By all accounts, the greatest cycling event of all is the annual Tour de France road race (founded 1903). It is raced in several stages over a distance usually exceeding 3,500 km (2,175 mi). From 1911 to 1929 distances exceeded 5,300 km (3,290 mi). A Tour de France for women was first held in 1984, over an 18-stage course of 991 km (616 mi). In addition to this and a great number of other road races held yearly, there are yearly road racing world championships.
Track racing championships are also held. The oldest events of track racing are the sprint (in which only the last part of the race can actually be considered sprinting) and the pursuit (both a team and an individual event in which contestants start the race on opposite sides of the track and attempt to catch each other). Mountain bike racing and cyclo-cross, a cross-country bicycle race that requires cyclists to carry their bikes over parts of the course, developed in the latter part of the 20th century. World championships were established for these sports in 1997.
Cycling
In the case of multiday events, the concluding date is given.
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EVENT world champions—mountain bikes |
WINNER (COUNTRY) |
DATE 9 Sep 2007 |
|
men Cross-country Downhill |
Julien Absalon (FRA) Samuel Hill (AUS) |
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women Cross-country Downhill |
Irina Kalentiyeva (RUS) Sabrina Jonnier (FrA) |
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world champions—road |
30 Sep 2007 |
|
|
men Individual road race Individual time trial |
Paolo Bettini (ITA) Fabian Cancellara (SUI) |
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women Individual road race Individual time trial |
Marta Bastianelli (ITA) Hanka Kupfernagel (GER) |
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world champions—cyclo-cross |
27 Jan 2008 |
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|
Men Women |
Lars Boom (NED) Hanka Kupfernagel (GER) |
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world champions—track |
30 Mar 2008 |
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|
men Individual pursuit Individual sprint 1-km time trial Points Team pursuit Team sprint Keirin Madison Scratch |
Bradley Wiggins (GBR) Chris Hoy (GBR) Teun Mulder (NED) Vasili Kiryienka (BLR) Great Britain France Chris Hoy (GBR) Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish (GBR) Aliaksandr Lisouski (BLR) |
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women Individual pursuit Individual sprint 500-m time trial Points Team pursuit Team sprint Keirin Scratch |
Rebecca Romero (GBR) Victoria Pendleton (GBR) Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez (CUB) Marianne Vos (NED) Great Britain Great Britain Jennie Reed (USA) Eleonora Van Dijk (NED) |
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major elite road-race winners |
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San Sebastian Classic (Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian) Vattenfall Cyclassics Tour of Spain (Vuelta a Espana) Paris-Tours Tour of Lombardy (Giro di Lombardia) Paris-Nice Tirreno-Adriatico Milan-San Remo Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen) Ghent-Wevelgem Paris-Roubaix Amstel Gold La Fleche Wallonne |
Leonardo Bertagnolli (ITA) Alessandro Ballan (ITA) Denis Menchov (RUS) Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Damiano Cunego (ITA) Davide Rebellin (ITA) Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Stijn Devolder (BEL) Oscar Freire (ESP) Tom Boonen (BEL) Damiano Cunego (ITA) Kim Kirchen (LUX) |
4 Aug 2007 19 Aug 2007 1 Sep 2007 14 Oct 2007 20 Oct 2007 16 Mar 2008 18 Mar 2008 22 Mar 2008 6 Apr 2008 9 Apr 2008 13 Apr 2008 20 Apr 2008 23 Apr 2008 |
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major elite road-race winners |
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Liege-Bastogne-Liege |
Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
26 Apr 2008 |
|
Tour of Romandie (Tour de Romandie) |
Andreas Kloden (GER) |
29 Apr 2008 |
|
Tour of Italy (Giro d’Italia) |
Alberto Contador (ESP) |
1Jun 2008 |
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Criterium du Dauphine Libere |
Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
8 Jun 2008 |
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Tour of Switzerland (Tour de Suisse) |
Roman Kreuziger (CZE) |
14 Jun 2008 |
|
Tour de France |
Carlos Sastre (ESP) |
