Road Cycling
wheelMainstreamParis, France, 1868
Racing or riding lightweight bicycles on paved roads over distances ranging from criterium circuits to multi-week grand tours. Road cycling is the endurance crucible of the cycling world.
History
The first recorded road race was held in Paris in 1868. The Tour de France began in 1903 and became the sport's defining event. Road cycling has shaped transportation, urban planning, and athletic culture across Europe and beyond.
Culture
Road cycling culture is steeped in tradition, suffering, and panache. The unwritten rules — how to ride in a peloton, when to attack, how to suffer with dignity — are as important as the written ones.