UK people are very passionate sports lovers. One of the sports they are really concerned about is, of course, cycling. There’s that phenomenon where some sports are popular worldwide, whereas others are only famous in particular regions.
Cycling belongs to the latter category. This means that it’s not so popular in numerous countries across the world. However, there are some areas where people are very enthusiastic about cycling. One of those places is the UK.
Cycling as a Pastime Activity
A large number of people are not really physically active in their jobs. This is one of the reasons why they take up sports as hobbies. And guess what? Lots of them start cycling.
In general, more than 10% of people in the UK said that cycling is their main recreational activity. Not only that, but the number of amateur cyclists is rising more and more, according to the stats. I found that there are thousands of new cyclists in the UK every year.
It comes as no surprise that so many people choose cycling as their hobby. The fact that using a bike is eco-friendly and that it helps people stay in shape at the same time is more than enough to consider embarking on an amateur cycling adventure.
Professional Cycling
Since cycling is well-liked in the UK, a number of cycling lovers go on to become professionals or, at least, semi-professionals. There are lots of cycling experts from this region that are willing to help future cycling professionals.
Considering all types of races, you can find more than 30 cycling teams in the UK area. Aside from that, you can see plenty of UK cycling events, that include road races, challenge rides, circuit races, and so on.
As a result, a decent number of UK cyclists have reached the level of superstars in this sport. Some of them are Mark Cavendish, Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, and many more.
Comparison to other Sports
Although not the most famous sport in this area, the popularity of cycling is more than noticeable. Many sports experts believe that cycling has yet to reach its prime time.
With so many sports that have been present in the UK for a lot longer than cycling, the rise of this bike sport may not be so easy to recognise. Yet, actions speak louder than words. This further means that UK cycling professionals can be proud of their multiple achievements.
For instance, Jason Queally won a gold medal in the Sydney Olympics held in 2000. In the next Olympics, Athens 2004, the aforementioned Bradley Wiggins was the most successful participant.
He won three medals, one gold, one silver and one bronze. The past few years were no exception to medals and victories as some of the veterans as well as young cyclists, brought home some silverware from the most elite championships.
