Fun Celebrations - Cycling Birthday

The number of people who are adopting a healthy lifestyle is growing every year Participation in bicycle racing allows you to combine business with pleasure, physical activity in the fresh air with a trip through a picturesque area The first such competition took place on May 31, 1868 in Saint-Cloud, located 10 km from Paris The winner was the Englishman J Moore, who finished first a year later In honor of this competition, the Birthday of Cycling is celebrated annually on May 31st At the races in the suburbs of Paris, many records were set - from the maximum speed for that time of 34 km/h to the duration of the trip Women did not take part in the first competition But already in 1869, two representatives of the fair sex were allowed to race on two-wheeled “spider” bicycles with a high front wheel The French really liked this sport, so they initiated another competition in 1903, which today has international status - the Tour de France ("Big Loop") In Russia, the first bicycle race over a distance of 15 km took place in July 1883 at the Moscow Hippodrome Three years later, Russian cyclist Mikhail Dyakov won the British national championship Also in 1886, he took second place at the World Championships in the 100 km race Russian athletes own many records So, in 1911-1913 Anisim Pankratov made the first trip around the world on a Gritzner bicycle During the trip, the athlete changed 9 chains, 52 upper and 36 inner tires, 4 seats, 8 pedals, 2 steering wheels, countless lights, bells and other parts The fortitude and endurance of cyclists is admirable Today, this sport includes cross-country (racing in mountainous terrain), dirt (driving on embankments, jumps), dual slalom (parallel descent, reminiscent of skiing) and other areas As early as 1896, due to its extraordinary popularity, cycling was included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games Currently, competitions are held in four disciplines: road and track racing, mountain biking (off-road riding over rough terrain) and BMX (extreme cycling with various acrobatic elements and stunts) Cycling attracts with its accessibility and dynamism Not only professionals, but also amateurs take part in bike competitions Performing stunts on bicycles (going down stairs, jumping over earthen embankments, performing somersaults in the air, etc) is constantly being improved by stuntmen Anyone who has at least once experienced the feeling of freedom from a high-speed bicycle ride will never refuse the opportunity to repeat this experience Every year on May 31, bike competitions and demonstration performances of masters and stuntmen are held in different countries of the world Everyone can visit exhibitions of ancient technology, take part in competitions and costume parades on mobile, safe, environmentally friendly two-wheeled vehicles Thus, by participating in these and other events, bike riding enthusiasts celebrate the Birthday of Cycling on May 31st