While cycling has become a childhood pastime for many adults, the sport itself might be relatively new to many individuals. In order to pique your interest in the sport of cycling, we’ve compiled a list of 20 interesting facts you might not know about it.  

Here we go:

1. The sport of cycling was established on May 31, 1868, in Paris, France. The first race was a 1,200-meter course spanning from the fountains to the entrance of Saint-Cloud Park.
2. The Tour de France was established in 1903. Perhaps the most famous cycling race in the world, the Tour de France was created and sponsored by L’Auto, now known as L'Équipe. The 1,509-mile course was split into six stages over the course of 19 days.
3. Twelve million live spectators line the Tour de France course every year. This makes it the largest sporting event in the world. Additionally, 3.5 billion people tune in via television across the globe to watch the Tour de France.
4. The average winner’s speed at the Tour de France in 2019 was 25.2 mph. The average winner’s speed in 1903 was 15.9 mph; that’s more than a 58-percent improvement from 1903 to 2019.
5. Cycling was one of the nine sports in the first modern Olympic Games. The other sports included the following: athletics, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.
6. The first recorded cycling race in the United States was on May 24, 1878, in Boston, Massachusetts. It took place in Beacon Park, and shortly after, the Boston Bicycle Club was founded. This race happened 13 years before the sport of basketball was invented.
7. The fastest bicycle speed in slipstream is 183.9 mph. This record was set by Denise Mueller-Korenek on September 16, 2018, at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.
8. There are 1,275 professional cyclists in the world. These 1,275 individuals are divided into 17 World teams, 15 Pro-conti teams, and 19 continental teams. Each team contains approximately 25 athletes.
9. Professional Cyclists can have anywhere from three to six bikes at one time. Cyclists will use different bicycles for training, time trials, and road racing. It’s imperative that these professionals have backups in case they have a flat tire on the racing course.
10. In the United States, 87 percent of competitive cyclists are male and 13 percent are female. The average age of competitive cyclists is 34.
11. Cape Town Cycle Tour is the largest recorded cycling competition. More than 35,000 cyclists competed in this race in 2020. The competition was launched in 1978 and spans 68 miles. Travis Barrett was the 2020 male winner of the Cape Town Cycle Tour, while Cherise Williet won the female division for the fifth year running. 

Cycling has been around for centuries now and is an activity many people hold near and dear to their hearts. We hope these 11 facts have given you more insight into the world of competitive cycling; at the very least, you might have a few new question ideas for your next Zoom trivia night with your pals during quarantine.