And let’s start with the world of lightness, aerodynamics and shaved legs. This is the world of road cycling. There are a huge number of them around the world. Different distances, requirements for the level of training, places, number of participants. The choice is great, and here are just a few of the disciplines.
The first thing that comes to mind with this phrase is the Tour de France.
This is a multi-day road cycling race, which is the most famous and prestigious in the whole world.
The route and start of the Tour change every year, but the finish on the Champs Elysees in Paris remains the same. Start in different years was given in Normandy, London, Corsica, Brussels, Monaco. The loop is made throughout France so that residents of different regions of the country can witness an event of world significance.
Another classic road cycling race is Paris-Roubaix. The start is held annually in mid-April in northern France. The peculiarity of Paris-Roubaix lies in the fact that a significant part of the race passes through flat areas, which are laid with paving stones.
If you are not a super-pro rider with a whole team, but you want to ride legendary routes, then there is a solution.
Paris-Roubaix Challenge is another race that invites all fans to follow the route of the legendary Paris-Roubaix professional race.
On a difficult route with cobbled sections, cyclists pass a day before the professionals show up at the starting gate.
For amateurs, the road is not closed from cars, but numerous volunteers monitor the safety of the participants. The finish of the amateur race, like that of the professionals, is located at the velodrome in Roubaix, however, cyclists who did not finish before 17:30 will not be able to get to it: the velodrome will be closed for the installation of professional race structures. So, you may not be a sponsored rider, but you still have to put in a lot of effort.
You can participate in one race, or apply for all three at once. The short distance of the races does not mean that they will turn out to be short and easy: from start to finish, participants will ride along mountain serpentine with slopes up to 11%. For example, the 17-kilometer Laura flight has an average gradient of 8%.
Another type of competition is brevets. If the Uphill format is a kind of sprint format, then the brevets are a stayer format. The bottom line is to overcome a huge distance along a certain route with a time limit. Participants ride at a free pace, stop for rest and overnight stays. Brevets are held by cycling clubs around the world. It is important that this is not a sporting event, there are no rivals here: all participants who meet the limit receive the title of randonner. The word is derived from the French randonnée, a long walk. This is true given the distances that start at 200 km and go up to 2200 km.
Now let’s move on to technology and talk a little about bikes. They can be described in three words: lightness, speed, aerodynamics. Most bikes are made of carbon fiber, aluminum bikes are used less frequently. This is due to the desire of manufacturers and riders to get the lightest and fastest bike possible.
This can often go as far as using ceramic bearings, 3D printing the lightest saddles, or creating completely custom bikes. And this is logical. Due to the duration of the races, the smallest details become decisive. Even saving tenths of a second in total can lead to victory or defeat.