1881: An Olympic Cycling Champion Begins His Life’s Journey in Paris

October 26, 1881

Racing cyclist Louis Bastien was born in Paris. He established himself as a formidable and highly competitive cyclist while he was still a teenager. At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, Bastien won a gold medal for finishing first in the 25-kilometre (15.5.-mile) race.

Bastien was also an accomplished fencer. He died in the French prefecture and commune of Châteauroux on August 13, 1963, at the age of 81. (The accompanying photo of Bastien was taken in 1900 by Jules Beau [1864-1932].)

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on Louis Bastien, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Bastien_(cyclist) and https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/21724

Additional information on cycling at the 1900 Summer Olympics is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_at_the_1900_Summer_Olympics