Cycle sport
Cycle sport is competitive sport using bicycles, including road racing, track cycling, mountain biking, cyclocross, and BMX racing.
Road bicycle racing: Bicycle racing on paved roads, contested in one-day races, stage races, and time trials. Its mass-start and stage formats form the most familiar branch of cycle sport.
Time trial: A race against the clock in which competitors start separately and aim for the fastest time. It isolates individual speed from the drafting tactics of mass-start races.
Bicycle: A human-powered vehicle with two wheels arranged in line and driven by pedals. The bicycle’s development made competitive riding possible.
Olympic cycling: The cycling events contested at the Summer Olympic Games, including road, track, mountain bike, and BMX. The Olympic program brings several distinct cycling disciplines into one competition.
Bicycle motocross: A bicycle discipline originating in the imitation of motocross, with racing and freestyle forms. BMX is a broad discipline; BMX racing is its competitive race format.
Track cycling: Bicycle racing on a banked oval track, with sprint, endurance, and team events. Its enclosed velodromes and specialized events contrast with racing on open roads.
Drafting: Riding close behind another moving vehicle or cyclist to reduce aerodynamic drag. Sheltering in another rider’s slipstream can save energy and shape race tactics.
Paris–Rouen race: An 1869 road race from Paris to Rouen, commonly described as the first major long-distance bicycle race. It marked the emergence of organized long-distance road competition.
UCI Road World Championships: Annual international road cycling championships organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The championships award world titles in road racing and time trial.
BMX freestyle: A bicycle discipline in which riders perform judged tricks on ramps, street features, or flat ground. Its judged tricks differ from the timed, head-to-head racing of BMX racing.