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| American Scott Dickson began his glory years by placing third in 1979, though at just less than 49 hours he was four hours behind the winners. In 1983 he again came third, this time by only one hour. He won his first PBP in 1987 by breaking away in Brest, aided by a strong tailwind and a few strong riders from the "touring" group, which that year started many hours before the "racing" group. Dickson also won in 1991 and in 1995. Susan Notorangelo set a women's record of 54 hours 40 minutes in 1983, but that record fell to American Melinda Lyon in 1999. Lyon accomplished her time without a support vehicle, a fact nowhere reported in the French or any other press, that I have seen.While no longer a professional road race, PBP continues to attract highly competitive riders who stop at nothing to turn in the fastest times. Despite the event organizer's insistance that it isn't a race, PBP offers huge trophies and a certain degree of prestige to the first finishers in each division. The event's popularity stands at an all-time high, with a cap of 3,500 participants placed for the first time in 1999. It seems likely that the event will continue to draw large numbers of international participants in the future. Whereas once PBP was contested by a few great professional athletes as a demonstration of the bicycle's potential, today the focus is on regular folks like you and me. Riding PBP is a chance to be a part of history, yes -- all finishers names are set down in the great record book -- but also to learn how to use the bike reliably for transportation, a skill just as useful today as it was 108 years ago when Paris-Brest et retour began. | ||||||
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