European Professional Cycling

Cycling is an incredible sport. I have been following European Professional Cycling since 1985 and I love it now more than ever. Bicycle racing has been thriving in Europe for over 100 years.

There are some very good riders in the U.S., but you will find the elite riders all racing in Europe. Traditionally, the main cycling powers have been France and Belgium, and later Italy, and more recently Spain.

U.S. riders have had success in Europe, with Greg Lemond winning the world's premiere stage race, the Tour de France, in 1986 and 1990-91, and Lance Armstrong winning it from 1999-2003. Moreover, the US Postal cycling team is considered the world's best team right now (although seven of the nine US Postal riders in the 2003 Tour de France were not from the U.S.).

In spite of all this success, the U.S. is not considered a major cycling power. There are many important races that U.S. riders do not do well in, including the Tours of Italy and Spain, the "Classics" (a series of one-day races), and other important multi-stage races.

Among all the Classics, there is one race that stands out: "The Hell of the North" -- Paris-Roubaix. Greg Lemond won the cycling world championship road race on two occasions (1983 and 1989), yet he has said that he would trade both of those victories for one victory in Paris-Roubaix. The closest he ever got was 4th place in 1985. Note to file: Greg Lemond is my HERO. I rode and raced a lot from 1985-1987, when he was THE MAN. I trained with riders who trained with him, and I have met him twice. He is a really terrific guy and he was a ferocious racer. Here is a complete list of Greg Lemond's major placings and awards, taken from The Pro Cycling Hall of Fame web site.

Lance Armstrong is an amazing rider also, a true winner on the bike. He has won classics, he has won the world championship road race, he has won the Tour de France, he has won sprints, he has won time trials, and he has won mountain stages. His will to win, combined with his athletic ability, put him in the Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, and Tiger Woods category. Here is a complete list of Lance Armstrong's major placings and awards, listed on his official web site. Also, I am sure that most of you know about his battle with cancer, and subsequent comeback in cycling. If you haven't read it, definitely check out his book It's Not About the Bike. It will blow your mind and inspire you, I guarantee it.

Bike racing is a team sport. For example, in the Tour de France each team has nine riders. Among them, you will typically find the team leader (the guy they think can win), a couple of elite climbers, and a couple of big strong guys for the flats. You wiil also find a handful of "domestiques," guys who are strong all around and will even carry water and food, etc., for the rest of the team. I call them the "whatever it takes" guys. They are the real heroes of each team, and are critical to the leader's success. All of the riders work to protect their team leader and respond to attacks from other riders. They keep their leader fresh and prepared for the key moments of the race.

The Peloton is the name for the main group of riders in the race; the Tour de France has between 180 and 198 riders in the race usually. On any given stage, you might have a "breakaway" of 5-10 riders that are being chased by the Peloton. The interplay between the breakaways, the Peloton, the individual riders, the terrain, and the elements (wind, rain, heat, etc.) are what create the overall strategic landscape for the race. At the end of the Tour de France, the rider with the lowest overall time wins. For more on the tactics employed in the Tour de France, visit the BBC Sport Academy web site.

Here is the best english online news site for professional cycling: