A short history of a long ride

In 1891, when bicycling was all the rage across Europe (the US, as well, for the record), the owner of a French newspaper had a crazy idea. He would organize a bike race, from Paris to the city of Brest, and back again. It was a brutally difficult, wildly successful, 1200 kilometer sales stunt. 1200 kilometers, for those of us who are metrically challenged, translates to roughly 750 miles. That