Cycling at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's sprint

The men's sprint was one of the three cycling events, all track cycling, now regarded as "Olympic" on the Cycling at the 1900 Summer Olympics programme. It was held on 11 September and 13 September. The sprint, a 2000-metre race with 1000-metre heats, was conducted in four rounds. 69 of the 72 cyclists competed in the sprint, including cyclists from all six competing nations. The event was won by Albert Taillandier of France (the nation's second consecutive victory in the men's sprint), with his countryman Fernand Sanz in second place. John Henry Lake of the United States won the nation's first cycling medal with his bronze.

Men's sprint
at the Games of the II Olympiad
The final: Albert Taillandier (France), Fernand Sanz (France) and John Henry Lake (USA)
VenueVélodrome de Vincennes
DatesSeptember 11 (heats and quarterfinals)
September 13 (semifinals and final)
Competitors69 from 6 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Albert Taillandier
 France
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Fernand Sanz
 France
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) John Henry Lake
 United States
← 1896
1906 (Intercalated Games)»
1908 (Summer Olympics) →

Background edit

This was the second appearance of the event, which has been held at every Summer Olympics except 1904 and 1912. None of the cyclists from 1896 returned. Two of the three top sprinters in 1900 were French and competed: Ferdinand Vasserot and Albert Taillandier. (The third, Alphonse Didier-Nauts of Belgium, did not compete). An American, John Henry Lake, however, had finished second in the world championships to Didier-Nauts and was the most significant non-French competitor in the field.[1]

Belgium, Bohemia, Italy, and the United States each made their debut in the men's sprint. France and Germany made their second appearance, having previously competed in 1896.

Competition format edit

Unlike modern sprint events (which use a flying 200 metre time trial to cut down and seed the field, followed by one-on-one matches), the 1900 sprint used very large initial heats of up to eight cyclists each before smaller quarterfinals, semifinals, and final with three cyclists in each race. For the first round, the top three cyclists in each heat advanced; in the quarterfinals and semifinals, only the fastest man moved on. The distance for each race was 1 kilometre.[1]

Records edit

The records for the sprint are 200 metre flying time trial records, kept for the qualifying round in later Games as well as for the finish of races.

World record Unknown Unknown* Unknown Unknown
Olympic record N/A N/A N/A N/A

* World records were not tracked by the UCI until 1954.

Lloyd Hildebrand set the initial record of 15.4 seconds in the first heat. Adolphe Cayron improved on that in the second heat, to 14.2 seconds. John Henry Lake dropped the record to 14.0 seconds in heat 6. Antonio Restelli finished the first round with a 13.6 second time in the ninth heat. Lake responded with 13.2 seconds in the first quarterfinal, only to see Restelli go 13.0 seconds in the fourth. Albert Taillandier dropped below that to 12.6 seconds in the next quarterfinal, a time that held through the rest of the 1900 Games.[1]

Schedule edit

Date Time Round
Tuesday, 11 September 1900 9:00
14:00
Round 1
Quarterfinals
Thursday, 13 September 1900 Semifinals
Final

Results edit

Round 1 edit

The first round was held on 11 September. It began at 9 a.m. The top three cyclists in each of the 9 heats advanced to the quarterfinals.

Heat 1 edit

 
The finish of the final race

Stratta was a wheel behind Hildebrand, with Vasserot very close after that.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Lloyd Hildebrand   Great Britain 1:34.2 15.4 Q, OR
2 Giacomo Stratta   Italy Q
3 Ferdinand Vasserot   France Q
4–8 Émile Dubois   France
Dubourdieu   France
L. Dumont   France
František Hirsch   Bohemia
Pouget   France

Heat 2 edit

Coindre was a wheel behind Cayron; Daumain was not close.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Adolphe Cayron   France 1:34.2 14.2 Q, OR
2 Georges Coindre   France Q
3 Auguste Daumain   France Q
4–8 Alfred Boulnois   France
Romulo Bruni   Italy
Saignier   France
Émile Vadbled   France
Vianzino   Italy

Heat 3 edit

Sanz was a half-length behind Gottron.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Paul Gottron   Germany 1:32.4 14.4 Q
2 Fernand Sanz   France Q
3 Paul Rosso   France Q
4–8 Charles Amberger   France
L. Boyer   France
Georges Neurouth   France
A. Roger   France
Ruez   France

