Major Taylor - A World Champion Cyclist
Bicycling club Major Taylor Cycling Club of Oklahoma (MTCCOK) is named after a Black world champion cyclist Marshall "Major" Taylor. In recent years, efforts have been made to revive and introduce Taylor’s story to a broader audience. We’d like to give a shout out to Tanya Modersitzki, FOX23 News Multimedia Journalist for the story she put together with Osborne Celestain, Tulsa Director of the MTCCOK Tulsa Chapter.
By Tanya Modersitzki, FOX23 News
TULSA, Okla. — An Oklahoma cycling club is continuing the legacy of one of the first professional African American cycling athletes.
Osborne Celestain participated in many races and always noticed the lack of diversity.
“I might see four or five blacks, so it’s not a whole lot of us doing this sport,” he said.
He noticed Major Taylor clubs throughout the country.
“It’s an incredible story and most people have never heard of,” Celestain added.
Major Taylor was a world cycling champion from 1899 until 1902.
Celestain and others got together to form a Major Taylor Oklahoma team in September with branches in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
“50 years after slavery, this was a black guy competing in cycling,” he said.
The real win is still showing up and competing, despite the odds.
“Challenges in race we’re going through now, this doesn’t compare what he went through in 1899,” said Celestain. “He had threats of lynching, being hurt on the track, choked during a race. These are things endured every race and he won and won and continued to win and continued to show up.”
For more information, go to the Major Taylor Cycling Club of Oklahoma (MTCCOK)