RACING WHEELMEN. - Oakland Tribune, 22 Feb 1888
RACING WHEELMEN.
An Exciting Contest Over the San Leandro Triangle.
The Bay City Wheelmen the Winners — Two Headers and Consequent Sprains.
The principal bicycle clubs of San Francisco, Oakland, and vicinity recently organized the California Team Interclub Road Racing Association. The clubs in the association are the Ariel Club of Oakland, the Outing Cycle Club of San Francisco, the Garden City Club of San Jose, the Alameda Scorchers of Alameda, the Bay City Wheelmen of San Francisco, and the Oak Leaf Club of Stockton.
Three great interclub road races were arranged. The club whose members win the greatest number of points in these three races will receive a handsome trophy, consisting of a silver punch bowl lined with gold and elaborately engraved. The races were arranged to be respectively twenty-five miles, fifty miles, and 100 miles. The first race was held to-day. The starting and the ending place was San Leandro, and the course was a great triangle, the three points of which are San Leandro, San Lorenzo, and Haywards bridge. Thrice over this course constitutes the distance of twenty-five miles.
At the appointed hour this morning a throng of wheelmen arrived at San Leandro, many to watch the race and many to participate. About eighteen riders started on the course. As they passed the central point at San Leandro they were enthusiastically cheered, and at the windup the winning riders were received with shouts.
The Bay City Wheelmen, a San Francisco club, carried off all the honors of the day. The arrivals at the finish were in the following order:
First - Elwell - Bay City Wheelmen.
Second - Adcock, Bay City Wheelmen.
Third - Plummer, Bay City Wheelmen.
Fourth - Higginbotham, Oak Leaf Club of Stockton.
Fifth - Ireland, Alameda Scorchers.
Sixth - Hanlett, Alameda Scorchers.
Seventh - Louis Sears, Ariel Club of Oakland.
Eighth - Wolff, Oak Leaf Club of Stockton.
The Bay City Wheelmen were declared the winners, and were credited with sixty-nine points.
Elwell's time over the course was one hour, and thirty-four minutes.
The members of the Garden City Club of San Jose dropped out of the race before the conclusion.
The other races of the series, probably will be held on Admission Day and the Fourth of July.
Brown, a member of the Alameda Scorchers, had a serious fall from his wheel. He struck the ground with great force and received a severe scalp wound. One wrist also was sprained. He was taken to San Leandro and his injuries were dressed. H. H. Lawrence Jr. of East Oakland also took a header, and a sprain of the right wrist is the result.
