Road cycling history is the core topic of this website that provides a great collection of stories from the world of professional road cycling competitions from the 1890s to the second half of the 20th century.
There are subcategories under this category including stories from the most important and popular competitions like:
History of Tour de France | History of Giro d’Italia | History of Vuelta a Espana | History of one-day races
Also, there are other subcategories defined by different types of blogentries:
Faces from the peloton | On this day in road cycling history | Fun facts
Articles are still road cycling history related, but looking beyond the actual history of actual events are in the Beyond road cycling history category, but if you wish to read about the history of bicycle in an even broader socio-cultural-historical context, please visit my Substack
The 1936 Paris-Roubaix is remembered for one of the most controversial finishes in the history of road cycling. The dispute over who actually crossed the finish line first led to heated debates, protests, and accusations that lingered long after the race ended. Paris-Roubaix, often called “The Hell of the North,” is one of the most…
On 1 June 1968, during the 51st edition of Giro d’Italia, the cycling world witnessed one of the most iconic performances in the history of the sport. The stage from Gorizia to Tre Cime di Lavaredo was already set to be a brutal test of endurance, with steep gradients, unforgiving weather, and a finish line…
Without falling into the trap of false nostalgia, I’m very drawn to the notion that the most captivating aspect of the early editions of the Tour de France is its rustic charm. When the race was created at the beginning of the 20th century, even the organizers were aware of the metaphysical distance between rural…
The early days of professional road cycling, particularly in races like the Tour de France, were far more intertwined with local communities than the highly organized and commercialized events we see today. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the sport was still in its formative stages, and the infrastructure around these races was…
The early days of road cycling races often evoke powerful imagery of cyclists appearing less like athletes in a modern sporting event and more like seasoned warriors returning from battle. Their dirt-smeared faces, torn clothing, and rugged expressions reflect the sheer intensity of the sport during its formative years. Battling against Nature In the early…
Although he is now one of the lesser-known cyclists of the 1930s, Giuseppe Olmo (1911–1992) was a prominent figure in his time. An Olympic gold medalist in 1932 and the world hour record holder in 1935, Olmo was a talented sprinter who also secured two podium finishes at the Giro d’Italia. Olmo was a member…
Olimpio Bizzi (1916–1976), the youngest Giro d’Italia stage winner in history, was an active professional cyclist from 1936 to 1952. His career unfolded during the golden era of Italian cycling, dominated by legends such as Learco Guerra, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, and Fiorenzo Magni. Despite competing in their shadow, Bizzi carved out his own achievements…
Alfredo Binda’s story about having been paid to skip the Giro d’Italia in 1930 is pretty well known among road cycling enthusiasts. But have you ever wondered who was the winner of Giro d’Italia that year? In the year when Giro d’Italia organizers decided to pay Alfredo Binda not to participate in the race, a 21-year-old neo-pro…
Wladimiro Panizza (5 June 1945 – 21 June 2002) was an Italian professional road cyclist renowned for his endurance, climbing prowess, and unwavering dedication over an 18-year career from 1967 to 1985. Born in Fagnano Olona, Lombardy, into a Communist family, he was named after Vladimir Lenin. Panizza’s career is distinguished by his record-setting 18…
In the long, storied history of professional cycling, the 1912 Giro d’Italia stands out as an extraordinary anomaly. For just one year, the Italian Grand Tour abandoned the idea of individual glory in favor of team-based competition—a format that would seem radical even today, yet somehow closer in spirit to modern cycling than its contemporaries…