Right across the World, the governing body of cycling, the UCI administers an annual calendar of professional road cycling events. Many events early in the year as really seen as “warm ups” for the top races later in the year, such as the Classics, Monuments and the Grand Tours. There are then some other events steeped in history or with other sporting significance. Here is our guide to some of the main cycling events you need to know about. The Grand Tours These are made up of three events, the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana and are the back bone of many riders’ seasons, riding up to 4,000km over 21 or 22 days. Le Tour de France Le Tour de France is the oldest and most important cycle race in the World, not to mention the largest annual sporting event which takes place. First created in 1903 by a French newspaper to help stimulate sales, the TDF has grown over the years to be more than just a cycle tour of France, with it venturing to countries all over Europe
