CYCLE VAEDDELOBS SPIL [CYCLE RACING GAMES]. KOBENHAVN [COPENHAGEN, DENMARK]. ALFRED JACOBSEN'S FORLAG. 1896

RARE DANISH CYCLING GAME BASED ON COPENHAGEN 4TH ICA 1896 TRACK CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Folding photolithographed poster insert. 50 x 32.5 cm.  Corners slightly creased, two tiny nicks along the top edge and short closed vertical split along top of central fold. This 'Cycle Racing Games' game was designed for up to four players. It was originally included in the 1896 journal "Bornenes Julegave" (or 'children's Christmas') that was launched by Alfred Jacobsen nine years earlier in 1887.  The game was brought out to mark the FOURTH ICA TRACK CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, that took place 14-5th August 1896 in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. There were four distinct events, the sprint, and the motor-paced stayers' races in both professional and amateur categories.  Ireland's Harry Reynolds won that country's first ever cycling gold medal in the amateur sprint. France's Paul Bourillon and Fernand Ponscarme won gold in the professional sprint and amateur Stayers' races. The United Kingdom's Arhtur Adalbert Chase won gold in the professional Stayers', with Jack William Stocks in silver position. The inexpensive and ephemeral game would have been played with generic die and counters that were not originally and are not now supplied. It would now be suitable for framing.