Cycling as a sport has been around for a while. Dating back to the 19th century, bicycles were first introduced as a mode of transportation. Not long after, in 1868, to be specific, the first cycling race was held in Saint-Cloud, Paris.

Given how things which are both useful, fun and present a great way of working out tend to catch on, so did bicycles and even more notably, betting on cycling. Whether you bet at your local booker’s place or online, you should know a couple of things before you check out.

Firstly, there are some notable things that cycling does a bit differently than other sports so you should get to know it briefly and secondly, free coupons are always nice.

Cycling and its Specifics

As you are probably familiar with football, the way players are organized and the way each position has its name, so you should be familiar with cycling and its own terminology. Whether a race is in question or something related to the betting itself, it’s useful to know the slang before you place your first bet.

Types of Races

Take note, cycling is different from mountain biking and its various sub-types. Mountain biking is often considered an extreme sport and is in a world of its own.

Cycling is divided into two distinct groups, namely track cycling and road cycling.

Those who tune in during the many races and see a bunch of cyclists going down a road followed by cars and bikes will know that those races are road cycling.

Road Cycling

Road cycling goes over long distances, up to 4000 kilometers or even more. They take place over several days and include entire teams, not just single riders. They move over paved roads, cobblestones, mountains and various other types of roads. Cyclists specialize in different areas so a diverse team can be formed.

When it comes to road cycling betting, there are 3 grand tours which get the most attention, media-wise and punter-wise, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana, taking places in Italy, France and Spain, respectively.

They have similar classifications you can also bet on such as the Young rider, King of the Mountain, Points, Team and General. They each correspond to a certain number of points and depend on whether it was a team effort or an individual one.

You can bet on single racers reaching a certain score, being first in a certain category or all categories. You should be aware or each cyclist’s strengths and weaknesses as well as that of their team in order to place a calculated bet.

Track Cycling

Track cycling involves people racing on tracks with aerodynamic bikes and helmets, usually on a sloped track. There are many types of track races ranging anywhere from 250 meters for the Sprint races to over 25 kilometers for the Points races. In between you have Scratch, Time trial, Pursuit, Omnium, Keirin and Madison races.

Getting to know the individuals here is the most important thing as they will be the ones winning you money. Notable championships in track cycling are the Olympic games and the Track Cycling World Cup and Championships, the last two being different events.

Betting on cycling is simple once you know the ins and outs of it and these tips should help you on that path.