Watch Cycling Games Live

Cycling

Cycling is a sport of speed and endurance; one of the most popular disciplines in the world. It consists of road cycling, track, mountain, trials, and cyclo-cross. Assisted by technology, racers reach speeds of up to 33mph and have to cope with obstacles, changing landscapes, and long distances. The premier league of cycling is the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Established in 1900, the UCI sanctions the world’s cycling races. Under the UCI umbrella are the major road tours, including the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, and the Tour de France. Popular teams include Deceuninck-Quick Step, Team Ineos, and Bora-Hansgrohe and current top riders include Tour de France Champion Egan Bernal, Olympic Medalist and world champion Julian Alaphilippe, and Giro d’Italia and Tour of Flanders winner Mathieu Van Der Poel. The professional road racing season is normally from February to October and is highlighted by the “Grand Tours”. These are the three major events in cycling: the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España. All three are three weeks long and occur within a period of five weeks over the summer months of July and August. There are also the one-day Classics, which are the toughest and most prestigious races and often decide the overall winners of the season. These races include the Tour of Flanders, Milan-San Remo, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Paris-Roubaix. The UCI professional road tour is a season-long points-based ranking system organized by the UCI. This system accumulates points from individual races such as Grand Tours, Classics, world and continental championships, and other pro tour events using a common point system. The top 20 riders collect UCI points and at the end of the year the top 20 riders will be rewarded with UCI World Rankings. The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup also uses the same season-long ranking system for mountain bike racers. The UCI World Championships are held in a different location each year and are for both men’s and women’s competitions. The World Championships are end-of-season races that include road, mountain, trial, and cyclo-cross events on a variety of surfaces in varying terrains. Throughout the year the UCI Track World Cup is held at various locations and in different disciplines. World Cup points are accumulated throughout this global series that all culminates with the UCI Track World Championships. The sport of cycling is a long-standing tradition with a rich history and plenty of exciting moments. With thousands of events and hundreds of riders over the years, it has established itself as one of the most popular and competitive sports in the world. The elite athletes of the UCI Road, Mountain Bike, and Track Tours continue to push the boundaries and provide exciting racing for fans around the globe.