189 Fun Facts About Cycling

Which 1,910 m 'Bald Mountain' hosted the Tour de France's first penultimate-day summit finish in 2009?

Mont Ventoux, the 'Giant of Provence', rises to about 1,910 m; Tom Simpson collapsed and died near its summit during the 1967 Tour, and a memorial marks the spot.

What color jersey is worn by the leader of the general classification in the Giro d'Italia?

Pink: the maglia rosa, introduced in 1931, matches the pink newsprint of La Gazzetta dello Sport, the newspaper that founded the race.

What color jersey designates the leader of the general classification in the Vuelta a España?

Red has been the Vuelta leader's colour since 2010, the 'maillot rojo'.

Which classic one-day cycling race is known as 'The Hell of the North' for its cobbles?

Paris-Roubaix's brutal stretches of pavé are raced one week after the Tour of Flanders as the final cobbled classic; it is also called 'the Queen of the Classics'.

What is winning the Giro, the Tour de France and the Road World Championship in one year called?

The Triple Crown of Cycling: Eddy Merckx first achieved it in 1974, Stephen Roche in 1987 and Tadej Pogačar in 2024.

Which cyclist holds the record for most Grand Tour victories, with 11?

Five Tours, five Giros and a Vuelta make 11; he also won all five Monuments, three world titles and the hour record.

Which Spaniard won five Tours de France in a row from 1991 to 1995?

Miguel Indurain, 'Big Mig', built every win on his time-trialling and never won a road stage that wasn't against the clock in those five Tours.

What is the primary purpose of a 'domestique' in professional road cycling?

To work for their team leader: shielding them from the wind, fetching bottles, even handing over a wheel; the word is French for 'servant'.

What is the term for the main group or pack of riders in a road bicycle race?

Peloton is French for 'platoon'; riding in the middle of a well-formed pack can cut aerodynamic drag by as much as 95%, which is why group tactics get so complex.

Which French rider, a five-time Tour de France winner, was nicknamed 'Le Blaireau' (The Badger)?

Hinault embraced the badger for its aggression, and as the peloton's 'patron' he policed races with the same temperament until his retirement in 1986.

What is the name of the steeply banked oval track used for track cycling events?

A velodrome is a purpose-built arena for track cycling, featuring a steeply banked oval track designed for high-speed racing.

In cycling, what term describes the crank's rotational speed in revolutions per minute?

In cycling, cadence refers to the pedaling rate, or the number of revolutions your pedals make per minute. It's a key metric for efficiency and performance.

What component connects the pedals to the chainring(s) on a bicycle?

Americans say crankset, the British say chainset; it turns the up-and-down of a rider's legs into the rotation that drives the chain.

Which bicycle braking system squeezes pads against the wheel itself rather than a rotor or hub?

Rim brakes are a common type of bicycle brake where pads are pressed against the wheel's rim to create friction and slow down or stop the bike.

A bicycle designed to be ridden by two people, one behind the other, is commonly known as what?

A tandem bicycle is specifically designed for two riders who sit one behind the other, both contributing to the pedaling effort.

What component on a bicycle moves the chain between sprockets so a rider can change gears?

Derailleur comes from the French for 'derail', which is exactly what it does to the chain, on purpose.

In what year was the first official Tour de France race held?

1903's inaugural Tour has been held annually since, except from 1915 to 1918 and 1940 to 1946 because of the world wars.

Which British cyclist has Olympic golds on both the track and the road?

Bradley Wiggins won track golds in the individual pursuit (2004, 2008) and team pursuit (2008, 2016), then the road time trial at London 2012 — five Olympic golds in all.

Which Monument, raced in October, is nicknamed the 'Classic of the falling leaves'?

Giro di Lombardia, the 'Classic of the falling leaves', closes the Monument season in October; its route traditionally climbs past the Madonna del Ghisallo chapel, a shrine to cycling.

What type of cycling races over mud, grass and obstacles, typically in autumn and winter?

Cyclocross is a form of bicycle racing that combines elements of mountain biking and road cycling, featuring short circuits with diverse terrain and obstacles that sometimes require dismounting.

Which Grand Tour was first organised in 1935 but has only been held every year since 1955?

The Vuelta's early editions were interrupted by the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War; it now closes the Grand Tour season in late summer.

Which German baron built the 1817 'running machine', the first reliable precursor to the bicycle?

Karl Drais's Laufmaschine had no pedals; riders pushed along with their feet, and the press dubbed the steerable two-wheeler the draisine.

What is the primary purpose of bicycle clipless pedals?

Clipless pedals secure the rider's feet to the pedals, improving power transfer and preventing feet from slipping, especially over rough terrain or during hard efforts.

In which track cycling event do two riders start on opposite sides and race a set distance?

In the Individual Pursuit, two cyclists start on opposite sides of the track and race to complete a specified distance in the fastest time, or to catch their opponent.

What term describes the technique where a cyclist rides closely behind another to reduce air resistance?

