Cycling in general is one of the toughest sports in the world. It requires endurance, stamina and physical prowess for any cyclist to complete one of the cycling competitions. Most of all, cycling is a very fun and exciting sport because you get to visit new places and see new things.
No one said that you cannot enjoy the scenery even though you’re competing against others. As long as you focus on the road ahead of you, you’ll be fine. What’s interesting is that many people watch cycling all over the world.
Some even consider placing a friendly wager on the outcome of the race. Many online sportsbooks and casinos offer specialized promotions for these kinds of wagers. If you want to know more, you can read the whole article on Zamsino. With that in mind, let’s have a look at some of the toughest cycling competitions on the 2022 calendar.
Mallorca 312
Definitely one of the toughest competitions, Mallorca 312 is a competition for amateur cyclists. The competition consists of three routes that have a distance of 312km, 225km and 167km. The goal is to complete the race in 14 hours or less. The race begins on April 30th and is organized in Playa De Muro, Mallorca.
What you may not know about is a 5km steep climb throughout the race, which makes this even one of the toughest competitions in cycling. It’s usually very hot in Mallorca during that time of the year so cyclists have to endure the heat aside from the road difficulties and other challenges.
Amstel Gold
Starting on April 9th, the Amstel Gold race is one of the most challenging races in Europe. It starts in Maastricht, Netherlands and ends at Berg en Terblijt, Valkenburg also in Nederlands. The very first Amstel Gold race was 302km long but after it was moved to Maastricht, the route is now 240km long.
There are shorter routes for cyclists to explore as well. What makes this race so challenging is multiple hills that you have to climb over. The last one is the infamous Cauberg with an average 6% climb and over 1,200 meters long hill. That doesn’t seem so bad but after approximately 33 hills prior to Cauberg, you need real stamina to pull that climb off.
Vätternrundan
This is actually a non-competitive cycling event that begins on June 17th and ends on June 18th in Motala, Sweden. Even though it’s not really a competition, this 315km track will put your endurance to the test.
There are cyclists from over 50 countries participating in this event. This race may be recreational and good for your health but it’s also an opportunity to work on your endurance and stamina so that you’ll adequately prepare for other competitions. If you bought new gear and want to test it out, this is a perfect opportunity to do so.
Tour of Flanders
This competition is also one of the most challenging in Europe. It takes place in April and is organized in Flanders, Belgium. There are four routes to choose from with the longest being 217km. All routes begin in Antwerp and finish in Oudenaarde. However, there are a lot of cobbles and bergs (Hills) that make this competition quite a challenge.
The most challenging hill is the ascent of the Koppenberg where there’s a 20% gradient. Aside from good equipment, you’ll need a lot of endurance and stamina to overcome this steep challenge. Nevertheless, you’ll have plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy when you’re not focusing on the hills.
Granfondo Stelvio Santini
Another challenging competition reserved for the toughest is held in Bormio, Italy. It starts on June 12th and the route is 151km long. That distance doesn’t seem nearly as bad compared to the others.
However, you start the race by climbing the punishing Passo dello Stelvio which is a 21km long ascent with a 7% average gradient. If that’s not enough Passo dello Stelvio is followed by Passo del Mortirolo which has an 11km long ascent with a 11% average gradient.
Even Lance Armstrong at his peak said that this is one of the toughest climbs he had to overcome in his career. So don’t let the distance fool you. Usually, shorter competitions involve greater challenges than the long ones. And let’s be honest here, no one likes to ride a bike uphill for hours.
Closing Words
Most of the toughest cycling competitions are held in Europe. Every competition has its unique set of challenges and obstacles that will put even the best of the best to the test. However, if you’re confident in your abilities, you should definitely give one of these competitions a try.
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