Road Bicycle Racing
Bicycle racing is a sport in which different cyclists compete against each other on their choice of bicycles approved by the official cycling body UCI or the Union Cycliste Internationale. There are several different formats of the sport that includes the
cyclo-cross, road bicycle racing, mountain bike racing, BMX, bike trials and cycle speedway. Bicycle race is appreciated all across the world but sport was originated from Europe as it is still considered as the home of cycling and most of the main events
are organised across Europe.
The first bicycle race as per the records was held on May 31, 1868 and Englishman James Moore is believed to be the first cyclist to have won the 1,200 meters race held in Paris. James Moore also holds the honour of winning the first cycle race between two
cities as he finished the 113 kilometre(approximately) race dividing Paris and Rouen in 10 hours and 25 minutes (approximately). James has dominated the cycling world for many years as he was one of the only stars of the sport for a long time.
Bicycle races normally go along the whole year but there are specific times of the year dedicated to different events for instance road bicycle races starts from spring and extends up to fall every year. It is a common observation that cyclists from the
northern hemisphere move to other countries such as Australia especially in winters as it allows them to train during that time.
Road races are further sub-divided into different categories such as one day races, multi day races, multi day Grand Tours and single days Classics. The most important or followed cycling event are the Grand Tours, Olympic Games, Paris-Rouen, UCI Pro Tour
events.
The grand tour includes the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and the Giro d’ Italia and all three are held in the major parts of Europe as the tour is extended up to three weeks with 2 or 3 rest days in the middle. Grand Tours are followed by cycling fans
across the globe and they follow their favourite cyclists and support them across the streets.
Cyclists communicate with their director through the radio who follows the race in the car and give instructions to his team. This way of communication has been under the criticism for a long time since its introduction in 1990s as some believes that the
implementation of radio in the sport has made it less interesting.
The size of teams varies because the number of cyclists in each team depends upon the nature of the event as in an amateur event only three cyclists participate and that number can go up to 12 when we talk about the professional road racing.
Different cyclists polish their skills depending on their strengths and chose the format of the race accordingly as in a Grand Tour there are 9 cyclists in each team but only one is chosen to lead the team and rest of the team helps the leader to win the
general classifications or to win the race. The remaining eight riders in a team are selected to suit the race leader in order to provide him with the maximum support to lead the team towards victory. The main skills involved or required during a road race
are climbers, Puncheur, Sprinter, time triallist, Domestique and All-rounder.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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