On this day (October 27th 1996) - Breaking the Hour
Jeannie Longo stood at the track center, eyes fixed on the clock. October 1996, Mexico City's thin air hummed with anticipation. For 48 minutes, she had maintained a metronomic pace, pushing the boundaries of women's cycling. When the gun finally sounded, she had done it: 48.159 kilometers, a new women's hour record. The Queen of French cycling had added another jewel to her crown.