When it comes to the vast range of world-class sporting events out there, most people don’t think twice about tuning into the FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl or big tennis tournaments like Wimbledon or Roland Garros. In fact, most people are probably unaware that they’re only just scratching the surface in terms of the high-quality sports action available to watch on their television.
One sport that often goes overlooked is cycling. Despite having an incredibly avid and loyal fanbase, cycling remains a stone unturned for most people – and that includes regular sports viewers. Yet while we’re in the midst of the Cycling Road World Championships held in Yorkshire, now is as good a time as any to give the sport another go and see what sort of drama unfolds. Here are three solid reasons why you should curl up in your favourite armchair and do just that.
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The scenery
The beauty of watching world-class sport on TV is that it affords us an opportunity to zone out from the everyday mundane aspects of life and escape to events and scenarios that are taking place in another part of the world. Nowhere is this truer than cycling, a sport that is almost always set against the backdrop of incredible natural beauty.
Whether it’s the Pyrenees, the Alps or even tiny villages around the Yorkshire dales, every cycling event transports you to a different place across the globe. There’s almost a therapeutic air surrounding many courses, which often makes it feel quite relaxing to watch. Compare that to rugby or football where every major match takes place in an almost identical stadium environment and it’s clear that cycling holds a few more surprises in terms of the look and feel of every course.
The head to head battles
One big reason that people don’t tend to get into cycling immediately is that they don’t stick around long enough to see some of the fascinating twists and turns that can happen at any point on the course. Quick manoeuvres, unexpected crashes and head to head battles seemingly come out of nowhere a lot of the time, so it always pays to be patient when sitting down to watch an event.
You really can’t beat a surprise exchange between an event favourite and an unexpected underdog. As for this year’s World Championships, Mathieu Van Der Poel leads the market at 9/4 in bet365’s cycling betting odds, with Alexander Kristoff considered good value at 40/1.
The sheer ability
When you’re watching a cycling event from the comfort of your own sofa, it’s easy to forget just how gruelling the sports actually is for those involved. If you take a moment to think about the superhuman strength, speed and endurance shown by the world elite then it becomes easier to appreciate just how incredible these athletes are.
The fact is that cycling is an incredibly rich sport, one that boasts just as much history as it does scientific evolution. And, as most cycling fans will tell you, once the bug suddenly bites you, you’re a fan for life. So, why not give a go this year?
