As summer fades into autumn, professional cycling saves some of its most dramatic chapters for the season’s closing weeks. The Fall Monuments—Paris–Tours and the Giro di Lombardia—offer contrasting challenges: one a high-speed dash across the flat roads of France, the other a punishing test of climbing strength in the Italian lakes. Alongside them sits the UCI Road World Championships, where riders compete not for trade teams but for national glory, and where records of youth, endurance, and brilliance have been etched into cycling history. This week’s trivia takes a closer look at these races, their legends, and the extraordinary feats that still echo through the sport.
Q1. Paris–Tours has undergone various experimental changes throughout its history to make the race more challenging for sprinters. In 1965, what unusual equipment restriction was imposed on riders, and despite this limitation, which Dutch first-year professional still managed to set a remarkable speed record?
Q2. The Giro di Lombardia, one of cycling’s five Monuments, features the brutal climb of the Muro di Sormano. This wall-like ascent was removed from the race route after 1962 due to its extreme gradient, but was controversially reintroduced in 2012. What is the maximum gradient percentage of this climb, which has caused even professional riders to dismount and walk?
Q3. Fausto Coppi holds the record for most victories at the Giro di Lombardia, including an unprecedented streak of consecutive wins. How many times did Coppi win this Monument, and of those victories, how many were consecutive (and in what years)? Has any other rider matched either of Coppi’s records?
Q4. The UCI Road World Championships has seen some remarkably young winners throughout its history. Who holds the record as the youngest-ever winner of the men’s elite road race, and at what age did he achieve this feat?
Q5. The 1921 Paris–Tours stands as one of the most epic tales of suffering and determination in cycling history. Known for brutal weather conditions that saw half the field abandon in Chartres, this race was won by Francis Pélissier under extraordinary circumstances. What legendary act of desperation did Pélissier perform when he punctured late in the race, and how did this enable him to secure one of cycling’s most remarkable victories?
