Victor Hopkins
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from Peter Nye's article about the history of the USCF in the 1998 75th anniversary issue for USAC magazine:
The opportunity to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics inspired Victor Hopkins of Davenport, Iowa. For the Midwest ABL Olympic road trials, he pedaled his one-speed bicycle from Davenport to Milwaukee, where he competed in early May in the 116-mile time trial that made up the road race from Milwaukee's Washington Park south along Lake Michigan to finish in Chicago's Humboldt Park. He qualified for the final three weeks later in Paterson, JN.
Hopkins pedaled back home to Davenport, then pedaled 1,000 miles over mostly dirt roads to reach the 117-mile final Olympic trial course (NJ) on June 1. He won by 20 seconds.
In late June Hopkins, six teammates, and their manager shipped out across the Atlantic on the U.S.S. America. The 1924 Paris Olympics are romanticized in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire, but the U.S. cycling team experienced totally the opposite. They slept in a barn, on the floor over horses that kept them awake with noisy eating.
The early Olympic road races were individual time trials. During the 117-mile Paris Olympics road race, Hopkins was riding the third-fastest time through 30 miles when he sped downhill into a railroad crossing gate that blocked his path. He crashed and twisted his wooden-rimmed rear wheel. After a delayed wheel change, he continued and finished 59th, emblematic of the U.S. cycling team.
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Dear Rick,
I have read the article in the USA Cycling Magazine, and I can now add some more information and even make some ironic connections to dad, Jason [McCartney], and you.
First, Dad was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His single mother gave him up for adoption at 1 year old and the Hopkins family took him in. By the time he was 8 or 9 years old, both parents died, and he found himself living in the Children's Orphan Home in Davenport, Iowa. It was there that another famous cyclist from Iowa (Worthington Longfellow Mitten), literally discovered dad. Dad told me he was delivering newspapers on his bike when he came across the Davenport Cycling Club which was founded and run by Worth Mitten. Worth rode against the big names of the game in the early 1900s (Kramer, Taylor, Lawson, etc.) He faired quite well. He was also very short. Some referred to him as a midget. Well, dad smoked most of the club with this newspaper bike. Worth asked him to join. In less than a year, he set a new Amateur World Record for 5 miles in 11minutes 22 seconds.
Dad tried out for the Olympics and placed 2nd in the regionals in Milwaukee and placed 1st in the Olympic finals in Paterson. He traveled to France where he came in 5th in a pre-olympic San Quentin Criterium. He even wrecked his bike, bent it back into shape to finish the race. Well, back luck followed him in France. He had his money stolen and during the Olympic Road Race, he was in 3rd place and gaining on the leader's time when he came up on an unmarked railroad crossing. He ruined his wheel in the mishap. By the time he was able to effect repairs, he ended up in 58 place.
Dad returned to the US and signed a contract to race in the 1924 Chicago and New York six day races. He did six day racing a couple of years. He also signed a contract for the outdoor seasons with John Chapman (Czar of American cycling). Dad became a pace follower. Jason [McCartney] does it for training, well dad did it for training and also racing. On the east coast was a pace following circuit. Motorpace bikes behind the motors. 20lbs of air in silk tires traveling at speeds of 60 to 70 mph for distances of 25 to 50 to the metric century mark. Worth was a motorpace rider too and taught Dad the tricks of the trade. Dad was very inexperienced, but extremely strong. Fred Spencer told me before he died that Dad accomplished something no one ever did in cycling. Dad won the American Professional Motorpace Title of 1926 in his first year. He also did it by only competing in only 24 of the 36 races. Fred said no one ever entered a race for an American Pro title 1/3 into the season and won it. BTW - He won the title even though he suffered a broken collarbone in late April of 1926.
He suffered a horrific crash in May of 1927 that broke the same collarbone (he broke it 4 times and had to have it wired) and was unable to defend his American title. He did defeat the person who won the title that year in almost every race he faced him. He competed for the 28 and 29 titles too.
Dad traveled to Europe to race in 1928 and 1931 to 1933. He trimmed a few world and future world motorpace champions during his times over there. In case you are wondering why such an American absence in world championships during this time period, there is an answer. Fred told me that the cycling contracts by Chapman prohibited them from racing in the worlds because they were committed to race in the US. A lot of our riders could have competed and won some titles had Chapman allowed them to do so.
Dad rode in a few more 6 day races upon his return in 1933 as well as the 1933 and beginning of the 1934 season at the Nutley and Coney Island velodromes. He retired in 1934.
His motorpace training involved riding from Davenport to DeWitt over to Clinton and back to Davenport. Over 70 miles a day. Let me know if you want a picture of the Davenport Cycling Club. Dad has been up for consideration to the US Bicycle Racing Hall of Fame for the last 10 years. Maybe he will get in there some day.
To better answer the question asked of you, Jason [McCartney] would be the second Iowan to race in the Olympics [cycling events] and one of many fine Iowans that found a career in cycling.
Take Care,
Harry Hopkins
Maryland
Also contributing:
Stephen J Hopkins
Des Moines
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1924 Olympics Results found on the web:
1924: Paris, France (188km)
1. Armand Blanchonnet (FRA)
2. Henri Hoevenaers (BEL)
3. Rene Hamel (FRA)
33. John Bonlicault (USA)
45. Ignatius Gronkowski (USA)
49. Gus Hentschel (USA)
59. Victor Hopkins (USA)
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Mens Team Time Trial
until 1960, the results (combined time) of the individual road race were used to determine the team winner.
1924: Paris, France
1. France (Armand Blanchonnet, Rene Hamel, Georges Wambst)
2. Belgium (Henri Hoevenaers, Alphonse Parfondry, Jean Van Den Bosch)
3. Sweden (Gunnar Skold, Erik Bohlin, Ragnar Malm)
11. United States (John Bonlicault, Ignatius Gronkowski, Gus Hentschel, Victor Hopkins)
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Mens 4km Team Pursuit
1924: Paris, France
1. Italy (Angelo DeMartino, Alfredo Dinale, Aleardo Menegazzi, Francesco Zucchetti)
2. Poland (Jozef Lange, Jan Lazarski, Tomasz Stankiewicz, Franciszek Szymczyk)
3. Belgium (Leonard Daghelinckx, Herni Hoevenaers, Fernand Saive, Jean van den Bosch)
United States (John Armando, William S. Fenn, Gus Hentschel, Victor Hopkins) did not place
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Nominated by Rick Paulos
Presented
to the Iowa Bicycle Racing Association in Marion, Iowa on November 20, 2005.
Unanimously voted into the IBRA hall of fame.
Scans provided by Harry Hopkins