The International Workers' Olympiad 1931
Vienna
Vienna July 19th -26th 1931
Name Clarion Club Bike
Colin C Copeland - Oldham (Carpenter)
Frank Johnson - Oldham (Granby)
Thomas E Hirst
- Blackburn (Merlin)
Ernest Deveney - East Manchester (Pemberton Arrow)
James A Tattersall - Heywood (Permuting Arrow)
Frank Miller - Goldthorpe (Selbach)
All bikes had Dunlop tyres
The British team arrived late and missed the first race the 140 km road race, the first event which the team entered was a 50 kilometer road race. Johnson, Miller, Tattersall took part in this, and started "en masse", this was not a practice common in Britain at the time.
The British team reported that the roads were, very bad, and the team were riding riding on one and quarter inch tyres they felt were at a disadvantage, they stated that continental riders were using up to 2 inch tyres and could stand up to the many pot holes. The bumpy roads caused Tattersall to have chain trouble and he was delayed. Johnson had a puncture, but caught up with the riders again. Miller finished 4th and Johnson 5th.
The next event was a 20k race. mass start again and Copeland, Hirst and Miller were in this event. Miller had only just ridden in the 50km so he soon packed up and it was left our two members to work the pace for each other, as against three in other teams. near home Copeland and Hirst were in front but in the final sprint Hirst was left for 4th place but Copeland kept his position and finished 1st.
In the afternoon they went to race on the track in events 1, 2 and 10k races. Copeland and Deveney rode in the first two and these two and Hirst were in the 10k. Copeland won his heat in the 2k and Deveney in the 10k, the finals to be run on Sunday 26th.
Heats were run on a process of elimination and each rider had several times to ride the distance before the race ended.
All the teams entered the 6,000 meters (six man) relay race. this was a very fast race, and our team were second, losing by 15 seconds to the Austrians, this was considered the teams greatest success.
An hour later Johnson, Copeland, Daveney and Hirst in the 10k track race. Each took a lap as pacer in turn and twenty laps were covered at an average speed of 30 miles an hour. Again we were second, this time losing by 35 seconds.
On Saturday morning the 50k road race for teams of six (four count) started at 8am four of our team were delayed by punctures thus discounting their splendid times done by Copeland and Johnson. These two did the fastest time. being the first home, but we were not in the count.
In the Hill Climb the first race was separate starts at three minute intervals. Copeland did the second fastest time to an Austrian rider who had been practicing on the hill for several weeks and had been specially saved for this event. Next was the mass start, and only one was entered from our team. This was Hirst who finished fourth. The climb was 3k and the finish was in a lovely mountain village called Cobenzl. Sunday was the day of the finals for track events, but unforeseen circumstances prevented E. Deveney from Riding. Copeland rode in the 2k and before the result was known he had to ride four or five times. On points he was declared second
however the British cycling team won one, came second in three and fourth in eighteen cycling events
The cycling track was made of concrete track, so was considered fast, the road on the other hand were in poor condition which caused difficulties for the British riders (so fast) and bumpy roads
Colin Copeland of Oldham won the 20 kilometer track race and came second in 1 kilometer race
fifty Clarionettes went to Vienna to support the team in all sporting events Britain came 4th Source:
The Clarion
September 1931
