Racing is one of the most popular and widespread sports, which tells us just how much people love it. Whether it is cycling or horse racing, people love to watch it, talk about it, and even gamble on it for an added dose of fun. That’s why sites such as horsebettingoffers.co.uk that offer great information about horse racing and betting, as well as some bonus codes are so widely popular. When it comes to cycling, some road cyclists will forever hold the title of the greatest ones, due to their skillfulness and unbelievable performance. 

Alberto Contador

At one point, all three Grand Tours belonged to Alberto Contador and he is one of six cyclists to have accomplished this in their careers. Fans will always remember the ease and gracefulness with which he climbed even the most intricate European hights.

Sean Kelly

Although he did not have much success in the Grand Tours, Kelly was an icon in the Classics, with as much as ten wins attached to his name, as well as the victory of the cyclists’ first World Cup. 

Gino Bartali

Despite the countless troubles of his time and the consequences that World War ll had on the people, Gino Bartali managed to achieve success both in the Classics and in the Grand Tours, as well as in many additional races. 

Lance Armstrong

Seven Tour de France victories are enough to put Lance Armstrong on this list and claim that he is one of the greatest cyclists of all time, despite all the scandals that come with his name nowadays. 

Alfredo Binda

This Italian competed in the late 1920s and the sole fact that he was able to break through after he chooses not to take political sides in Italy of that time makes him worthy of this list. 

Miguel Indurain

Five-time winner of the Tour de France, Miguel Indurain made a name for himself when he started leading races before he was even 20 years old. However, what he’s probably most known for is the Olympic Time Trial Gold Medal. 

Jacque Anquetil

Jacque was the first man to ever achieve five victories at the Tour de France, but that is far from the only thing he is praised for. He also won Paris-Nice several times and numerous additional races. 

Fausto Coppi

Out of the three times that he competed in the Tour de France, Fausto Coppi won it twice. If it hadn’t been for the war, it is believed that this cyclist would be everyone’s number one. 

Bernard Hinault

The nickname he was given perfectly described this man – the Badger. He was absolutely unstoppable on the bicycle and with that kind of fire, it is not surprising that he is still considered one of the best. 

Eddy Merckx

Another cyclist with a nickname that suits his career description well. The Cannibal completely devoured everything that was on his way to the top and he has numerous victories to prove it, including five Tour de France, five Giro, and two Vuleta victories. It is safe to say that Eddy could be fairly named the best road cyclist in history.

Cycling is not just a sport. It is a way of life, a unique experience, and a way to be an athlete with very powerful legs. Millions of people around the world practice this sport, competing in the local races and the more prestigious ones, instead of wasting time fishing, or arguing with strangers online. So, what are the most coveted races to participate in? Here is our humble list.

Paris-Roubaix

On this list, you will find bicycle races that span over stages and days, with several different disciplines and events. Paris-Roubaix, however, is not such a race. It is a one-day event in France that barely scratches the border with Belgium. It is one of the oldest races and one of the so-called Monuments. If you perform well, your ranking in UCI will see a significant increase.

The path is made of cobblestone and demands some serious tweaking of the cycles. The race is so demanding that many cyclists choose to forego the spike in points, fearing the damage to their bicycles and bodies the track might cause. The track is looked after by a group of fans that was formed in the 80s, names the Friends of Paris-Roubaix.

Giro d’Italia

The Tour of Italy is not for the faint of heart. Since 1909, cyclists compete in several stages, and the participants have to be members of the UCI WorldTeams, with the possible exception of a few lucky ducks who get to join as the wild cards. It is one of the three Grand Tours (the other two will also be discussed in this piece) and it lasts for three weeks.

The interesting thing about this tour is that it has been held every year since its inception, though there were a few breaks for the two World Wars. The winner of the Giro gets to wear the special pink jersey as a testament to their achievement. The race was originally a marketing stunt by La Gazzetta dello Sport and now it is organized by RCS Sport, their subsidiary.

Vuelta a España

Another Grand Tour, Vuelta a España, came about as an answer to Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. There are at least two time trials and riding over a mountain chain. As Giro has the pink jersey, the red jersey is awarded to the racer with the lowest aggregate time. Another similarity with Giro is that UCI WorldTeams are the ones allowed to participate.

The race was strongly dominated by the Spanish in the 2000s, though the Britons have had much success in recent years. The race changes courses yearly, to keep things fresh and add an extra note of challenge to the mix.

Tour de France

If you have not heard of Tour de France, it’s high time you did. This is the third Grand Tour and, arguably, the best-known one. Multiple stages of the race are held over three weeks in France, and different races demand different cycles. The yellow jersey is the coveted prize in this event that has been held over a hundred times since its creation.

Cycling is a very popular sport, whether the Grand Tours, or mountain biking, or any variants which include a bicycle and racing. It is a sport which has been around for a while and will remain to be around. It is also a sport which people love to bet on. Online sportsbooks thrive during the cycling season, especially when the Grand Tours are taking place. Sportsbooks often have promotions to entice people to bet, as well as to give them some bonuses similar to Apuestas Deportivas USA.

But, is cycling going to change with the rise of technology? It already has, to an extent, as tracking and results are far easier to measure than before. In helmet communicators are also a large part of cycling, with teammates being able to talk to one another.

Virtual reality is also responsible for some of the changes. Here are a couple of ways it could impact cycling in the near future.

Practicing In Virtual Reality

The equipment is there, even though it is still underutilized. Practicing cycling in virtual reality could be something to make the sport of indoor cycling, or bedroom cycling, a bit more interesting. There have already been reports of a man who cycled the length of the UK in virtual reality, from his own bedroom. With the combination of some specialized gear and Google Maps, or rather Google StreetView. CycleVR is the name of this application and it is still in development, for both Android and iOS systems.

On the other hand, the UK has launched a virtual reality campaign to increase awareness for cyclists and all people who take part in traffic. The reason for this is to educate people as to what are the right ways of behaving in traffic, as a cyclist, motorcyclist, car driver or pedestrian. The more you know, the less likely you are to injure yourself or somebody else, through being ignorant about the rules and regulations regarding traffic.

Virtual Reality Broadcasting

Watching a race on a giant TV screen can be enticing, but watching it unfold through the eyes of a cyclist is much more interesting. Today, many cyclists wear cameras on their helmets or on an otherwise suitable location. Depending on the race, you could follow your favorite cyclist by seeing what they see. This could easily be implemented for regular broadcasting, but it could also be adapted for virtual reality.

There might be complications involving nausea and dizziness, but those things can be overcome by either sitting or taking the headset off. Broadcasting companies have started looking into this kind of broadcasting, especially for sporting events, where things are fast-paced and a different look at the action could mean more entertainment and thus, profit.

These are a couple of ways that virtual reality could influence professional cycling, as well as amateur and recreational cycling. The fact is that virtual reality is here to stay and being as versatile as it is, it is only a matter of time before all sports adopt it to an extent.

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.