Vélodrome de Vincennes
Encyclopedia
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
, near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Initially built as a velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
in 1894, it became the main stadium for the 1900 Summer Olympics
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
; Events that took place in the Velodrome at the 1900 Summer Olympics
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
included cycling
Cycling at the 1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics were held as part of the 1900 World's Fair, during which several cycling events were contested. Two of those cycling events are nowadays considered Olympic events by the International Olympic Committee. These two competitions were held between 9 September and 16 September...
, cricket
Cricket at the 1900 Summer Olympics
A cricket tournament, played as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics, took place on 19–20 August at the Vélodrome de Vincennes. The only match of the tournament was played between teams representing Great Britain and France, and was won by 158 runs by Great Britain....
, rugby union
Rugby union at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Rugby union was played at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Matches were held on 14 October and 28 October. 47 athletes from three nations competed....
, football
Football at the 1900 Summer Olympics
At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a football tournament was contested for the first time. Only two demonstration matches were held between the three club sides, and no medals were awarded...
and gymnastics
Gymnastics at the 1900 Summer Olympics
At the 1900 Summer Olympics, one gymnastics event was contested. The competition was held on Sunday, July 29, 1900 and on Monday, July 30, 1900.-Results:...
. However, the track and field
Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics
At the 1900 Summer Olympics, twenty-three athletics events were contested. 117 athletes from 15 nations competed. In many countries, due in part to the conflagration of the Olympic Games and the World's Fair in Paris, the media discussed only the athletics events under the "Olympic" name while...
events were held at the Racing Club de France
RCF Paris
Racing Club de France – Levallois 92 is a French association football club formerly based in Colombes, a suburb of Paris. In 2009, the club moved to nearby Levallois-Perret after the club reached a financial agreement with the commune. Racing was founded in 1882 as a sports club and is one of the...
.
At the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
it became the cycling (track)
Cycling at the 1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics were held as part of the 1900 World's Fair, during which several cycling events were contested. Two of those cycling events are nowadays considered Olympic events by the International Olympic Committee. These two competitions were held between 9 September and 16 September...
venue.
The venue was the finish line of the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
between 1968 and 1974 most notably seeing Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
winning each of his five Tour victories there. Prior to this, the finish had been held at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
from 1904 to 1967. From 1975 to the present, the Tour de France has ended on the Champs-Élysées
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
.
It has featured in two feature films, La Rafle and Sarah's Key, standing in for the Vel d'Hiv, in films about the notorious round-up of Parisian Jews in July 1942.
The stadium is still used for cycling, football and rugby matches.