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Cycle Sports

Cycle Sports > What is Cycle Sports?

Cycle Sports
There are various ways to enjoy Cycle Sports
There are various ways to enjoy and compete in cycle sports, which use bicycles as a means of competition. Broadly speaking, there are road races, mountain biking, cyclocross, track racing, and BMX, and within each category, there are different types of races such as endurance races, sprint races, and hill climbs for road races, and cross-country and downhill for mountain biking. This is a major characteristic of cycle sports, where even within each category, there are further subdivisions. In Japan, it is not as well-known as a major sport, but overseas, especially in Europe, it has become a popular sport on par with soccer. Image
One of the most well-known cycle sports in Japan is the "Tour de France" held in France. It is a traditional competition where 21 teams of 8 members each compete on various courses with a total distance of about 3000km and an elevation difference of over 2000m. Similar to Formula 1 in motorsports, this race is considered one of the top three tours in the world, along with Italy's "Giro d'Italia" and Spain's "Vuelta a España".

In addition, among the cycle sports held as competitions in Japan, "Tour of Japan" is the most famous. Held every May as a UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) sanctioned race, it has become established as a professional race representing the Asian region. Furthermore, as an amateur festival, the "Shimano Road Race" held at Suzuka Circuit is recognized as the largest hobby race in Japan.

However, the appeal of cycle sports is not just limited to this. In contrast to competitive cycle sports, there are also many events that are aimed at participating and enjoying rather than winning. The "Cycle Enduro" held at Suzuka and Motegi is a hobby race where not only sports-type racing bikes, but also bicycles that are not suitable for racing such as mamachari and small-wheeled bikes can participate. The charm of cycle sports lies in the fact that various events are prepared to suit each person's way of enjoying.