Next July 6, we will partake in one of our favorite pastimes, watching Tour de France cyclists trying to best each other. The route has been revealed, the cyclists are set, and the only question that remains is who will rise to the top which is something enthusiasts and bettors that use the William Hill Promo Code are very eager to find out. Let’s dive in.

The Course

The race begins in Belgium and finished in Paris, France. There will be a total of 21 stages with two breaks after the 10th and the 15th stage of two days each and five mountain-top finishes, which means that this race is in the bag for those that favor uphill racing.

The first two stages will start and end in Brussels, with the second stage being a 28km one. After Brussels, the racers will go south towards the Vosges Mountains and their first of the five extra challenging finish lines – La Planche des Belles Filles, a ski resort with an interesting history, but that’s a story for another time.

The race will continue southwest from there, going through Saint-Étienne, Saint-Flour, and Toulouse, and after a two-day tussle in the south, it will turn east, until, finally, a plane ride takes the competitors for their final showdown.

Surprises

Marcel Kittel, the German cycling star, has been performing sub-par lately and will not be attending this Tour de France. In fact, Kittel ended his contract with the UCI WorldTeam Katusha–Alpecin and announced that he will be taking a break from the professional cycling. It is a regrettable piece of news, but hardly unexpected.

Peter the Great, or Peter Sagan, which is his real name, will have his work cut out for him this year. He will be facing Michael Matthews and Elia Viviani, among other racers that might prevent him from claiming the famed green jersey for the seventh time, thus breaking the record of Erik Zabel from Germany. We must not forget that Sagan didn’t have much luck in the past, especially when he was eliminated from the race by the referees in 2017 after the fourth stage of the race after a fall. Will Sagan bounce back, or will he be devoured by rising stars?

Some of the people expected to appear in the race are Romain Bardet, his fellow countrymen, Julian Alaphilippe, who dominated his opponents last year in the uphill races, and Thibaut Pino, a podium finisher.

Favorites

The hype surrounding the race would not amount to much if we didn’t have some vague idea who the next champion might be. One such contender is Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), who has proven himself time and time again on the uphill tracks, despite being defeated by his twin, Simon, at both Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.

Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) also has a horse, or bike, in the race, as his season has not been exactly promising, but it wasn’t devastating either. Other names on the list include Jakob Fuglsang, Nairo Quintana, and Dan Martin. We are keeping our fingers crossed for our favorites and we wish the same to you.

Everyone who ever rode a bicycle knows that when you go into traffic, your experience may vary from being an absolute joyride to basically riding on the highway to hell. Well, that would be forbidden in most countries, as highways are off limits to certain slow vehicles, bicycles included.

The people’s relationship towards cyclists and specifically, their relationship in traffic varies not only country to country, but city to city. Some cities are far more accommodating than others, even within smaller countries.

In some cities, riding a bike in traffic is considered an extreme sport and people would rather spend their time betting on cycling, rather than actually cycling. They especially turn to online sportsbooks due to their promotions and bonus codes, like this Meridianbet promo code and bonus.

But, to their surprise, some cities have cyclists completely integrated with the rest of the fast traffic, having their own, separate lanes. Here the the world’s most cyclist-friendly cities.

Copenhagen

People usually think of Amsterdam as one of the world’s best cities for cycling, but it is actually Copenhagen. There is scientific data to back this up, but people often overlook data due to popularity.

Going to Copenhagen and riding a bicycle will be a great experience, as Denmark invested a lot into its Copenhagen cycling infrastructure. This means that they have cycling bridges, specifically designed and built for cycling. That’s just the expensive stuff, not to mention separate lanes and strict regulations about cycling. People have had very interesting, some would call them, outrageous ideas, but the best thing, as proven so far, is to invest in the infrastructure and overall promotion of cycling culture.

Amsterdam

These two cities are often called the best for cycling, and with a good reason. Amsterdam is arguably the more popular of the two cities, and people often associate bicycles with it, among other things, some more notorious.

