The Bearings, Vol 7, No 18
Articles in this issue
- p. 18
Marinus Nelson of the Columbia Wheelmen wins the 1893 Pullman road race with a six-minute handicap over the 17.5-mile course in 55:44, with Martin Nessel taking first time prize, while 278 start and at least 215 finish despite numerous falls and mechanical failures.
- p. 4
The Pullman start draws about 5,000 spectators from Twelfth Street south along Lake Shore, with scratch men Lumsden, Githens, and Rhodes loafing early while spectators board special trains to reach the Pullman finish.
- At Forty-Third Street
At the five-mile mark the race takes shape with a strong 1:30 group led by Knisely, Bliss, Nessel, and Davis, while scratch men Githens and Lumsden pace each other without gaining on the field.
- At Grand Crossing
Gunther holds a decisive lead at Grand Crossing, while Lumsden loses time waiting for a train to clear and Davis is eliminated after a flat tyre that he unsuccessfully tries to inflate by mouth.
- At South Chicago
Gunther still leads the race at South Chicago with a close chase pack behind him, while Bliss and Knisely pace each other through the headwind on South Chicago Avenue despite painful muscle cramps.
- p. 4
Gunther is first over the Sand Hill about a mile from the finish, but Sercombe bends his right crank just beyond it, and Nessel strikes a tree in the narrow path, while the tail of the field arrives in what correspondents call the Cripples' Brigade.
- Finish Results and Comments
The race is judged a success despite a smaller crowd than the previous year, with praise for the timing, patrolling, and train service, though Gunther narrowly loses to Nelson through showing up at the finish line too early.