The 5 most important competitions in the world of cycling

Cycling attracts both athletes and fans each year. The professional side of the sport has a series of races. Each race is unique in its own way and presents different challenges to athletes. The five most important competitions include the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta a España, the World Championships and the Paris-Roubaix. The 2024 was an incredible one. So let's take a look at these competitions and the results of the 2024 season. 

2024 Winner: Tadej Pogačar Team UAE (Male Race) 

2024 Winner: Kasia Niewiadoma Team SRAM zondacrypto (Female Race) 

This is one of the most iconic cycling races in the world. The event started back in 1903. It's now held annually in July. The race has 21 stages and covers approximately 3,500 kilometers through France. The race covers several different terrains which presents other challenges for athletes. The race tests a cyclist's abilities across flat stages, mountain climbs and time trials. Most years this also includes unpredictable weather conditions too. The 2024 race didn't disappoint. Tadej Pogačar's return to the yellow jersey was very highly anticipated. He was able to finish 6 min and 17 seconds ahead of his nearest rival Jonas Vingegaard. These two were the favorites to win. 

2024 Winner: Tadej Pogačar Team UAE (Male Race) 

2024 Winner: Elisa Longo Borghini Team Lidl–Trek (Female Race) 

This race takes place every year in May. It's considered one of the most challenging races in the world. This is a three-week event and takes cyclists on a route across Italy's landscape. Similar to Tour de France the race features many different terrains from Po Valley (flat plains) to the Dolomites and the Alps (mountain peaks). The 2024 race was incredible. It brought light to some incredible athletes including Remco Evenepoel. This athlete showcased some incredible skills, particularly in the time trials and mountains. However, Tadej Pogacar managed to take the victory with the biggest winning margin in almost six decades. It also was a really exciting year for Italy. Elisa Longo Borghini was the first Italian winner since 2008. 

2024 Winner: Primoz Roglic Team Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe (Male Race) 

2024 Winner: Demi Vollering Team SD Worx (Female Race) 

This Grand Tour is usually held in the late summer. The race always ends in Spain but most years will also enter into neighboring countries like Portugal and Italy. Either in late August or early September. The 2024 race started on August 18th and finished on September 9th. This race is known for its mountainous stages and unpredictable nature. Because of this the race regularly results in a close battle. This is why it's become a favorite for a lot of fans. The 2024 Vuelta resulted in an intense battle for the overall title. Three-time winner of the Vuelta Primož Roglič managed to take the win. But it was a close call with reigning champion Remco Evenepoel.

2024 Winners: Men's time trial: Remco Evenepoel.  Men's road race: Tadej Pogačar won gold

2024 Winner: Women's time trial: Grace Brown. Women's road race: Lotte Kopecky

This is one of the most prestigious one-day races. The World Championships this year were held in Zurich (Switzerland). This event brings together some of the world's best cyclists. They are all competing for one thing. The rainbow jersey is awarded to the winner of both the road race and time trial events. This race is unique. Unlike the Grand Tours, this race takes place over just one day. This means cyclists have only one opportunity to win. The race also takes place in a different region each year. Which means each event poses new challenges. Which means the stakes in this race are much higher. This has made it a popular event in sports betting. Many sportsbooks and betting sites will have special promotions for fans to wager on this event. This includes the best DraftKings promo codes that allow fans to wager on various aspects of the race. 

Advertorial: 2024 Winner: Mathieu van der Poel (Male Race) 

2024 Winner: Lotte Kopecky (Female Race) 

This is an infamous race in the cycling world that usually takes place in the Spring months in France. It's also referred to as 'the hell of north race'. This is another race that takes place over just one day. Paris-Roubaix is famous for its cobbled roads. These are known to be brutal to ride on. It can present so many challenges that it can significantly affect the outcome of the race. The race started in Compiègne and finished in Roubaix. The men's race was 257 km long and the women's race was 145.5 km long. This race is all about testing a cyclist's ability to endure extreme conditions and tough terrains. It's all about how they react to the tough terrain.