The men's 2000 metre tandem was one of seven track cycling events on the Cycling at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Each nation could enter up to 6 teams of 2.Official Report, p. 33.
Competition format
The tandem race was a sprint-style race with teams of 2 on tandem bicycles. The distance was 2000 metres, or approximately 3.3 laps of the 660-yard track. The time limit for the race was 4 minutes. The competition was held over three rounds (heats, semifinals, and a final). The first round consisted of 7 heats of 2 or 3 teams each, with the winning team in each heat as well as the fastest second-place team advancing to the semifinals. There were 2 semifinals of 4 teams each; the winning team in each semifinal as well as the faster second-place team advanced to the final. The final featured 3 teams, so all finalists received medals.
Results
First round
The fastest team in each of the seven heats and the fastest second-place team overall advanced to the semifinals.
The competition was held on Monday, July 13, 1908, starting at 4.15 p.m. (first four heats) and at 5.15 p.m. (remaining three heats).
Heat 1
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 Charlie Brooks William Isaacs 3:09.4 2 Alwin Boldt Max Triebsch 5 lengthsbehind
Heat 2
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 Frederick Hamlin Horace Johnson 3:14.8 2 Marc Texier Paul Texier 4 lengthsbehind
Heat 3
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 Max Götze Otto GötzeThe official report shows as second team member Karl Neumer. 2:55.6 The Official Report gives a time of 2:05.6; however, from its descriptions of second place finishes that time would have resulted in Avrillon and Guyader advancing to the semifinals as the fastest losers. Wudarski gives a time of 2:55.6, which fits with other results and may indicate a transcription or typographical error in the Official Report. 2 Charles Avrillon Joseph Guyader bare wheel 3 Cecil McKaig Edward Piercy 2 lengthsbehind 2nd
Heat 4
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 Léon Coeckelberg Jules Patou 2:25.0 2 John Barnard Arthur Rushen 1.2 lengthsbehind 3 Andrew Hansson Gustaf Westerberg beaten off
Heat 5
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 André Auffray Maurice Schilles 3:11.4 2 Philipus Frylink Floris Venter 1 lengthbehind
Heat 6
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 François Bonnet Octave Lapize 3:06.8 2 Robert Jolly John Norman 6 lengthsbehind
Heat 7
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 John Matthews Leonard Meredith 2:43.2 2 Gaston Dreyfus André Poulain 2 lengthsbehind 3 Frederick McCarthy William Morton beaten off
Semifinals
The fastest team in each heat as well as the fastest second-place team overall advanced to the final.
The competition was held on Wednesday, July 15, 1908, starting at 5 p.m.
Semifinal 1
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 Frederick Hamlin Horace Johnson 2:42.2 2 Charlie Brooks William Isaacs 6 lengthsbehind 3 Max Götze Otto Götze Unknown 4 Léon Coeckelberg Jules Patou Unknown
Semifinal 2
Rank Cyclists Nation Time Notes 1 André Auffray Maurice Schilles 2:46.2 2 John Matthews Leonard Meredith 1 lengthbehind 3 John Barnard Arthur Rushen Unknown 4 François Bonnet Octave Lapize Unknown
Final
The final was held on Wednesday, July 15, 1908, at 5.45 p.m.
Rank Cyclists Nation Time André Auffray Maurice Schilles 3:07.6 Frederick Hamlin Horace Johnson Unknown Charlie Brooks William Isaacs Unknown
Notes
Sources
De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Cycling 1908". Accessed 7 April 2006. Available electronically at .