The pastry, round, i.e. wheel-shaped, was created in 1910 by Louis Durand, pâtissier of
Maisons-Laffitte, at the request of
Pierre Giffard, to commemorate the
Paris–Brest–Paris bicycle race he had initiated in 1891. The pastry, providing typically 640
kcal largely from fat and sugar, became popular with riders on the Paris–Brest–Paris cycle race, partly because it provided the calories required for intensive sports and its intriguing name, and is now found in
pâtisseries all over France. ==See also==