MARSHALL W. TAYLOR
World Champion Cyclist
1878-1932
Marshall "Major" Taylor was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 21, 1878.
While working in the bicycle plant of white ex-cyclist Louis Munger, who urged
and assisted Taylor at the start of his career, Taylor won his first amateur
race in Lexington, Kentucky at the tender age of 13. It wasn’t long before
Taylor was racing internationally, competing in races in Canada, Europe,
Australia and New Zealand. In 1899, he reached the top of the cycling world
by winning the world title and thus becoming America’s first Black world
champion cyclist. During his nearly 16 years of competition, Taylor won
numerous championships, which included the American Sprint Championship titles
1898, 1899, 1900, and established several world records. His career consisted
of nearly 168 races which included 117-1st place finishes and 32-2nd place
finishes. Taylor was later inducted into bicycling’s Hall of Fame. In honor
of his accomplishments, one of the world’s most renowned cycling venues, the
Major Taylor Velodrome, located in Indianapolis, is named in his honor.
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Marshall Taylor
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