CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 22 January 1916, Page 16

CYCLING.

Frank L. Kramer, the world's champion cyclist, was 35 years "old'recently. He has spent most of his time straddling , a pair of wheels for the last 18* years, and, although now threatening to quit the game, is almost as good' as ever. The famous cyclist is a native of New Jersey, and lives in East Orange,"where the leading citizens recently pulled off a big banquet in his honour. ' In many ways Kramer stands out as one of the greatest of living athletes. In every other domain of active sport champions have come and gone and been forgotten, but Frank seemingly goes on for ever. During the recent season all the crack foreign .riders entered into a conspiracy to dislodge the veteran from his throne, but their plot failed, and Frank grabbed his fifteenth consecutive championship. Cycling is one of the most wearing of sports, and few men last more than five or six years at it Kramer entered the game when he was only 17, and he was amateur champion of America for two years before he turned professional His first' year he was runner-up for the title' and "ever since he has grabbed it in spit* of "the stiffest ~opposition. "He has 'made four trips to Europe, and on two occasions was presented by the President of France with a medal emblematic" of the world's cycle'championship. Last year Kramer won every race in which he engaged on the other side of the pond while in 1913 he captured the cycling title at the Velodrome d'Hiver in Paris. Kramer lives a simple temperate life, but isn't a faddist. He drinks and smokes occasionally, but not while in training. "Know thyself," is his motto, for he declares that every man needs & different system of training, diet, exercise, etc. During his professional career Kramer is said to lave cleaned up considerably more than 100,000 dollars. '