Abstract
In addition to its potential contribution to reaching climate targets, cycling may generate substantial population-level health benefits through the physical activity it requires. Due to the lack of nationally representative mobility data, the health impact of current levels of cycling is still unknown for France. Relying on a health impact assessment framework and using recent nationally-representative data on mobility, we assessed the health and related economic benefits of cycling in 2018-2019 in France. We show that such benefits remain moderated and fall short when compared to those estimated in other countries with high cycling levels. We argue that cycling in France did not receive the attention and investments it deserves over the past decade and thus represents a missed opportunity for climate action and public health.