“Cycling isn’t a game, it’s a sport. Tough, hard and unpitying, and it requires great sacrifices. One plays football, or tennis, or hockey. One doesn’t play at cycling” - Jean de Gribaldy, French cyclist
While we lack the luxury of knowing the exact date of most inaugural sporting matches, we know that cycling for sport began on May 31st, 1868 in Paris. The race may have only been a short dash between the entrance of Saint-Cloud Park and a set of fountains, but the sport caught fire that day and has never looked back since.
The popularity of competitive cycling, both on-road and on-track, accelerated throughout the late 1800s, with this era seeing the sport appear at the first modern Olympics in 1896 and the establishment of iconic race events that are still held today, including the Tour de France.
Format & Scoring
Cycling competitions are held all over the world and vary from one-day races and time trials to multi-day, stage races that last for up to 3 weeks. Sprints, pursuits, and time trials are the most popular track racing events. Mountain biking and BMX formats of the sport have grown in popularity over recent decades and have regular international and national competitions around the world. Cycling competitions are generally organised by the sport's world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
