Paris–Rouen was the first cycle race covering a distance between two cities. It was held between the cities of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

on 7 November 1869. The winner of the inaugural race was an Englishman living in Paris, James Moore, who rode the 123 kilometres dividing both cities in 10 hours and 40 minutes, including time spent walking his bicycle up the steeper hills.Paris-Rouen 1869
/ref> The event was organized by the fortnightly cycling magazine Le Vélocipède Illustré and the

Olivier brothers The Olivier brothers, Aimé, René, and Marius, were among the first people responsible for recognizing the commercial potential of the bicycle. The Olivier family was wealthy, owning multiple chemical plants in France. The family were based in Ly ...

, owners of a bicycle manufacturer company called ''The Michaux Company''. They were delighted with the success of short races held in Parc de Saint Cloud, Paris and on 7 November they promoted a race between

and

, covering a distance of 123 kilometres. The first prize was one thousand gold

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and a bicycle. The rules of the race said that the riders were not ''to be pulled by a dog or use sails''.Woodland, L. (2005), ''This Island Race'', Mousehold Press, p. 5 A total of 120 riders, including two women, participated in the race but just 32 finished within 24 hours. James Moore won, finishing 15 minutes ahead of Castera and Bobillier. The first woman, referred to as ''Miss America'', finishing in 29th position - 12 hours and 10 minutes after Moore. The race was not held after the outbreak of

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

in 1870, but it later returned as an amateur race.Paris-Rouen
/ref> The centenary was commemorated on 12 May 1969, and was won by Régis Delepine, who received the same prize as James Moore, one thousand gold

equivalent to 50

Louis Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also ...

General Standings

07-11-1869: Paris–Rouen, 123 km

References

1869 in European sport Classic cycle races Cycle races in France 1869 in France 1869 in sports November 1869 {{France-cycling-race-stub