Although many people are familiar with cycling as a way of recreation and as a means of transport, especially in Europe, competitive racing requires a lot more tenacity. This is because when cycling is done as a sport, one can find it to be brutally hard.

As in any other competition, one must overcome all possible obstacles to emerge as the winner. What makes it unique is that racing is sometimes carried out against the winds, on hilly terrains, and on roads that are not so perfect.

The sport of cycling has been there for centuries and is most prominent in Central Europe, Asia, and the US. The origin of cycling sport can be traced back to Central Europe where the first competition took place in Paris between the entrance of St. Cloud Park and the Fountains (Paris) on May 31, 1868. The race covered a distance 1.2 kilometres. Since then, different countries have developed their own cycling sport including road racing, Cyclo-cross, track cycling, cycle speedway, mountain bike racing and bicycle motor cross racing (BMX).

In continental Europe, for instance, following the beginning of cycle racing, road racing became very common. However, in England, the cycling sport was more focused on time trials and track racing because of bad roads at the time. In the US, racing became more popular on tracks with the first race held in 1978 in the city of Boston. In Columbia, cycle racing became more symbolic, especially two years after the Sectarian conflict. Tournaments, for instance, the Vueta a Colombia have been used since the 1950s to signify goodwill and peace. Even today, residents still see cycling races as a means of expressing and remembering their unity as a nation. Each of the countries where cycling sport is widespread has its own governing body, although there is also a global body known as the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).