Worcester cyclists honour Major Taylor’s legacy on George Street incline

More than 90 cyclists participated in the annual George Street Bike Challenge in Worcester on Sunday, July 26, to honour Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first Black American world cycling champion. The event commemorates Taylor’s 1895 move to the city from Indianapolis and his subsequent professional racing career, which culminated in him becoming the world champion in 1899.

The race took place on a near-vertical 500-foot roadway with an 18% grade connecting Main Street to Harvard Street. Ayre Stephenson-Sweeney recorded the fastest time at 22.94 seconds, while Thomas Goguen finished in 23.31 seconds, narrowly missing the all-time record of 22.19 seconds. The event marked its 24th year, co-organised by Bryon Sweeney and Seth Popinchalk.

Sweeney, who co-organises the challenge, noted that Taylor’s achievements alleviated the pressure he felt as a Black man entering competitive cycling. “You’re trying your hardest to be this thing that you can’t be and you feel like you’re gonna let down a whole group of people that you’ve never met,” Sweeney said. “But then you find out what Major Taylor did... it’s like, ‘OK. Now the weight is off of me.’”

Weather conditions were near perfect, contrasting with last year’s rain. Over 100 onlookers lined the sidewalk to encourage riders, including Denise Scotia, 57, and Don Bonner, 61, who read a book about Taylor’s life before the race. Bonner, attending his sixth attempt, highlighted Taylor’s perseverance against racial discrimination, noting the champion’s fear of being caught by opponents.

Margo Pawlak, 59, finished second overall among women with a time of 39.60 seconds. She described the hill as uniquely challenging because it requires riders to begin at an incline with no time to build momentum. Mack Maloney, 31, of Lancaster, adopted a strategy of pedalling as hard and fast as possible without specific technical strategies.