The Different Types of Cycling

In cycling, not all riders have the same skills, and each one finds his or her favorite area. It’s all about team spirit as the skills are added up and shared during the race. Some will aim for the first places in the day races, others on the mountain climbs, and others will run wild time trials. All right, but what are the different types of cycling? Around the world, some people are lovers of bicycles, and for them, this sport has a great diversity of ways to practice, attending, and offering different ways for different preferences. Such types of forms of cycling we will detail below:

1. Cycling for competition and recreation

Competition cycling is a sport in which different types of bikes can be used depending on the kind of cycling that is being practiced. These modalities in which different types of bicycles are used are road biking, track biking, mountain biking, trail biking, Cross biking, and Motocross biking.

2. Route cycling

It is developed on asphalt roads tests such as the following, classic tests, which are one-day Tests, stage tests which consist of culminating in the shortest time the established tests, for this purpose we have at least 2 days distributed in times by Stages, closed circuit tests, individual and team time trials and the counter-clock climbs.

3. Track cycling

They are made in velodromes (artificial runway spaces) with bicycles designed for that type of floor. The different tests that can be carried out in this modality are the following, individual and team speed, time trial, individual and team pursuit, among others.

4. Mountain biking

In addition to the cycling route, as before mentioned, is the mountain biking which is developed in hilly locations including creeks, flats sandy, stony, with holes, branches, earrings, etc. Are classified as Cross Country, downhill, free, marathon, slalom, jumps and climbs, and thus it is that for road cycling you need the bicycles called mountain BIKE (all-terrain Bike).

5. Cyclocross

This modality was born in the 20th century and develops in asphalt roads and meadows with obstacles either of the same nature or placed by the man who must even get off the bike the athlete to be able to overcome it. The characteristics of these road bikes are their wheels, which are wider to deal with the Earth.

6. Trial

This modality was born from the derivation of the Moto trial and is that whoever drives the bike must overcome all obstacles (barrels, rocks, vehicles, etc.) with the minimum support of the feet on the ground. It consists of three types of categories that vary in the inches of the wheels. There are those of 20, 24 and 26 inches, the one of 20” which is the primary measure of this sport discipline, the one of 24” which is an accepted and improved average category of the original version and the one of 26” which is the big category. The difference from this bike to the original 20” bike is that it allows overcoming many more significant obstacles due to the size of the wheel.

7. BMX

It has two BMX Race and freestyle modes. The first is developed with circuits with obstacles and the second is to perform tricks with the bike; both on-ramp and in streets.

The UCI International Cycling Union

The International Cycling Union (ICU) is the Association of national cycling federations, which was created in 1900 on April 14. It is currently headquartered in Switzerland. The ICU is dedicated to regulating standards in competitive cycling events around the world, as well as regularly holding competitions and events.

In the year 1965, the International Olympic Committee pressured the UCI to be divided into three, the International Federation of Amateur Cycling (FIAC), the International Federation of Professional Cycling (FICP) and the International Cycling Union. In the year 1992 and became the FIAC and the FICP in a way that is merged within the UCI.

Organization

The ICU consists of the president, currently the French David Lappartient, in office, the Secretary-General, Vice-President, the Congress (which is held each year), the executive body, the technical committees, and the Audit Committee.

The UCI has an affiliation of 167 National Federations distributed in 5 Continental Federations; these five are the African Cycling Confederation (CAC), located in Egypt to which it is joining 36 national federations. The Pan American Cycling Confederation (COPACI), located in Havana, Cuba, to which 40 national federations are affiliated. The Asian Cycling Confederation (ACYC), located in Seoul, South Korea, to which 39 national federations are affiliated. The European Cycling Union (UEC), located in Switzerland, to which 48 national federations are affiliated. The cyclist Federation of Oceania, to which four national federations are affiliated.

As the UCI has been progressing and evolving in time has changed its functions in the field of cycling since that is the highest level of the sport.

The main objective has always been to promote and encourage cycling as a sport and the group of cyclists who practice this sport.

Function

Its main functions are:

• Review and improve, if necessary, the current regulation on International Cycling.
• Review the international calendar cycling to carry out the proper functioning and the feasibility of the tests in the function of the requirements that are presented throughout the cycling season.
• Promote and promote the fight against doping in cycling.
• Maintain relations with the International Olympic Committee for the collaboration in the organization of everything related to the future events relating to cycling in each of the editions of the Olympic Games.
• Organize cycling events and championships to strengthen cycling and competition.
• Carry out a plan for the cycling training program.

