lazysmash.com

Almost every soccer fanatic aspires to become a professional soccer player. The other fans just want to be spectators of the game. With the increasing popularity of soccer, lots and lots of sports enthusiasts are getting hooked to this contact sport. Soccer, for others, means more than just a sport. It is a language which all ethnicities, race and skin color understand, watch and know of. This soccer fever paved the way to the introduction of soccer as a sport for young athletes. All of the modern day soccer superstars are honed through hard work. Becoming a soccer player by profession requires a great deal of dedication and discipline. People from various walks of life consider soccer as an expression of oneself and a sport that makes them aspire for something better.

Practice makes perfect. Although such a statement may be a long-sold cliché, constant practice really makes a difference. Regular schedule of soccer practice is truly beneficial. Routines and skills on how to handle the ball can be mastered through practice. An unstructured environment is helpful in perfecting the instincts of the player in handling situations in the outfield.

A professional soccer player has the right attitude towards soccer. The appropriate mindset towards practice, sportsmanship and discipline can motivate the player. Sacrifices should be done in order to sharpen the skill of playing the game. The aspiring player should concentrate well on the training process as well as in every game he/she plays. A naturally persevering personality and state of mind is a great advantage in the sense that it can make the player bring out the best in him/her in every match and in every practice session.

Purists in the cycling world will tell you that road cycling is the classic and arguably most beautiful manifestation of cycle sport. Professional cycling is perhaps most famously associated with the Tour de France, a three week bicycle race around France, covering roughly 3,500 km over 21 days. The race was born in 1903 and has been run every year since, excepting for a four year gap caused by the instabilities of the First World War and a seven year sabbatical prompted by the Second World War.

Recently Lance Armstrong has elevated the level of exposure enjoyed by cycle sport, especially in the English speaking world, through his heroic fight against testicular cancer and his record seven consecutive victories in the Tour de France. To put this into perspective, one should remember that only five men before Armstrong have managed to win as many as five Tours, never mind seven. And the Spaniard Miguel Indurain was the only one of these riders to manage five in a row.

Cycling Teams

To be cycling in the Tour de France is to be competing at the pinnacle of professional cycling, and it is only the most talented and dedicated athletes which make the cut into professional cycling teams. Each of these professional cycling teams is managed by a cycling manager who coordinates the riders’ race calendar and publicity appearances. The director sportif is another major player within the team setup and it is this individual’s job to direct the tactical assault launched upon a race by his team leader and supporting riders. Tactics play a massive role in determining the victor when it comes to road cycling, therefore the more cohesive an approach taken by the team, the better the race results will be for the team and the sponsors.

Typically a pro cycling team will consist of a team leader, a team captain and several domestiques, otherwise known as team workers. Depending on the race, there may be one or two team leaders, a strong sprinter for flat races, or a strong climber for the tougher terrain. In essence the team leader is the rider within the team who is most likely to win the race. The team captain will generally be the most wily or tactically experienced rider; it is his job to coordinate the team so as to set up the best possible tactical position from which the team leader can succeed in his duty of winning. The domestiques play a vital role in supporting the team leader. They do this by sheltering the leader from prevailing winds and getting food and drinks from the team’s backup vehicle.

Battlefields of Cycle Sport

Pro cycling teams compete on the Pro Tour, which includes the three week long tours of France, Italy (Giro de Italia) and Spain (Vuelta a España), as well as famous single day races, otherwise known as the “classics”. Some of these single day races, ranging from 250 km to over 300km, reward top finishers with points for the World Cup. This competition awards a special jersey to the most consistent cyclist at the end of the season.

The world championships, normally held late in the season, serves as an international competition between national teams from around the world. The winner of this prestigious single day race is awarded with what has come to be known as “the rainbow jersey.” This white cycling jersey with a rainbow band around the chest and sleeves is worn by the victor at every road race he rides for the next year. As such his team and sponsors receive much valued publicity as soon as the rider takes his position on the start line.

A mountain bike can take you off-road, whereas a road bike can have you riding around just like participants in these major road races:

Tour De France

Lasting three weeks and covering 3,600 kms of the French countryside, this “Grand Tour” would have to be the best known cycling event in the world. The race interestingly had its origins in an attempt by a French newspaper to boost circulation by inaugurating this race in 1903. The race has individual competitors vying for the yellow jersey, the reward for the lowest aggregate time as calculated at the end of each day’s racing. American Lance Armstrong has won the race an amazing seven times.

Giro D’Italia

This race, which first took place in 1909 was inspired by the Tour De France, and joins the latter as one of the three “Grand Tours”. A pink jersey signifies the current overall leader of the Giro, while other jerseys are bestowed upon the best mountain rider, and the best young rider (under twenty five). Starts and finishes have often centred on Milan, but this has changed from time to time. The race predominantly takes place in Italy, but often spreads into neighbouring countries. Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi, and Eddy Merckx have each won the Giro D’Italia five times.

Vuelta a Espana

The last of the three “Grand Tours”, the Vuelta a Espana began in 1935. Like the other two Grand Tours, increased newspaper circulation was a prime motivation in getting the event off the ground. The event sputtered in its early years, initially due to the Spanish Civil War and World War Two. It has been a constant event in the annual cycling calendar since 1955. In the earlier years, limited numbers of overseas riders participated in the event, but this has changed over the years. Still, Spanish riders have dominated the event, winning 29 years of the now annual event. French riders are a distant second, having won the event nine times.

UCI Pro Tour

This tour is technically a series of events, predominantly held across Europe, but with one event as far away as Australia (Tour Down Under). It includes all the Grand Tours and large stage races like the Tour de Suisse and Paris-Nice. Major one day races like the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Belgium), and HEW Cyclassics (Germany) are also incorporated. The Union Cycliste Internationale oversees the tour.

World Championships

UCI also administers World Championships, which cover various disciplines of cycling, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and Indoor Cycling Championships. World Cycling Champions in each category are awarded a Rainbow Jersey to wear for the following twelve months.

Olympic Cycling

The Olympic Games is arguably the biggest sporting event in the world. Cycling plays a major part in the Olympics. In addition to a road race, there are many velodrome located events. In addition to individual and team pursuits and sprints, the Olympics feature interesting events like Keirin (originating in Japan) and Madison (originating in New York, USA).

If you are more into stunts than cycling, bmx bikes might be your thing.

I remember when I was young, I had a fascination for bicycles and felt a surge of satisfaction and excitement when I used to go for cycling with my friend. We were not good at antics but used to get highly thrilled whenever either one of us tried a fancy swerve or a jump and then coming to a screeching halt. It is a sport, which keeps you fit and sturdy and full of energy. There was a time when we tried our stint at moonlit cycling in the hills and the experience was simply exhilarating. It’s something which all of you should try some time or the other.

Cycling is a sport, which may not be as popular as basketball, cricket, or tennis, but it has a charm of its own. When you watch the riders’ head bent in concentration and their feet tirelessly pedaling, you do feel a rush of adrenaline in your blood. The excitement is intense as you watch your favorite sportsman trying to swerve and beat his or her opponent. It is not only a challenging but a tough sport as well. Tough, because it requires immense stamina and concentration and nerve to go on cycling and pedaling at a consistent speed at a stretch.

If you follow cycling events closely, then make sure that you follow up the latest cycling events coming up such as world track cycling in Mallorca, world mountain bike championships, and world road cycling. You can get the information about the events’ schedule time and channels for the events on the BBC website.