Monumentum Indy hits downtown in August, including a bike ride honoring Major Taylor

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Monumentum Indy hits downtown in August, including a bike ride honoring Major Taylor

Taylor (left) is lined up against French cyclist Edmond Jacquelin in 1908. Taylor’s 1908 season came in between a two-year racing hiatus (1905-1906) and his eventual retirement in 1910, but he still performed well—even setting a new 1-mile world record.

This image, now in the public domain, is from the Bibliothèque National de France, France’s national library, and is a scan of the original picture. The photo is credited to Agence Rol, or Rol Agency—a photo agency involved in French news at the time. It was accessed through Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Major_Taylor,_1908_Grand_Prix_de_Paris.jpg

There’ll be a plethora of cyclists in downtown Indianapolis Aug. 25 and 26, from children who haven’t had their training wheels off for long to professionals trying to rake in some prize money.

Dated from either 1906 or 1907, this was one of many photos of Taylor taken by French photographer Jules Beau (1864-1932). On Taylor’s 1901 trip to Europe, Michael Kranish wrote, “Taylor’s arrival coincided with the introduction of what would be called photojournalism.” Beau took more photos of Taylor than anyone else, according to Kranish.

This image, now in the public domain, is from the Bibliothèque National de France, France’s national library, and is a scan of the original picture. It was accessed through Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Major_Taylor,_1906-1907.jpg

IU Health Momentum Indy, billed as a “bicycle festival,” will be underway, featuring a number of races and rides.

Starting on Friday, Aug. 25, the Mass Ave Crit—“crit” is short for the criterium, a closed-circuit race—will take place. The 0.64-mile race is described as “flat, fast, and technical” and will have races for amateurs, masters, and professionals.

The next day, there will be opportunities for bike rides of various distances—five, 14, 30 and 62 miles—as part of the Honor Major Taylor Fondo.

Major Taylor was an African-American cyclist born in Indianapolis who was a world champion in 1899 and an American champion in 1900.

“He was the first black athlete to compete regularly in integrated competition for an annual American championship,” wrote one of Taylor’s biographers, Andrew Ritchie.

Almost a century after his death, Taylor has drawn passionate fans seeking to tell his story and honor him. Indianapolis is home to a mural of the athlete and a velodrome named after Taylor.

Later on Saturday is the Indy Crit, a race that is a part of the American Criterium Cup—a race series in its second year. Like the Mass Ave Crit, there will be heats for those of all levels, including a race for 9- to 14-year-olds, with the professional races beginning at 4:05 p.m.

Momentum Indy will also have Adventure Zone from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as another opportunity for kids. Two of the activities will be helmet decorating and bicycle obstacle courses.

For more information, including how to register for events, visit the Momentum Indy website.

FOOTNOTE:  Jack Sells is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

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