It's no secret that for a person a bicycle is a popular and necessary means of transportation from early childhood. First, the baby will test his strength on a three-wheeled “horse”, then transplanted to a two-wheeled “aggregate”, more speed. For boys, he becomes a valuable and beloved thing, almost a true friend.
Today, many families prefer to spend leisure time, taking walks out of town or to the country on a two-wheeled vehicle.
If we are considering cycling, then, of course, it requires full dedication and maximum effort. It involves a high level of concentration to achieve your goals. Naturally, people who practice cycling professionally are different from those who sometimes like to ride with the breeze on a two-wheeled vehicle.
Cycling is a marathon that is part of the Olympic competition program. What is the meaning of this fascinating sport? Everything is very simple. You need to overcome the distance on a bicycle in a short period of time.
Historical excursion
Cycling began to take shape from the moment a two-wheeled vehicle was invented.
For the first time a man got behind the wheel of his car in order to compete in speed in the first third of the 19th century. After a while, a connecting rod was installed on the front wheel of the bicycle , and its design was modernized. In the second half of the 19th century, the apparatus was equipped with a chain drive, and a few years later pneumatic tires appeared instead of rubber tires.
In 1869, the first sports competition was organized, the route of which ran between Paris and Rouen. The distance between cities was 120 kilometers. The first place in this competition was awarded to the British Moore: he managed to reach speeds of up to 11 km per hour.
Cycling appeared in Russia in July 1883. Then a competition took place at one of the capital's hippodromes. By the beginning of the 20th century, over two dozen clubs had been established in our country, of which thousands of cyclists were members. They not only participated in competitions, but also helped in their organization.
In 1918, competitions were held, the winner of which was awarded the right to bear the title of champion of the RSFSR. Athletes M. Boyscher and F. Kryuchkov rightfully deserved it. After that, the Soviet Union systematically began to organize cycling competitions. However, only in the mid-50s, our athletes were able to participate in the world championship, which was the seventh in a row.
It should be noted that the international cycling union was created back in 1900. This structure included the Amateur Cycling Federation of the International Level (FIAK), as well as the Federation of Professional Sports of the International Level (FICP). In 1993, the separate existence of these associations was considered impractical, so it was decided to combine them into the International Union of Cyclists, which included 160 federations.
Cycling variations
It should be noted that cycling is classified into a number of varieties, depending on which route the competition takes place.
Racers can sprint not only on a flat and smooth surface, cycle tracks, but also on rugged and mountainous terrain. Of course, today cycling in Russia is experiencing a “second wind”, as the country has recorded an increased interest not only in racing on the highway and sprint, but also in the bicycle polo, as well as the bicycle ball.
So, we dwell in more detail on some varieties of cycling.
Road race
Which track most often hosts competitions and riders who prefer cycling? Highway, naturally. This type of competition involves a general start. The athlete who is the first to cross the finish line and will be recognized as a champion. The distance for men is 239 km, and for women - 120 km. Along the entire route there are points where athletes can rest a bit: drink water or eat a sandwich. The riders are accompanied by a technical support team that will always help replace a damaged wheel or provide a new vehicle if necessary.
And, of course, many sports lovers know that in Italy, in the summer, the Giro road racing starts regularly. 2014 was no exception for this grand sporting event.
It is a kind of analogue of the Tour de France, organized by its editor, the popular Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
Sprint
This competition takes place in three circles, and the indicators recorded at the last 200 meters are taken into account. Athletes also compete in a gita (a series of three best), when two riders follow one after another. The winner is the first to reach the finish line.
Points race
The athlete's goal is to get maximum points at a distance of 40 km for men and 25 km for women. An unlimited number of cyclists is allowed to start. After overcoming the first round, the efforts of athletes focus on the intermediate tracks, as a result of which points are earned. At the same time, they are credited only to four cyclists who were the first to come to the finish line for 10 laps. The principle of scoring is as follows: 1 point for the fourth place, 2 points for the third place, 3 points for the second place, 5 points for the first.
After the athletes overcome the distance, the winner is determined: he becomes the one who overtook the last rider in the main group in a circle. Moreover, such athletes may be two, three, or even four. In this case, the champion is identified based on the one who scored the most points.
Mountain bike
Cycling in Russia, as well as in other countries, took shape gradually: first there were races on the highway, then races on the track began to be practiced, and only in the 50s of the last century a person tried to ride a bike in the mountains. Mountain biking, which is also called a mountain bike, is today considered by experts as one of the most popular for leisure activities, and riding on it is the youngest sport.
It should be noted that the two-wheeled vehicle, specially designed for riding in the mountains, was annually modernized, which cannot be said about the standard road bike, which has not undergone significant changes for half a century.
In 1990, mountain bike was officially recognized by the International Cycling Union.