Drafting, or slipstreaming, lets a rider sit in the low-pressure pocket behind the wheel in front and save a big share of their energy.

Which material, laid up in resin-bonded sheets, makes most modern professional racing frames?

Carbon fiber allows manufacturers to create lightweight, stiff, and comfortable frames by manipulating the fiber layup, making it a popular choice for racing bikes.

What is the primary function of a bicycle helmet?

Bicycle helmets are designed to protect the rider's head from impact in the event of a fall or collision.

In what year was the first Giro d'Italia held?

1909: the Giro was created to boost sales of La Gazzetta dello Sport, six years after the Tour de France was launched for the same reason.

Which year's Tour de France first allowed derailleurs instead of flipping the rear wheel?

1937: until then a rider had to stop, take the rear wheel out and turn it round to switch between an uphill cog and a downhill cog; organiser Henri Desgrange had long resisted gears.

What form of cycling focuses on off-road trails with rugged terrain, roots and rocks?

Mountain biking involves riding bicycles specifically designed for off-road conditions, navigating natural obstacles and varied landscapes.

Which Belgian won the 2005 world road race title and the 'Hell of the North' four times?

Tom Boonen won Paris-Roubaix in 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2012, matching Roger De Vlaeminck's four, and added three Tour of Flanders titles along the way.

What type of bicycle has a small frame and 20-inch wheels and is used for tricks and stunts?

BMX bikes are built compact and tough for racing, freestyle tricks and jumps; the name stands for bicycle motocross.

What is the 'broom wagon' in a road race?

The vehicle that follows the last rider: the broom wagon (voiture balai) picks up anyone who abandons, and first appeared on the Tour de France in 1910.

Which track event is known in French as the 'course à l'américaine'?

Madison: teams of two take turns racing, slinging each other into the action by the hand; six-day races at the old Madison Square Garden made the format famous.

What is the purpose of the 'breakaway' tactic in road cycling?

A break is when a lone rider or small group opens a gap ahead of the pack, hoping to hold it to the line or take time on rivals.

Which of these is NOT one of cycling's 'Monuments' or five most prestigious one-day races?

The Critérium du Dauphiné is a week-long June stage race used as a Tour de France warm-up; the Monuments are all one-day races of 240 to 300 km.

What is a road frame whose top tube slopes down toward the seat tube called?

A compact frame's sloping top tube buys extra standover clearance and a smaller rear triangle, which can make the frame stiffer and lighter; Giant's 1997 TCR popularised the design.

What do you call a cyclist built for fast finishes on the flat?

A sprinter: if a breakaway is caught and the bunch arrives together, this rider wins by overpowering everyone in the final stretch, often at more than 70 km/h.

What is the main advantage of disc brakes on a bicycle over rim brakes?

To brake reliably in mud, water and snow: the braking surface sits well above the ground, so grime that coats a wheel has little effect.

Which bicycle part slides into the frame and holds the saddle?

The seatpost slides into the seat tube and clamps the saddle; raising or lowering it sets the rider's leg extension, and dropper versions move at the push of a lever.

What type of cycling race uses a short, multi-lap closed course, often in urban areas?

A criterium is a bike race held on a short course, usually less than 5 km, often closed to traffic in urban areas, consisting of multiple laps.

What is the primary function of a bicycle's suspension system?

A bicycle's suspension system, commonly found on mountain bikes, is designed to absorb impacts and vibrations from uneven terrain, providing a smoother ride and better control.

What color jersey does the overall leader wear in the Tour de France?

The 'Maillot Jaune,' or yellow jersey, is awarded to the general classification leader in the Tour de France.

Who was the first rider to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and 1961 to 1964?

Jacques Anquetil promised before the 1961 Tour to take the yellow jersey on day one and keep it to Paris, and did exactly that.

Which French Alps climb, a Tour de France regular, numbers each of its 21 hairpin bends?

Alpe d'Huez's 21 numbered hairpins climb 13.8 km to 1,860 m at an average of 8.1%, with ramps up to 13%.

What is the primary function of a bicycle's cassette?

The cassette is the set of multiple sprockets or cogs mounted on the rear wheel's hub, providing a range of gear ratios for the rider.

Which sprinter broke the record for most Tour de France stage wins with his 35th victory in 2024?

Mark Cavendish had shared the record at 34 with Eddy Merckx since 2021 before taking it outright at Saint-Vulbas, in what proved to be his final Tour.

What is the name of the organization that governs world cycling and sanctions international events?

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events.

In what type of race do riders set off alone against the clock, with no slipstreaming allowed?

Time Trial riders start at set intervals and cover the course solo, a pure test of sustained power and pacing.

Karl von Drais introduced his 'running machine' to the public in 1817 in which city?

Mannheim: Drais made his first documented ride there on 12 June 1817, about 14 km to the Schwetzingen coaching inn and back; he demonstrated the machine in Paris the following year.

Which Scottish blacksmith may have built the first mechanically propelled two-wheeler in 1839?

Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a blacksmith from Keir in Dumfriesshire, is credited by some with a rear-wheel treadle-driven machine in 1839, but no contemporary evidence survives and the claim is disputed.

Which two Frenchmen added pedals and a crank to the front wheel in the early 1860s?

Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallement: the Michaux velocipede, with cranks on the front wheel, was the first bicycle built in series, with hundreds made in Paris by 1867.

Which sales agent brought a Michaux cycle to Coventry, England, in 1868?

Rowley Turner, the Paris agent of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company, brought a Michaux velocipede to Coventry in 1868 and won an order for 400 machines, launching Britain's cycle industry.

Whom does the International Cycling History Conference name as father of the high bicycle?

Eugène Meyer, a Parisian, patented the wire-spoke tension wheel in 1869 and built the first high bicycles; the ICHC credits him ahead of James Starley, whose Ariel followed in 1870.

Penny-farthing front wheels grew to what diameter to allow higher speeds?

Up to 5 feet (60 inches): with direct drive every pedal turn covered one wheel circumference, so a bigger wheel meant more distance per stroke, limited only by the rider's inseam.

Who rode a penny-farthing around the world between 1884 and 1886?

Thomas Stevens left San Francisco on a Columbia high-wheeler in April 1884 and completed the first round-the-world bicycle ride in Yokohama in December 1886.

Who designed the first bicycle actually called a 'safety', in 1876?

Henry Lawson's 1876 'Safety' put the rider lower behind a smaller front wheel; his 1879 'Bicyclette' added a rear-wheel chain drive but failed to catch on commercially.

What was the name of John Kemp Starley's first commercially successful safety bicycle of 1885?

The Rover of 1885, with two near-equal wheels and a chain-driven rear wheel, set the pattern for every bicycle since; 'rower' became the Polish word for bicycle.

John Boyd Dunlop developed his practical air-filled tyre for what?

His child's tricycle: Dunlop, a Belfast veterinary surgeon, fitted inflated rubber tubes to his son's tricycle in 1887 and patented the pneumatic tyre in 1888.

Which Irish Cyclists' Association president co-founded the tyre business with Dunlop?

Harvey du Cros, president of the Irish Cyclists' Association, financed and ran the Pneumatic Tyre and Booth's Cycle Agency from 1889; Dunlop sold his interest within a few years.

Which French touring writer, pen-name Vélocio, invented a two-speed rear derailleur in 1905?

Paul de Vivie, writing as Vélocio in his magazine Le Cycliste, championed multiple gears and used his 1905 two-speed derailleur on forays into the Alps from Saint-Étienne.

Which company introduced the refined Gran Sport parallelogram derailleur in 1949?

Campagnolo's Gran Sport, shown at the 1949 Milan show, made the cable-operated parallelogram derailleur the standard; Simplex had introduced a cable-shifted derailleur in 1938.

Which city is home to Campagnolo, the Italian component maker founded in 1933?

Tullio Campagnolo began the company in a Vicenza workshop in 1933.

Which innovation is Tullio Campagnolo, the racer turned component maker, most famous for?

The wheel quick-release came to him while racing in the 1920s, struggling with frozen wing nuts on a mountain pass.

Shimano is headquartered in which Japanese city?

Sakai, Osaka: Shozaburo Shimano founded the firm there in 1921, first making freewheels; Sakai had been a centre of blade- and gun-making for centuries.

What does the road groupset abbreviation STI stand for?

Shimano Total Integration: introduced on Dura-Ace in 1990, it combined the brake lever and gear shifter in one unit so riders could shift without moving their hands.

The Tour de France was created in 1903 to boost sales of which newspaper?

L'Auto was an ancestor of L'Équipe.

Which young cycling journalist proposed the Tour de France at a 1902 crisis meeting?

Géo Lefèvre, then in his mid-twenties, floated a race around France at a November 1902 meeting called by editor Henri Desgrange to lift the paper's circulation.

In which year did the Tour de France first finish on the Champs-Élysées?

1975: the first Champs-Élysées finish was won by Belgian sprinter Walter Godefroot, with Bernard Thévenet taking the overall after ending Eddy Merckx's reign.

Which rider, 'The Eternal Second', never won the Tour despite three second and five third places?

He was Jacques Anquetil's great rival.

What was the trade of Maurice Garin, winner of the first Tour de France?

Chimney sweep: Maurice Garin was nicknamed 'le petit ramoneur' (the little chimney sweep) from his boyhood trade; he was later stripped of his 1904 title for cheating.

Before adopting French citizenship in 1901, what was Maurice Garin's nationality?

Italian: Garin was born in 1871 in Arvier in the Aosta Valley, then part of the Kingdom of Italy, and moved to France as a boy before being naturalised in 1901.

The Tour de France mountains classification, later marked by the polka dot jersey, began in which year?

1933: Spain's Vicente Trueba, the 'Flea of Torrelavega', was the first King of the Mountains; the polka dot jersey itself dates from 1975.

Which climb was the first major mountain in the Tour de France, in 1905?

Ballon d'Alsace rises to 1,178 m in the Vosges; René Pottier led over its summit in 1905, the first climb the organisers billed as a mountain.

The Tour de France white jersey goes to the best-placed rider under what age?

26: the maillot blanc goes to the best-placed rider aged under 26 on 1 January of the Tour year; Tadej Pogačar won it alongside yellow in 2020, 2021 and 2024.

The 'lanterne rouge' of the Tour de France takes its name from what?

A train's rear red lantern: signalmen watched for the lanterne rouge to confirm no carriages had come loose, and the name passed to the last rider on general classification.

Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour titles after an investigation by which body?

USADA: the US Anti-Doping Agency's October 2012 reasoned decision laid out the US Postal doping programme; Armstrong was banned for life and the UCI then erased his 1999-2005 results.

Armstrong returned to racing in 2009 with which team, finishing third in that year's Tour?

Astana: Armstrong came back in 2009 alongside Alberto Contador, who won that Tour, and finished third before moving to the new RadioShack team in 2010.

Greg LeMond became the first non-European to win the men's Tour de France in which year?

1986: Greg LeMond beat his own La Vie Claire teammate Bernard Hinault by more than three minutes to become the first American and first non-European winner.

What accident seriously injured Greg LeMond in 1987?

He was shot while hunting: in April 1987 LeMond's brother-in-law hit him with shotgun pellets on a turkey hunt in California; he came back to win the 1989 Tour by eight seconds.

Marco Pantani won which rare double in 1998?

Tour de France and Giro d'Italia: Pantani took the 1998 Giro by 1:33 over Pavel Tonkov, then the Tour by 3:21 over Jan Ullrich after a legendary attack to Les Deux Alpes.

Why did Marco Pantani choose the nickname 'Il Pirata'?

His shaved head, bandana and earrings: Pantani adopted 'Il Pirata' in the mid-1990s for his buccaneer look; he was expelled from the 1999 Giro for a high haematocrit reading.

Chris Froome was born in which country?

Kenya: Froome was born in Nairobi in 1985 and schooled in South Africa, riding for Kenya at the 2006 Commonwealth Games before switching to Britain in 2008.

How many Grand Tours has Chris Froome won?

Four Tours, one Giro and two Vueltas.

Tadej Pogačar became the youngest rider to win a WorldTour race, aged 20, at which 2019 event?

Tour of California: Pogačar won the 2019 race for UAE Team Emirates by taking the Mount Baldy stage, four months before his first Grand Tour podium at the Vuelta.

Which Monument did Tadej Pogačar win for the first time in 2023?

Tour of Flanders: Pogačar dropped Mathieu van der Poel on the final Oude Kwaremont and soloed to the 2023 win, having already taken Liège in 2021 and Lombardia in 2021 and 2022.

Where was the Grand Départ of the 2022 Tour de France, won by Jonas Vingegaard?

Copenhagen: the 2022 Tour opened with a time trial in the Danish capital, 26 years after Bjarne Riis became the first Dane to win the race.

Egan Bernal's 2019 Tour victory made him the first winner from where?

Latin America: Egan Bernal, from Zipaquirá, Colombia, took yellow when the 2019 Tour's Alpine stage to Tignes was cut short by hail and a landslide, and held it to Paris.

What is the Giro d'Italia's highest point each year called?

The Cima Coppi, introduced in 1965 in memory of Fausto Coppi, goes to the first rider over the Giro's highest pass; at 2,758 m the Passo dello Stelvio is the highest it has crowned.

Which Gazzetta editor sent the 1908 telegram urging a national tour?

Tullo Morgagni's August 1908 telegram to owner Emilio Costamagna and administrator Armando Cougnet pushed the Gazzetta to announce a Giro before rival Corriere della Sera could; San Remo's casino helped fund the prizes.

Spain's Grand Tour was first organised in 1935 by a daily newspaper called what?

Informaciones: its director Juan Pujol launched the Vuelta in 1935, modelled on the Tour and the Giro, over 14 stages from late April to mid-May.

Who won the inaugural Vuelta a España in 1935?

Gustaaf Deloor, a Belgian, won the first Vuelta in 1935 ahead of Spain's Mariano Cañardo, and won again in 1936.

Which Monument is the longest one-day race in professional cycling, at roughly 290 to 300 km?

Milan-San Remo, 'La Classicissima di Primavera', runs close to 300 km from Lombardy to the Ligurian coast, finishing on the Via Roma after the Cipressa and Poggio climbs.

Who holds the record with seven wins in 'The Spring classic' one-day race?

The first edition was held in 1907.

Which is the oldest of cycling's five Monuments, first run in 1892?

Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 'La Doyenne' (the oldest), was first run in 1892 for amateurs and has been a professional race since 1894; Paris-Roubaix followed in 1896.

Who won the first edition of La Doyenne in 1892 after 10 hours 48 minutes?

Léon Houa, from Liège, won the first three editions from 1892 to 1894; his 1892 ride took 10 hours 48 minutes on a route of roughly 250 km.

Since 1977 the winner of Paris-Roubaix has received what as part of the prize?

A cobblestone (sett): since 1977 the winner has received a mounted pavé block as a trophy, a nod to the roughly 50 km of cobbled sectors on the route.

Since 1977 Paris-Roubaix has started in which town?

The finish is mostly in the Roubaix Velodrome.

Which 1976 film title is also a nickname for Paris-Roubaix?

A Sunday in Hell, Jørgen Leth's 1976 documentary of that year's Paris-Roubaix, won by Marc Demeyer, gave the race a second nickname.

The Strade Bianche race starts and finishes in which Tuscan city?

Siena: the race finishes in the Piazza del Campo after a steep climb through the city walls, and is named for the white gravel roads of the Crete Senesi.

How many cycling events were held at the first modern Olympics in 1896?

They took place at the Neo Phaliron Velodrome.

Who set the first officially recognised hour record, in 1893?

Henri Desgrange rode 35.325 km at the Buffalo Velodrome in Paris on 11 May 1893, a decade before he launched the Tour de France.

Where, at 2,300 m altitude, did 'the Cannibal' set his 1972 hour record of 49.431 km?

Mexico City: on 25 October 1972 Merckx rode 49.431 km at the Agustín Melgar velodrome, using the thin air at altitude; he called it the hardest ride of his life.

Whose 1984 hour record was the first noted use of disc wheels?

Francesco Moser broke Merckx's record twice in Mexico City in January 1984, reaching 51.151 km on a bike with lenticular disc wheels and a skin suit.

Which Scot built his own bikes and set hour records in 1993 and 1994 with hands tucked under his chest?

Graeme Obree built 'Old Faithful', partly from washing-machine bearings, and set the record in July 1993 and again in April 1994; the UCI later banned his tucked position.

Who passed both the UCI hour record and Boardman's 1996 'best human effort' in 2022?

Filippo Ganna rode 56.792 km at Grenchen on 8 October 2022, passing both Dan Bigham's UCI record of 55.548 km and Chris Boardman's 1996 'best human effort' of 56.375 km.

How many Olympic gold medals did Chris Hoy win?

He also has one silver, and is an 11-time world champion.

Chris Hoy's three golds at the 2008 Games made him the first British man to do so since whom in 1908?

Henry Taylor won three swimming golds at the 1908 London Games; no British man matched that at one Olympics until Hoy's keirin, sprint and team sprint in Beijing a century later.

Jason Kenny holds the British record with how many Olympic gold medals?

His wife Laura Kenny has five golds.

Marianne Vos has won how many cyclo-cross world titles?

She is also a three-time road race world champion.

Marianne Vos won Olympic road race gold at which Games?

London 2012: Vos outsprinted Lizzie Armitstead on The Mall in the rain, four years after winning the points race on the track in Beijing.

Annemiek van Vleuten won the inaugural Tour de France Femmes in which year?

2022: van Vleuten sealed the first Tour de France Femmes with back-to-back Vosges stage wins, the last atop La Super Planche des Belles Filles, having won that year's Giro Donne too.

Jeannie Longo, 13-time world champion, competed in how many Olympic Games by 2008?

Some rivals in 2008 were not born when she debuted in 1984.

Beryl Burton's 1967 12-hour time trial record beat the men's record for how long?

Two years: Burton's 277.25 miles in 1967 passed Mike McNamara's new men's mark of 276.52 set the same day, and no man beat it until 1969; she won over 90 national titles.

Major Taylor won which event at the 1899 world track championships?

The 1-mile sprint: Taylor won it at the 1899 world championships in Montreal, becoming the first African-American cycling world champion.

Major Taylor was born and raised in which US city?

Indianapolis: Taylor was born there in 1878 and learned to ride while working at a bike shop; he later moved to Worcester, Massachusetts with his manager Louis 'Birdie' Munger.

Fausto Coppi's nickname 'Il Campionissimo' means what?

Champion of Champions is the translation; Coppi's five Giro wins and two Tours earned it.

What was Fausto Coppi's prize for his first race, at age 15?

20 lire and a salami sandwich: Coppi, a butcher's delivery boy from Castellania, won his first race in 1935 for that prize; he took out a racing licence in 1938.

Gino Bartali was named 'Righteous Among the Nations' by Yad Vashem in 2013 for what?

Aiding Jews during World War II: Bartali carried forged documents hidden in his bicycle frame for a Florence-Assisi rescue network, using training rides as cover; Yad Vashem honoured him in 2013.

Gino Bartali's 1948 win gave him what Tour de France record?

Longest gap between wins: ten years separated Bartali's 1938 and 1948 Tours, the Second World War having swallowed seven editions in between.

Alfredo Binda, first to win five Giri, was nicknamed the 'Trumpeter of' which town?

Cittiglio: Binda was born there in 1902, in the province of Varese, and played trumpet in the local band; the Giro paid him to stay away in 1930 so others could win.

Who was the first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years, from 1953 to 1955?

Louison Bobet, a baker's son from Saint-Méen-le-Grand in Brittany, won in 1953, 1954 and 1955; he had been a regional table tennis champion in his youth.

How many times did Federico Bahamontes win the Tour's mountains classification?

He won the Tour overall in 1959.

Sean Kelly won which stage race a record seven years in a row?

Paris-Nice: Kelly won the 'Race to the Sun' every year from 1982 to 1988; he took 193 professional wins, including nine Monuments.

In which year did Sean Kelly win his only Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España?

1988: Kelly won the Vuelta a España, seizing the lead in the final time trial; it was his only Grand Tour win, alongside four Tour de France green jerseys.

By how many seconds did Stephen Roche beat Pedro Delgado to win the 1987 Tour?

40 seconds: Roche collapsed needing oxygen after clawing back to Delgado at La Plagne, then took yellow in the penultimate-day time trial at Dijon.

Cadel Evans, the 2011 Tour winner, was earlier a world cup champion in which discipline?

He won the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in 1998 and 1999.

Mathieu van der Poel's maternal grandfather was which famous French cyclist?

His father Adri was cyclo-cross world champion in 1996.

After cyclo-cross and road, in which discipline did Van der Poel win a 2024 world title?

Gravel: van der Poel won the 2024 UCI Gravel World Championship at Halle-Leuven in Belgium, adding to his cyclo-cross and 2023 road rainbow jerseys.

Wout van Aert won three consecutive cyclo-cross world titles in which years?

2016 to 2018: van Aert won the rainbow jersey three years running, at Zolder, Bieles and Valkenburg, before joining Jumbo-Visma in 2019 and turning to the road.

Peter Sagan won an unprecedented three consecutive road race world titles in which years?

2015 to 2017: Sagan won in Richmond, Doha and Bergen, the first rider to take three road titles in a row; he also won a record seven Tour de France green jerseys.

Evenepoel's 2022 Vuelta win was the first Grand Tour by a Belgian since which year?

1978: Johan De Muynck's Giro was the last Belgian Grand Tour win before Evenepoel's Vuelta, 44 years later; Evenepoel had been a youth footballer at Anderlecht and PSV.

Which Belgian won both the Olympic road race and time trial in 2024?

Remco Evenepoel won the Paris 2024 time trial and then the road race, the first rider to take both at one Games; he was also world time trial champion in 2023 and 2024.

Off-road 'klunker' racing that became a new sport originated on which California mountain?

Mount Tamalpais: in the mid-1970s Marin County riders such as Gary Fisher and Joe Breeze raced modified 1930s Schwinn cruisers down its fire roads, the birth of mountain biking.

Why were the 1970s Marin County downhill races called 'Repack'?

Repacking burnt coaster-brake bearings: the long descent cooked the grease out of the hub brakes, so riders had to repack them after every run.

Which 1971 motorcycle documentary is credited with inspiring the BMX movement?

On Any Sunday, Bruce Brown's 1971 motorcycle documentary, opens with southern California kids riding their bicycles like motocross machines, and is credited with sparking BMX.

Which Schwinn model was the natural early choice for BMX racing?

Sting-Ray: Schwinn's 1963 wheelie bike, with 20-inch wheels, a banana seat and high-rise bars, was what kids already rode, so it became the first BMX racer; BMX was a phenomenon by the mid-1970s.

RAAM began in 1982 as an invitational event under what name?

The Great American Bike Race: John Marino's 1982 invitational had just four riders, Santa Monica to New York, and Lon Haldeman won in under ten days; it became RAAM in 1983.

The randonneur version of Paris-Brest-Paris is held how often?

Every four years: the randonneur Paris-Brest-Paris, run in years like 2019 and 2023, sends riders 1,200 km to Brest and back with a 90-hour limit.

The name of Paris's bike-share Vélib' combines 'vélo' with what word?

Liberté: Vélib' is a portmanteau of vélo and liberté, 'freedom'; the scheme launched on 15 July 2007 with around 10,000 bikes.

The 1965 White Bicycle Plan, an early bike-share scheme, was launched in which city?

Amsterdam: the Provo movement's Luud Schimmelpennink painted bicycles white and left them unlocked for anyone to use in 1965; police soon confiscated them.

The 1970s Dutch 'Stop de Kindermoord' campaign protested children being killed by what?

Car traffic: in 1971 more than 400 Dutch children died on the roads, and the campaign, led by journalist Vic Langenhoff after his daughter's death, pushed Dutch cities toward cycle-friendly streets.

Which Dutch city opened the world's largest bicycle garage, 12,500 spaces, at its station in 2019?

Utrecht: the three-storey Stationsplein garage beside Utrecht Centraal opened fully in August 2019 with 12,500 spaces, the first 24 hours free, serving the Netherlands' busiest rail hub.

The Danish capital's first bicycle path was established in 1892 on which street?

Esplanaden: the city's first dedicated bicycle path opened in 1892 along this street beside Kastellet; paths around The Lakes followed in 1910.

Critical Mass began in September 1992 in which city?

San Francisco: the first ride, on 25 September 1992, drew a few dozen cyclists and was billed as the 'Commute Clot' before taking the Critical Mass name.

Which Ted White documentary supplied the name 'Critical Mass'?

Return of the Scorcher, Ted White's 1992 documentary, includes a scene of Chinese cyclists massing at junctions until they have a 'critical mass' to cross; riders borrowed the phrase.

Time magazine called which period the bicycle's biggest wave of popularity in its history?

1965 to 1975: the American bike boom saw sales roughly double, with adult ten-speeds leading; Time wrote in 1971 of the bicycle's biggest wave of popularity, before sales fell sharply.

The Wright brothers built their mechanical skills in a shop in which Ohio city that sold bicycles?

Dayton's bicycle shop is where the Wrights honed their skills; mechanic Charles Taylor built their first airplane engine there.

Raleigh bicycles are named after a street in which English city?

Nottingham: Woodhead, Angois and Ellis set up their workshop on Raleigh Street in 1885, and Frank Bowden bought the firm in 1887 and made the city a cycle-making capital.

Which Raleigh model was named a British design icon in a 2006 BBC and Design Museum quest?

Chopper: Raleigh's 1969 wheelie bike with its high-backed seat and gear lever was among the 25 finalists in the 2006 Great British Design Quest, won by Concorde.

Andrew Ritchie's original patent for the Brompton folding bicycle was filed in which year?

1979: Andrew Ritchie had built his first prototypes in 1975 in his flat overlooking the Brompton Oratory, which gave the bike its name; the company is based in Greenford, west London.

Trek Bicycle is headquartered in which Wisconsin town?

Waterloo: Trek was founded in 1976 in a red barn in this small Wisconsin town, about 30 miles east of Madison, building hand-brazed steel touring frames.

Specialized launched which first major production mountain bike in 1981?

Stumpjumper: Specialized's 1981 model, based on Tom Ritchey's early designs and built in Japan, was the first mass-produced mountain bike, selling for about $750.

Ignaz Schwinn founded his bicycle company in 1895 in which city?

Chicago then had thirty bicycle factories.

The 1998 Tour doping scandal began when products were found where?

In a Festina team support car: soigneur Willy Voet was stopped by customs near the Belgian border on 8 July 1998 with EPO, growth hormone and other products in the team car.

The UCI was founded in Paris on 14 April of which year?

1900: the UCI was founded in Paris on 14 April by Belgium, the United States, France, Italy and Switzerland, replacing the International Cycling Association.

In 2002 the UCI moved its headquarters to which Swiss town?

Aigle: the UCI moved its headquarters and the World Cycling Centre, with its own velodrome, to Aigle in the Rhône valley in 2002, about 40 km from the IOC in Lausanne.

The rainbow jersey has been worn by cycling world champions since which year?

1927: the first professional road world championship, at the Nürburgring, was won by Alfredo Binda, who received the first rainbow jersey.

What colours, bottom to top, are the rainbow jersey stripes?

Green, yellow, black, red, blue from the bottom, so blue sits on top; the five colours are those of the Olympic rings.

The Japanese pacer-led sprint became an official Olympic event at which Games?

Sydney 2000: the keirin, with a derny pacing the riders up to speed before the final sprint, made its Olympic debut there; France's Florian Rousseau won the first gold.

In the Japanese pacer-led sprint, riders stay behind the pacer for how many laps of a 250 m track?

Three: on a 250 m track the 1,500 m keirin is six laps; the derny winds up from 30 to 50 km/h and pulls off with three laps (750 m) to go, leaving a three-lap sprint.

How do Madison relay riders swap in their partner?

By a sling or push: the resting rider circles slowly up the banking until their partner swings past and hand-slings them into the race, a relay made famous by six-day racing.

Since 2017 the track omnium has consisted of how many events?

They are scratch, tempo, elimination and points races.

The oldest velodrome, built in 1877 by the British Army, is in which English town?

Brighton: Preston Park Velodrome, opened in 1877, is a 579 m track with four straights and shallow banking, and the oldest velodrome in Britain.

The oldest surviving two-straight oval velodrome, from 1889, is in which Czech city?

Brno: the velodrome in the Moravian city, built in 1889, is the oldest surviving track with the modern two-straight oval layout.

What is a tall unicycle with a chain drive commonly called?

Giraffe: a tall unicycle needs a chain from the pedals to the wheel because the rider sits far above the axle; most are five or six feet tall and are mounted from a fence or ladder.

