Woody Headspeth, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Woody Headspeth

United states bicycle racer

Date of Birth: 14-Jun-1881

Place of Birth: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Date of Death: 16-Apr-1941

Profession: sport cyclist

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Gemini


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About Woody Headspeth

  • Woody Headspeth (June 14, 1881 – April 16, 1941) was an African American professional cyclist.
  • Woody Headspeth was an early African American cyclist, first in the United States (U.S.), and later in Europe, where he was often listed as Hedspath.
  • He was not as successful as Major Taylor who was the 1899 ICA Track Cycling World Champion.
  • Major Taylor and Woody Headspeth were friends.Woody Headspeth was said to be born in Indianapolis, IN.
  • His biggest success in the U.S.
  • was his victory at the Six Day Race in Dayton (Ohio) that was disputed by single cyclists around the clock.
  • He also competed at the Six Day Race in New York City.
  • The race took place in 1903.
  • Headspeth and his fellow cyclist named Dove placed 11th and last.
  • Headspeth also worked as a bicycle mechanic.Headspeth left the U.S.
  • and went to Europe.
  • In the U.S., he regularly had problems trying to get a racing license because he was a black man.
  • In Europe, he competed in the lucrative motor-paced races, most noted in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.
  • In 1903, he competed in the 24-hour-race Bol d’Or in Paris, France, but was not able to finish the race.
  • In 1904, he returned to the United States and competed in a race in Dayton, OH, where he established a new hour record.
  • Headspeth would return to Europe, and together with the Bohemian Emanuel Kudela, he placed second in a 24-hour race at the Velodrome in Steglitz near Berlin, Germany.In Europe, racism and prejudices were less strong than in the States, but still there were some problems.
  • When Headspeth competed in Amsterdam in 1905, all of the cyclists’ countries were mentioned in the program brochure, except for Headspeth; behind his name was written the word “negro“.
  • Headspeth continued as a bicycle racer in Europe until he was 50 years old.
  • He also worked as an assistant and mechanic on the cycling tracks, amongst others for stayer world champion Victor Linart.In his private life, Headspeth had been married in the U.S.
  • in 1899.
  • In France, he was in a relationship or was married to a ballet dancer, and the couple had a daughter.
  • When the German Wehrmacht occupied Paris in June 1940, Headspeth was sick.
  • He fled from France to Portugal, where he was cared for by the Red Cross as a member of the Repatriation Group 14 from Paris.
  • Woody Headspeth died of typhus and tuberculosis in the Curry Cabral Hospital in Lisbon.
  • He is buried is Lisbon.
  • Headspeth’s belongings were described as poor and they were burned for health safety reasons.

Read more at Wikipedia

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