1895: The North Road Cycling Club in London holds what is widely regarded as the first bicycle time trial.

Britain's National Cyclist Union had, earlier in the 1890s, banned cyclists from racing on the road because of a mishap between a woman, her horse and a group of cyclists. For safety's sake, the union wanted all future bicycle races to be held on the track.

Disagreeing, a group of cyclists started a rival group, the North Road Cycling Club. The club held a race in North London 114 years ago today. The cyclists left the start line one at a time, separated by a couple of minutes. An act intended as a way to improve safety without forsaking the road launched what has become an integral part of modern road racing.

The time trial is now the single most grueling event in professional cycling. It's just you, your bicycle and a piece of open road.

Sure, it's an impressive feat to leave everyone in your wake as you climb like a goat to the top of Mont Ventoux or Alpe d’Huez in the Tour de France. Or breaking out of a pack and bumping elbows with the sprinters at 35-plus miles an hour to win the final stage on the Champs-Élysées in a glorious moment. But it is the individual time trial that separates the men from the boys.

With no teammates to hide behind and no real advantage for any particular body type, "The Race of Truth," as it's known, is the gauge by which all pros measure their individual fitness. When the opponent is time – constant and unforgiving – the only thing a cyclist can do is put his head down and try to pick the perfect balance between the burning in his legs and the burning in his lungs.

To have a shot at winning the Tour de France today, cyclists must excel at the time-trial portion of the race, because it's often a game changer. In 1989's Tour de France, Greg LeMond eliminated a 50-second deficit on the final stage, an individual time trial, to beat the great Laurent Fignon by a mere 8 seconds. You can relive this impressive feat in the video below.

Source: Various

Top photo: Lance Armstrong rides the 9.6-mile individual time trial up the side of the legendary l'Alpe d'Huez climb during the 2004 Tour de France.

Christophe Ena/AP