How many career victories did 'the Cannibal' achieve?

525: Merckx's tally of professional wins, from Grand Tours to six-day races, is unmatched; the nickname came from teammate Christian Raymond's daughter.

Which of these is the only major one-day race 'the Cannibal' never won?

Paris-Tours: the flat sprinters' classic was the one major one-day race Merckx never won, despite a record 19 Monument victories and three world titles.

Bernard Hinault left Renault to join which team late in his career?

La Vie Claire: Hinault joined Bernard Tapie's new team in 1984, won his fifth Tour with it the following year, then retired after finishing second to teammate Greg LeMond.

Bradley Wiggins was born in which Belgian city?

Ghent: Wiggins was born there in 1980 while his father Gary, an Australian track rider, raced the European six-day circuit; he grew up in Kilburn, north-west London.

Which Welshman won the 2018 Tour de France?

Geraint Thomas won the 2018 Tour for Team Sky with back-to-back Alpine stage wins at La Rosière and Alpe d'Huez, becoming the third British winner after Wiggins and Froome.

Team Sky launched in 2010 aiming to win the Tour with a British rider within how many years?

Five: Dave Brailsford's stated goal at the 2010 launch was a British Tour winner within five years; Bradley Wiggins delivered in 2012, the team's third season.

Which rider was stripped of the 2010 Tour de France after a clenbuterol positive?

Alberto Contador tested positive for a trace of clenbuterol on the 2010 Tour's second rest day; the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped him of the title in 2012 and Andy Schleck was declared the winner.

Vincenzo Nibali's nickname refers to which strait?

Messina: Nibali, born in the Sicilian port, is 'the Shark of the Strait' after the Strait of Messina; he won the 2014 Tour and the Giro in 2013 and 2016.

Primož Roglič switched to cycling from which sport?

Ski jumping: Roglič was a junior team world champion in 2007 and crashed heavily at Planica that year; he took up cycling seriously around 2012 and turned professional in 2016.

By the end of 2025, how many Vuelta a España wins did Roglič have, tying the record?

He also won the 2023 Giro.

What is the elevation of the Col du Galibier, often the Tour's highest point?

2,642 m: the Galibier's summit tunnel sits at 2,556 m but the road over the top reaches 2,642 m; it links the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Lautaret.

The Stelvio Pass, at 2,757 m, is the second highest paved pass in the Alps behind which French col?

Col de l'Iseran, at 2,764 m, is just 7 m higher than the Stelvio; the Cime de la Bonette loop road reaches 2,802 m but is not a pass.

Which 2,215 m Pyrenean climb hosted Tour de France summit finishes in 2018 and 2021?

Col de Portet, at 2,215 m above Saint-Lary-Soulan, was a new summit finish in 2018, won by Nairo Quintana, and returned in 2021, won by Tadej Pogačar.

The 2022 to 2024 editions of the Tour de France Femmes featured how many stages?

La Course by Le Tour was held from 2014 to 2021.

Anna Meares' 11th world title in 2015 came in which event?

It made her the most decorated female track cyclist.

How many Paralympic golds had Sarah Storey won by the end of the Paris 2024 Games?

19: Storey won five golds as a swimmer from 1992, then switched to cycling in 2005 and added 14 more between Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024.

The 1890s bike boom was driven by the safety bicycle and which other invention?

The pneumatic tyre: Dunlop's 1888 air-filled tyre made the safety bicycle comfortable on rough roads, and the two together set off the 1890s boom.

What was the name of Zwift's first virtual world, released as an invite-only beta in September 2014?

Jarvis Island: Zwift's first world, a fictional island, ran in the invite-only beta from September 2014 and was replaced by Watopia, which became the default world in 2015.

The name Strava means 'strive' in which language?

Swedish: 'sträva' means to strive; co-founders Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey, who met rowing at Harvard, launched the app in 2009.

Strava's 2017 Global Heatmap caused a security scare in 2018 when a student noticed it revealed what?

An Australian National University student spotted US bases in Syria and Afghanistan and the Royal Navy's HMNB Clyde on the map.

Unbound Gravel, held around Emporia, Kansas, was formerly known by what name?

Dirty Kanza: the 200-mile Flint Hills race, first run in 2006 with 34 starters, dropped the name in 2020 after complaints that 'Kanza' appropriated the Kaw (Kansa) Nation's name.

The Absa Epic, the 'Tour de France of mountain biking', is held in which South African province?

Western Cape: Kevin Vermaak founded the Cape Epic in 2004 as an eight-day pairs race through the mountains around Cape Town and the Winelands, typically around 650 km with over 15,000 m of climbing.

The Tour Down Under was created in 1999 partly to replace which event lost by Adelaide to Melbourne?

The Australian Grand Prix: Formula One left Adelaide for Melbourne after 1995, and South Australia backed Mike Turtur's new race in 1999; in 2008 it became the first ProTour race outside Europe.