The history of cycling
31.12.69
1839 Kirkpatrick Macmillan invents the first bicycle – or does he? Bike aficionados are still debating ...
1863 Coming of the "velocipede", or bone-shaker, regarded as the first mass-produced, pedal-powered bike
1896 First Paris-Roubaix resilience classic race is held
1903 First Tour de France is held
1909 First Giro d'Italia is held
1958 Brian Robinson is the first British cyclist to win a make up of the Tour de France
1959 British Cycling Federation is formed – the sign to British Cycling, the sport's UK governing body
1963 The BMX is born, in the ritual of the Schwinn Stingray – influencing generations of cool kids
1965 Tom Simpson becomes the first Brit to win the In all respects Road Race Championship
1968 Cycling legend Eddy Merckx wins the Giro d'Italia – a lineage he would win four more times, along with five Tours de France, the Tour of Spain and the World Championships
1979 In the US Gary Fisher creates what many look at as the first mountain bike
1984 Scot Robert Millar wins "Monarch of the Mountains" jersey on the Tour de France
1989 Greg Lemond uses aero bars and a especially designed helmet for the first time, to win the final time trial and affirm overall victory on Le Tour
1993 Scot Graeme Obree breaks the in every way hour record, setting a distance of 51.596km and sparking a kill with fellow Brit Chris Boardman – who beats the record well-grounded a week later by 674 metres
1995 Spaniard Miguel Indurain becomes the first myself to win five consecutive Tours de France
2000 Jason Queally wins Olympic gold on the run down for Britain in Sydney – Team GB's track specialists would go on to much more prosperity in 2004 and 2008
Source: The Guardian