100 kilometres, Men

The 100 kilometre race was considered the “major” championship of the 1908 Olympic cycling program, and the Prince of Wales donated a cup to be presented to the winner. Leon Meredith was the heavy favorite. He would be World Champion seven times in the 100 kilometre motor-paced event - 1904-05, 1907-09, 1911, and 1913.

A potentially disastrous accident occurred in heat two of this event. At the beginning of the sprint, Mr. Harry Venn, a judge in the walking contests, wandered onto the track and Guillaume Coeckelberg (BEL) collided with him. Coeckelberg was thrown from his bike, and struck his head on the concrete curb of the track. Fortunately, neither was severely injured and Coeckelberg was able to remount and finish the race and qualify for the final as a result of having led the race for a sufficient number of laps.

The track was wet from rains at the start of the final of this event and intermittent rain saturated the riders for most of the race, which was marred by multiple punctures and accidents. At 13 miles, Meredith was involved in a crash with Walter Andrews and D. C. Robertson. He remounted but was off the back and could never rejoin the leading group. Meredith was lapped at 62 laps, and he dismounted within the next mile. The half-way mark (50 km.) was covered in 1-16:47.2, with Sydney Bailey (GBR) leading.

At 70 kilometres (115 laps) the leading pack numbered seven, including Charles Bartlett. But Bartlett punctured, only to be paced back to the pack in eight laps by the Canadian, Harry Young. The final lap came down to a pack of four - Bartlett, Charles Denny, Octave Lapize, and Billy Pett. With three British riders, Lapize stood little chance, and the Brits paced the quick sprinting Bartlett, leading him out for the final sprint, which he won by about one wheel to earn the Prince of Wales Cup. Bartlett had no other major international titles but won the NCU 50-mile tandem-paced championship in 1908 and 1909. His time in winning this race was a world record, bettering the mark of 2-49:00.8 set by Capelle in Dijon, France on 20 October 1898.

Although Octave Lapize “only” earned the bronze medal, in 1910 he became the first former Olympic rider to win the Tour de France. He also remains the only rider to win Paris-Roubaix in three consecutive years - 1909-11. His other major professional titles included Paris-Brussels in 1911-13 and Paris-Tours in 1911. Lapize was killed in a dogfight during World War I.

Paul Texier (FRA) [38 laps], Lapize [31 laps], and Denny [23 laps], received Diplomas of Merit for leading the greatest number of laps. Bartlett led for only 16 laps.