Competition

Under the supervision of the Union of international cyclists we find a series of specialties:

• Cycling en route
• Mountain bike
• BMX
• Trial
• Artistic Cycling
• Paraciclismo
• Ciclocrós
• Cycling on track

The UCI and the Doping

As expected, the Union of international cyclists also takes part in the topic of doping in the world of cycling, although it was not until 1998, with the Festina case, that it turned to the topic.

In addition to these functions, the ICU carries out strict control over bicycles; with this, we refer to precise control over the materials used by equipment for correct compliance with the regulations. Several verifications must, therefore, be carried out about ICU technical regulation, counter-clock control of bicycles and accessories.

Famous Cyclists

Throughout history, there have been many high-level cyclists. Cyclists with an enviable palm and with almost incredible results. But have you ever wondered who the best bikers in history were?

It is true that it is difficult to compare different times and that the resources available to us today are not the same as those used to be. But it is still inevitable that lovers of this sport will wake up with a comparative worm that allows us to order by importance the best cyclists in history.

For this reason and even if its real use is null, we have made a ranking of seven steps in which we will place the best athletes that this sport has given to date. Note that as in all facets the opinion is subjective and we do not have to deny that it has had its weight in making the classification together with other aspects such as the quality of the track record, the number of victories or the variety of it.

1. Eddy Merckx

Probably Eddy Merckx’s is the only specific position on the list. The cannibal as the Belgian was known is the best cyclist of all time, one of the most laureate and undoubtedly one of those that are kept with better memory in the memory of fans of this sport. The Merckx pall bars is simply spectacular. 5 Tours of France, 5 tours of Italy and 1 tour of Spain as great turns in stages and a track record of classics and monuments that frightens

2. Bernard Hinault

The second cyclist on the podium also seems quite unquestionable. Bernard Hinault is another myth of cycling that has a pallbearer that shines with its own light. The Frenchman felt comfortable on all grounds and was superior to the rest regardless of the stage type. Qualities of climber, counter-clock, and sprinter in the same cyclist. A runner with an indisputable winning mentality and who always got what he wanted. He is the only cyclist who has finished all the editions of the Tour de France that he has in first or second position.

3. Jacques Anquetil

It is indisputable that Jacques Anquetil marked an era. The Frenchman was the first cyclist in history to win 5 Tours of France. A gesture that at the time, seemed unattainable. He also won 2 Giro de Italia and a return to Spain. Throughout his Anquetil career he even had time to beat the record of the hour, which at the time had been imbued with 14 years and to win 1 Liège Bastogne Liège, 5 Paris Nice, and 2 criteria de Dauphine. Anquetil became famous for his great duels with Raymond Poulidor, a cyclist who, had it not been for the presence of Anquetil, would also have garnered much more success in his sports career.

4. Fausto Coppi

Fausto Coppi was bound to appear on the list. The Italian wrote with his great rival and compatriot Gino Bartali one of the most glorious pages in the history of cycling. His duels are today still remembered among the Italian public and with the arrival of World War II, his sports rivalry also spread to ideological and political issues. In sports, Coppi achieved 5 Giro de Italia, and 2 Tour de France as major wins in large laps, the Legend of Coppi and Bartali is still more alive than ever in Italy, and the Organization of the Giro decides every year to name the highest port of each year as the “Cima Coppi”.

5. Miguel Induráin

The only Spaniard on the list is Miguel Induráin. Miguel marked a time in world cycling thanks to its excellent results in the great laps. Induráin won 5 tours of France consecutively in what is considered a real gesture of regularity. Navarro also had enough time to win two Giro de Italia. Bronze on the road was his best results in World Championships. A different racer that marked differences in the time trial and held the best in the mountain

6. Sean Kelly

Sublime. This is how the track record of the king of classics can be summed up. Sean Kelly is a real stage fighter and the most award-winning Irish cyclist in history. Kelly was also world champion, winner of 3 Giro di Lombardia. In large laps, although he tried on many occasions, he only boasts one triumph, that of 1988 Vuelta a España. A real Irish SUV.

7. Chris Froome

The rider from the Sky team is the only cyclist on the list today. Like it or not, the British has done enough merit to get into the bottom of the ranking. 4 Tours of France, 1 tour of Spain and since this year a Giro of Italy appear in his track records. It is true that “froomey” has always selected his calendar enormously, but there is also his great merit. The ability to mark a goal and be able to achieve it. A track record that can still be expanded if the British one reaches, for example, his desired and expected fifth Tour de France.