The LAW finally prevailed with the threat not to let their drivers start at the World Cup otherwise.

Professional driver

discipline	space	country	athlete
1 mile flying race	1	United States	Major Taylor
	2	United States	Tom Butler
	3	France	Gaston Courbe d'Outerlon
Standing race over 100 km	1	United Kingdom	Harry Gibson
	2	United States	Hugh MacLean
	3	United States	Ken Boake

Amateurs

discipline	space	country	athlete
1 mile flying race	1	United Kingdom	Thomas Summersgill
	2	United States	Earl Peabody
	3	Canada	John Caldow
Standing race over 100 km	1	United States	John Nelson
	2	United States	Robert Goodson
	3	Canada	William Riddle

Individual evidence

1. ↑ stayer.de (PDF; 18 kB)

literature

• Rad-Welt , August 1899