Marc'hhouarnerezh : diforc'h etre ar stummoù

;Mountain

[[Mountain biking]] grew in the late 20th century, including recreation and racing. It emphasises riding special cycles with high gear ratios over rough paths, special obstacle courses or directly cross country. While very popular as a sport, it has also been criticised for damaging the countryside.

 

Shortly after the introduction of bicycles, competitions developed independently in many parts of the world. Early races involving [[boneshaker]] style bicycles were predictably fraught with injuries. Large races became popular during the 1890s "Golden Age of Cycling", with events across Europe, and in the U.S. and Japan as well. At one point, almost every major city in the US had a [[velodrome]] or two for [[track racing]] events. However since the middle of the 20th century cycling has become a minority sport in the US whilst in Continental Europe it continues to be a major sport, particularly in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain. The most famous of all bicycle races is the [[Tour de France]]. This began in 1903, and continues to capture the attention of the sporting world.