First International Cycling Race: Florence-Pistoia (1870)
Cycling, an American takes the first international race
History of the discipline
Cycling is a sport that has been around for well over a century: it was on February 2, 1870, when the first official international race was held, the Florence-Pistoia.
Won by American Rynner Van Heste, this race covered the 33 km route in 2 hours and 16 minutes, with an average speed of 15.536 km/h, truly “incredible” for that era.