Heat 4 edit

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Paul Legrain   France 1:30.4 14.4 Q
2 Ernesto Mario Brusoni   Italy Q
3 Théophile Fras   France Q
4–8 Omer Beaugendre   France
Octave Coisy   France
Franzen   France
Pichard   France
L. Saunière   France

Heat 5 edit

Davis was a length behind Maisonnave.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Léon Maisonnave   France 1:35.8 14.4 Q
2 Will Davis   France Q
3 Chaput   France Q
4–8 Fernand Boulmant   France
Georg Drescher   Germany
Guillot   France
Lohner   France
Longchamp   France

Heat 6 edit

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 John Henry Lake   United States 1:35.8 14.0 Q
2 Paul Espeit   France Q
3 Gaston Bullier   France Q
4–8 J. Bérard   France
Maxime Bertrand   France
Vladislav Chalupa   France
Jacques Droëtti   Italy
M. Steitz   France

Heat 7 edit

Dohis was a wheel behind Taillandier, with Germain a close third.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Albert Taillandier   France 1:36.8 15.0 Q
2 Marcel Dohis   France Q
3 Germain   France Q
4–7 Georges Augoyat   France
G. Bessing   France
Luigi Colombo   Italy
Maurice Monniot   France

Heat 8 edit

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Karl Duill   Germany 1:35.4 14.4 Q
2 Léon Ponscarme   France Q
3 Thomann   France Q
4–6 Édouard Maibaum   France
Pilton   France
Maurice Terrier   France
A. Porcher   France DSQ

Heat 9 edit

Wick and Hubault fell and did not finish.

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Antonio Restelli   Italy 1:37.6 13.6 Q, OR
2 Vincent   Belgium Q
3 Joseph Mallet   France Q
4–5 Caillet   France
Mossmann   France
P. Hubault   France DNF
Édouard Wick   France DNF

Quarterfinals edit

The quarterfinals were also held on the first day of competition, 11 September. They began at 2 p.m. Only the winning cyclist of each of the 9 quarterfinals advanced to the semifinals.

Quarterfinal 1 edit

Stratta was three lengths behind Lake.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 John Henry Lake   United States 2:02.0 13.2 Q, OR
2 Giacomo Stratta   Italy
3 Chaput   France

Quarterfinal 2 edit

Bullier was two lengths behind Sanz.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Fernand Sanz   France 2:00.0 14.0 Q
2 Gaston Bullier   France
3 Paul Rosso   France

Quarterfinal 3 edit

Duill was a wheel behind Coindre.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Georges Coindre   France 1:50.0 14.4 Q
2 Karl Duill   Germany
3 Germain   France

Quarterfinal 4 edit

Hildebrand was a wheel behind Restelli.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Antonio Restelli   Italy 1:52.4 13.0 Q, OR
2 Lloyd Hildebrand   Great Britain
3 Auguste Daumain   France

Quarterfinal 5 edit

Vincent was two lengths behind Taillandier.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Albert Taillandier   France 2:00.6 12.6 Q, OR
2 Vincent   Belgium
3 Thomann   France

Quarterfinal 6 edit

In a very close race, Brusoni was a quarter-wheel behind Mallet.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Joseph Mallet   France 2:45.0 Unknown Q
2 Ernesto Mario Brusoni   Italy
3 Théophile Fras   France

Quarterfinal 7 edit

Ponscarme was three lengths behind Maisonnave.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Léon Maisonnave   France 1:49.2 14.2 Q
2 Léon Ponscarme   France
3 Paul Espeit   France

Quarterfinal 8 edit

Dohis was a half length behind Vasserot.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Ferdinand Vasserot   France 2:21.6 14.2 Q
2 Marcel Dohis   France
3 Will Davis   France

Quarterfinal 9 edit

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Paul Legrain   France 2:57.4 13.8 Q
2 Paul Gottron   Germany
3 Adolphe Cayron   France

Semifinals edit

The semifinals were conducted on 13 September. The top cyclist in each of the three semifinals advanced to the final, guaranteeing himself a medal.

