The 1901 Los Angeles to Santa Monica Road Race
On 2 July sixteen entries were received for the 1901 road race, they were the final entries to be accepted for the race and brought the total number of racers up to 131. Noted among the entries were Frank Ambrose, who won the "pig prize" in 1900, Henry 'High Gear' Wheeler, nicknamed for his choice of racing gear, and also the oldest racer in the competition at forty-seven years, and Albert Wildung who, with one leg, was causing quite a problem for the handicappers, unsure of what mark he should be given.
The race was to be run under the direction of the Los Angeles Cycle Board of Trade, and starting at Main and Jefferson. The route would take the racers west on Jefferson to Western, north to Washington, and then west again via the Santa Monica road. The railroad companies had agreed to hold all trains at the street crossings until the race had passed, and the city had agreed to grant permission for "fast riding within the city limits."
Three men were to start at scratch in 1901, R. C. Hamlin, Fred Dee, and Tom Morris. "Frenchy" Florentin, Guy West and F. Y. Pearne would start at thirty seconds. Everyone else was ranged between them and three limit men starting with an eight minute lead. Beside the usual minute and thirty-second handicaps, there were also a number of fifteen-second handicaps.
The 1901 race was among the most controversial in both its start and finish. H. Overholtzer, who was about 18 or 19 years of age that year, was originally handicapped at 6 minutes, 45 seconds. When, however, the handicapping judge, W. L. Loos, received a report concerning Overholtzer's racing abilities (alluding that he should actually be a three-minute man) the handicap was revised to 5 minutes, a compromise of sorts. At the start Overholtzer lined up with the 6:45 group, and was warned to line up with the 5:00 starters. After the warning the starters lost track of the racer, resulting in confusion about just which group he started with. When some forty-eight minutes later Overholtzer was the first rider to come into view, and then cross, the finish line, the furor began.
"Ringer" said some. "We will investigate" said others. "He started fairly in the five-minute class" insisted one or two." There was as much turmoil at the end of the race as there was at the beginning. After questioning a number of riders, the judges still had no clear indication of when Overholtzer started. When they questioned him directly, he admitted to starting with the 6:45 group and was relegated to 18th place. As a result, another young rider, L. Durrell, who crossed the line two or three lengths behind Overholtzer, was declared the winner. At sixteen or seventeen years of age, this was Durrell's (starting with a 7:25 handicap) first race.
"Frenchy" Florentin set the fastest pace of the day, crossing the line in a record time of 43 minutes, 48 1/2 seconds (19th place). Second place time went to Guy West (44:30), 3rd place time to F. Y. Pearne (44:52), and 4th to Fred Dee (45:11).
Following Durrell in 1st place was A. Bradley, who started at 8 minutes, and P. T. Jordan, who started at 6 minutes. For the honor of being the last racer to finish within a 1-hour limit, "Izzy" Cohen won "John Brink's magnificent prize of a boiled lobster."
Three men were to start at scratch in 1901, R. C. Hamlin, Fred Dee, and Tom Morris. "Frenchy" Florentin, Guy West and F. Y. Pearne would start at thirty seconds. Everyone else was ranged between them and three limit men starting with an eight minute lead. Beside the usual minute and thirty-second handicaps, there were also a number of fifteen-second handicaps.
The 1901 race was among the most controversial in both its start and finish. H. Overholtzer, who was about 18 or 19 years of age that year, was originally handicapped at 6 minutes, 45 seconds. When, however, the handicapping judge, W. L. Loos, received a report concerning Overholtzer's racing abilities (alluding that he should actually be a three-minute man) the handicap was revised to 5 minutes, a compromise of sorts. At the start Overholtzer lined up with the 6:45 group, and was warned to line up with the 5:00 starters. After the warning the starters lost track of the racer, resulting in confusion about just which group he started with. When some forty-eight minutes later Overholtzer was the first rider to come into view, and then cross, the finish line, the furor began.
"Ringer" said some. "We will investigate" said others. "He started fairly in the five-minute class" insisted one or two." There was as much turmoil at the end of the race as there was at the beginning. After questioning a number of riders, the judges still had no clear indication of when Overholtzer started. When they questioned him directly, he admitted to starting with the 6:45 group and was relegated to 18th place. As a result, another young rider, L. Durrell, who crossed the line two or three lengths behind Overholtzer, was declared the winner. At sixteen or seventeen years of age, this was Durrell's (starting with a 7:25 handicap) first race.
"Frenchy" Florentin set the fastest pace of the day, crossing the line in a record time of 43 minutes, 48 1/2 seconds (19th place). Second place time went to Guy West (44:30), 3rd place time to F. Y. Pearne (44:52), and 4th to Fred Dee (45:11).
Following Durrell in 1st place was A. Bradley, who started at 8 minutes, and P. T. Jordan, who started at 6 minutes. For the honor of being the last racer to finish within a 1-hour limit, "Izzy" Cohen won "John Brink's magnificent prize of a boiled lobster."
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