1912 Olympic Games Official Report Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

ling Committee had counted on, and proved that the interest taken
in the competition was very great. The entries were divided among
the various nations as follows:
Nation
Austria
Belgium
Bohemia
Canada
Chili
Denmark
England
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Ireland
Monaco
Norway
Russia
Scotland
South Africa
Sweden
U. S. A.
Total
Entries
Competitors Reserves
THE DRAW FOR THE START.
The draw for the order of starting, a matter of special importance
in such a competition as this, took place at the first meeting of the
Committee after the close of entries, and in accordance with the following
principles.
First of all, the nations entered were divided into groups of 12
riders (the highest number of cyclists any nation was allowed to enter),
and lots were drawn to decide the order in which these nations
should start in respect to each other. In the groups which were
composed of competitors from more than one nation, lots were also
drawn to decide the order of starting of the various nations in the
groups. By means of this system of drawing lots, the various groups,
and also those nations that belonged to one and the same group,
came in the following order: 1. France; 2. South Africa, Monaco and
Ireland: 3. Sweden; 4. Chili and Denmark; 5. Austria and Finland;
6. Hungary; 7. U. S. A.; 8. Scotland; 9. England; 10. Norway;
11. Germany; 12. Russia; 13. Belgium, Bohemia and Canada.
After this, there was made a final draw, to decide the starting order
of the various competitors with respect to each other, this being carried
out as follows. First there was drawn, as No. 1, a cyclist from France;
then, as No. 2, one representing South Africa; as No. 3, one from
Sweden, and so on. In the groups consisting of more than one nation,
all the competitors representing the nation that was drawn first
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