Semifinal 1 edit

Lake had defeated Vasserot previously in 1900, at the world championships where the two had placed second and third to Léon Didier-Nauts. Lake won again in this match, with Vasserot a short length behind.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 John Henry Lake   United States 2:09.6 13.6 Q
2 Ferdinand Vasserot   France
3 Léon Maisonnave   France

Semifinal 2 edit

Restelli was a half wheel behind Sanz.[1]

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Fernand Sanz   France 2:46.6 13.4 Q
2 Antonio Restelli   Italy
3 Georges Coindre   France

Semifinal 3 edit

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m Notes
1 Albert Taillandier   France 2:42.6 14.6 Q
2 Paul Legrain   France
3 Joseph Mallet   France

Final edit

The final was held on the same day as the semifinals, 13 September.

Rank Cyclist Nation Time 200 m
  Albert Taillandier   France 2:52.0 13.0
  Fernand Sanz   France
  John Henry Lake   United States

Results summary edit

Rank Cyclist Nation Round 1 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Notes
  Albert Taillandier   France 1st (15.0) 1st (12.6) OR 1st (14.6) 1st (13.0) OR
  Fernand Sanz   France 2nd 1st (14.0) 1st (13.4) 2nd
  John Henry Lake   United States 1st (14.0) 1st (13.2) OR 1st (13.6) 3rd
4 Paul Legrain   France 1st (14.4) 1st (13.8) 2nd Did not advance
Antonio Restelli   Italy 1st (13.6) 1st (13.0) OR 2nd Did not advance
Ferdinand Vasserot   France 3rd 1st (14.2) 2nd Did not advance
7 Georges Coindre   France 2nd 1st (14.4) 3rd Did not advance
Léon Maisonnave   France 1st (14.4) 1st (14.2) 3rd Did not advance
Joseph Mallet   France 3rd 1st (Unknown) 3rd Did not advance
10 Ernesto Mario Brusoni   Italy 2nd 2nd Did not advance
Gaston Bullier   France 3rd 2nd Did not advance
Marcel Dohis   France 2nd 2nd Did not advance
Karl Duill   Germany 1st (14.4) 2nd Did not advance
Paul Gottron   Germany 1st (14.4) 2nd Did not advance
Lloyd Hildebrand   France 1st (15.4) 2nd Did not advance
Léon Ponscarme   France 2nd 2nd Did not advance
Giacomo Stratta   Italy 2nd 2nd Did not advance
Vincent   Belgium 2nd 2nd Did not advance
19 Adolphe Cayron   France 1st (14.2) 3rd Did not advance
Chaput   France 3rd 3rd Did not advance
Auguste Daumain   France 3rd 3rd Did not advance
Will Davis   France 2nd 3rd Did not advance
Paul Espeit   France 2nd 3rd Did not advance
Théophile Fras   France 3rd 3rd Did not advance
Germain   France 3rd 3rd Did not advance
Paul Rosso   France 3rd 3rd Did not advance
Thomann   France 3rd 3rd Did not advance
28 Charles Amberger   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Georges Augoyat   France 4th–7th Did not advance
Omer Beaugendre   France 4th–8th Did not advance
J. Bérard   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Maxime Bertrand   France 4th–8th Did not advance
G. Bessing   France 4th–7th Did not advance
Fernand Boulmant   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Alfred Boulnois   France 4th–8th Did not advance
L. Boyer   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Romulo Bruni   Italy 4th–8th Did not advance
Caillet   France 4th–5th Did not advance
Vladislav Chalupa   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Octave Coisy   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Luigi Colombo   Italy 4th–7th Did not advance
Georg Drescher   Germany 4th–8th Did not advance
Jacques Droëtti   Italy 4th–8th Did not advance
Émile Dubois   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Dubourdieu   France 4th–8th Did not advance
L. Dumont   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Franzen   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Guillot   France 4th–8th Did not advance
František Hirsch   Bohemia 4th–8th Did not advance
Lohner   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Longchamp   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Édouard Maibaum   France 4th–6th Did not advance
Maurice Monniot   France 4th–7th Did not advance
Mossmann   France 4th–5th Did not advance
Georges Neurouth   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Pichard   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Pilton   France 4th–6th Did not advance
Pouget   France 4th–8th Did not advance
A. Roger   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Ruez   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Saignier   France 4th–8th Did not advance
L. Saunière   France 4th–8th Did not advance
M. Steitz   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Maurice Terrier   France 4th–6th Did not advance
Émile Vadbled   France 4th–8th Did not advance
Vianzino   Italy 4th–8th Did not advance
P. Hubault   France DNF Did not advance
Édouard Wick   France DNF Did not advance
A. Porcher   France DSQ Did not advance

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Sprint, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 November 2020.