27 Jul 2008 |
Tour de France
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LENGTH OF |
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|
LENGTH OF |
|
YEAR |
WINNER (COUNTRY) |
ROUTE (KM) |
YEAR |
WINNER (COUNTRY) |
ROUTE (KM) |
|
1903 |
Maurice Garin (FRA) |
2,428 |
1961 |
Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
4,397 |
|
1904 |
Henri Cornet (FRA) |
2,388 |
1962 |
Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
4,274 |
|
1905 |
Louis Trousselier (FRA) |
2,975 |
1963 |
Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
4,137 |
|
1906 |
Rene Pottier (FRA) |
4,637 |
1964 |
Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
4,504 |
|
1907 |
Lucien Petit-Breton (FRA) |
4,488 |
1965 |
Felice Gimondi (ITA) |
4,183 |
|
1908 |
Lucien Petit-Breton (FRA) |
4,487 |
1966 |
Lucien Aimar (FRA) |
4,303 |
|
1909 |
Frangois Faber (LUX) |
4,507 |
1967 |
Roger Pingeon (FRA) |
4,780 |
|
1910 |
Octave Lapize (FRA) |
4,474 |
1968 |
Jan Janssen (NED) |
4,662 |
|
1911 |
Gustave Garrigou (FRA) |
5,344 |
1969 |
Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
4,110 |
|
1912 |
Odile Defraye (BEL) |
5,319 |
1970 |
Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
4,366 |
|
1913 |
Philippe Thys (BEL) |
5,387 |
1971 |
Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
3,689 |
|
1914 |
Philippe Thys (BEL) |
5,405 |
1972 |
Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
3,846 |
|
1915-18 |
not held |
|
1973 |
Luis Ocana (ESP) |
4,140 |
|
1919 |
Firmin Lambot (BEL) |
5,560 |
1974 |
Eddy Merckx (BEL) |
4,098 |
|
1920 |
Philippe Thys (BEL) |
5,519 |
1975 |
Bernard Thevenet (FRA) |
4,000 |
|
1921 |
Leon Scieur (BEL) |
5,484 |
1976 |
Lucien Van Impe (Bel) |
4,050 |
|
1922 |
Firmin Lambot (BEL) |
5,375 |
1977 |
Bernard Thevenet (FRA) |
4,098 |
|
1923 |
Henri Pelissier (FRA) |
5,386 |
1978 |
Bernard Hinault(FRA) |
3,920 |
|
1924 |
Ottavio Bottecchia (ITA) |
5,425 |
1979 |
Bernard Hinault(FRA) |
3,719 |
|
1925 |
Ottavio Bottecchia (ITA) |
5,430 |
1980 |
Joop Zoetemelk (NED) |
3,948 |
|
1926 |
Lucien Buysse (BEL) |
5,745 |
1981 |
Bernard Hinault(FRA) |
3,765 |
|
1927 |
Nicolas Frantz (LUX) |
5,341 |
1982 |
Bernard Hinault(FRA) |
3,489 |
|
1928 |
Nicolas Frantz (lux) |
5,377 |
1983 |
Laurent Fignon (FRA) |
3,568 |
|
1929 |
Maurice De Waele (BEL) |
5,286 |
1984 |
Laurent Fignon (FRA) |
3,880 |
|
1930 |
Andre Leducq (FRA) |
4,818 |
1985 |
Bernard Hinault(FRA) |
4,100 |
|
1931 |
Antonin Magne (FRA) |
5,095 |
1986 |
Greg LeMond (USA) |
4,091 |
|
1932 |
Andre Leducq (FRA) |
4,520 |
1987 |
Stephen Roche (IRL) |
4,100 |
|
1933 |
Georges Speicher (FRA) |
4,395 |
1988 |
Pedro Delgado (ESP) |
3,300 |
|
1934 |
Antonin Magne (FRA) |
4,363 |
1989 |
Greg LeMond (USA) |
3,215 |
|
1935 |
Romain Maes (BEL) |
4,338 |
1990 |
Greg LeMond (USA) |
3,399 |
|
1936 |
Romain Maes (BEL) |
4,442 |
1991 |
Miguel Indurain (ESP) |
3,935 |
|
1937 |
Roger Lapebie (FRA) |
4,415 |
1992 |
Miguel Indurain (ESP) |
3,983 |
|
1938 |
Gino Bartali (ITA) |
4,694 |
1993 |
Miguel Indurain (ESP) |
3,700 |
|
1939 |
Sylvere Maes (BEL) |
4,224 |
1994 |
Miguel Indurain (ESP) |
3,978 |
|
1940-46 |
not held |
|
1995 |
Miguel Indurain (ESP) |
3,635 |
|
1947 |
Jean Robic (FRA) |
4,640 |
1996 |
no winner1 |
3,764 |
|
1948 |
Gino Bartali (ITA) |
4,922 |
1997 |
Jan Ullrich (GER) |
3,944 |
|
1949 |
Fausto Coppi (ITA) |
4,808 |
1998 |
Marco Pantani (ITA) |
3,831 |
|
1950 |
Ferdi Kubler (SUI) |
4,775 |
1999 |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
3,687 |
|
1951 |
Hugo Koblet (SUI) |
4,697 |
2000 |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
3,663 |
|
1952 |
Fausto Coppi (ITA) |
4,807 |
2001 |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
3,454 |
|
1953 |
Louison Bobet (FRA) |
4,479 |
2002 |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
3,272 |
|
1954 |
Louison Bobet (FRA) |
4,469 |
2003 |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
3,428 |
|
1955 |
Louison Bobet (FRA) |
4,855 |
2004 |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
3,391 |
|
1956 |
Roger Walkowiak (FRA) |
4,496 |
2005 |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
3,608 |
|
1957 |
Jacques Anquetil (FRA) |
4,686 |
2006 |
Oscar Pereiro (ESP)2 |
3,657 |
|
1958 |
Charly Gaul (LUX) |
4,319 |
2007 |
Alberto Contador (ESP) |
3,550 |
|
1959 |
Federico Bahamontes (ESP) |
4,355 |
2008 |
Carlos Sastre (ESP) |
3,554 |
|
1960 |
Gastone Nencini (ITA) |
4,173 |
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