Road bicycle racing

Road bicycle racing is a popular bicycle racing sport held on the road (following the geography of the area), using racing bicycles.

Famous bicycle races

The Grand Tours

The most famous cycling race is the Tour de France, a multi-stage tour over three weeks through France, traditionally ending in Paris. Similar long multi-stage tours are held in Italy (the Giro d'Italia) and Spain (the Vuelta a España). These three races make up the "Grand Tours".

Related Topics:
Tour de France - France - Paris - Italy - Giro d'Italia - Spain - Vuelta a España - Grand Tours

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

UCI ProTour events

Professional racing is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale. In 2005 it instituted the UCI ProTour to replace the UCI World Cup series. While the World Cup contained only one-day races, the ProTour includes the Grand Tours and smaller stage races such as Tour of Switzerland, Paris-Nice and the Critérium de Dauphiné Libéré.

Related Topics:
Union Cycliste Internationale - UCI ProTour - UCI World Cup - Tour of Switzerland - Paris-Nice - Critérium de Dauphiné Libéré

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The former UCI World Cup one-day races - which include all five Classic cycle races or 'Monuments' - are also part of the ProTour: Milan-San Remo (Italy), Tour of Flanders (Belgium), Paris-Roubaix (France), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (Belgium) and Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands) in the spring, and Clasica San Sebastian (Spain), HEW Cyclassics (Germany), Championship of Zürich (Switzerland), Paris-Tours (France) and Tour of Lombardy (Italy) in the autumn season.

Related Topics:
UCI World Cup - Classic cycle races - Milan-San Remo - Italy - Tour of Flanders - Belgium - Paris-Roubaix - France - Liège-Bastogne-Liège - Amstel Gold Race - Netherlands - Clasica San Sebastian - Spain - HEW Cyclassics - Germany - Championship of Zürich - Switzerland - Paris-Tours - Tour of Lombardy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Other notable races

The Race Across America, or RAAM is an ultra marathon road race. It is a single stage race without designated rest periods about 3,000 miles or 4,830 kilometers long over 9 days with cyclists racing approximately 22 hours a day.

Related Topics:
Race Across America - Marathon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For a more extensive list see: List of important cycling events

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~