The problem with Amsterdam is that they have so many bicycles and even though that might be considered a good thing, the infrastructure isn’t there to support it. People started complaining about the number of cyclists on the streets, which should be addressed by providing a better infrastructure. This is why Amsterdam is in the second place, because unlike Copenhagen, development has stopped, at least for now.

Utrecht

Another city from the Netherlands. While nowhere near as popular as Amsterdam, it is still a very popular tourist destination. It is also adored by cyclists. The city has a parking lot which can house around 12000 bicycles, which is a very large parking lot. One of the problems which rattle the city are cobblestones. Streets with cobblestones instead of asphalt or tarmac, are very noisy and quite rattling. For those who do not have suspension in the front or back of their bicycles, that means a very rough ride. Aside from that, Utrecht is a very good destination for a cyclist.

Strasbourg

This French, wait, French city? Yes, despite its name and being very close to the French-German border, Strasbourg is a French city. It is also a great city for any cyclist to visit, if they plan on visiting France or Germany, because it is really close by. With over 400 kilometers of cycling routes, it is looking to become one of the best cycling cities. To come close to the Danish and Dutch cities, however, it would need to adopt their model of infrastructure, at least regarding cycling.

These are some of the best cities in which you could ride a bike and enjoy it all the way. There are plenty more, yet these are the ones leading the cycling revolution.

Having a reliable, cost-efficient, sturdy, and comfortable bike is a necessity if you are planning on pursuing cycling as a hobby or a professional venture. However, the bike is only going to be as good as you make it to be, meaning that you must do all in your power to make it pristine and not hinder its performance with the lack of equipment that every cyclist worth their salt has in their racing arsenal. Here are some of the best bicycle equipment makers in the world. This list is just a subjective estimate and is not endorsed in any way by the brands mentioned.

Giant

There is more to being an amazing bicycle brand than just making good rides. One of the largest bicycle manufacturers on the globe is a Taiwanese company called Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. It is a go-to brand for mountain bikers, but it also provides its customers with outstanding equipment and accessories.

For example, the company has presented the public with products like the Giant Ridesense ANT+/BLE Sensor, the Giant Control Patch Kit for when you need to patch things up on the go, the Giant Numen+ Link LED Rechargeable Rear Bike Light that is waterproof and integrates nicely with several helmet models, and the Giant Axact 9W Wireless Computer, giving you the speed, distance, and the calorie consumption. These are just a few of many things Giant has to offer.

Cannondale

The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is a branch of sorts of the Canadian Dorel Industries. It has been around for almost 50 years and in that time has made a name for itself using aluminum and carbon fibers. It is not just their craft of making reliable bikes that makes them stand out. The brand offers a plethora of accessories for nearly anyone. You have handlebars, pumps, CO2 cartridges and mini tools to help you with your wheels. Whether you plan on taking on the mountain or the road, Cannondale is ready to step up.

Merida

Merida Bikes has a history not unlike that of Lamborghini. Much like the mechanic that came from the family of grape farmers being dismissed for his ideas on how to improve the Ferrari’s line, Ike Tseng discovered in the early 70s that bike shops in the US refused to work on bikes from Taiwan, stating that their quality is too poor to invest time and money in. so, Merida was created partly out of spite. One of the pieces of equipment that make the company so delightful is the kid’s trailer for the busy parent bikers, excellent for adventures outdoors or commuting. Safety comes first so you will find helmets and gloves in the front row, rather than gadgets and accessories.

Trek / Bontrager

This is a wholesome name that every cycling enthusiast is familiar with. In fact, one could argue that the Trek Bicycle Corporation is one of the biggest brands out there, if not the biggest. However, their equipment is made by Bontrager, named after Keith Bontrager, the man who took his engineering knowledge and turned into something exquisite. Helmets with WaveCel, lights for the daytime, and other pieces of equipment are there to ensure your safety on the road. The company also makes multi-tools, pumps, wallets, water bottle cages and everything else a cyclist might need on the road.