The Most Important Cycling Competitions in 2025 - What You Need to Know

Cycling may not be as popular as soccer or basketball, but counts on an engaged and growing fan base. Popular events like the Tour de France attract about 150 million viewers, but only in Europe. While the Tour de France is among the most traditional cycling competitions worldwide, many other events deserve attention. Better still, there are competitions on two wheels all over the year. Learn more.

The 2025 calendar brings plenty of top-notch competitors for punters to bet on. Betting on cycling isn’t rocket science, but without some basic knowledge, chances aren’t much better than flipping a coin. That’s why checking a Smart Betting Guide before placing a bet is advisable. Punters can always go for the winner, but some markets are specific to cycling, like in any sport. It’s also possible to bet on the Podium Finish, that is, which athletes will end the race in the Top 3.

Alternatively, sports betting sites offer Head-to-Head bets, where punters need to guess which of two athletes will finish the race ahead of the other. Other options include Stage Winner (who’ll finish a given stage of the race first), King of the Mountains (who’ll be the best on mountain stages), and Points Classification (who’ll score more points in a given sprinter section).

The longest tours include several stages and, sometimes, qualifying rounds. Knowing who’s running might also help punters decide their bets. Top runners for this year include Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenpoel, Mathieu Van der Poel, and Juan Ayuso Pesquera. There are team and individual events which can affect betting markets. Anyway, it’s advisable to look at the best betting advice sites to check odds and predictions.

It’s hard to beat European competitions when it comes to cycling. The most famous ones have a long and proud tradition, beginning in the early 20th century. They go around entire countries, treating viewers to splendid scenarios and quite a lot of adrenaline. Here are the most important tours to watch out for this year.

The Tour de France is usually the first competition that comes to mind regarding cycling. After all, it’s one of the most traditional events of the year, having started in 1903. Everything about the Tour de France is huge, starting with its length: 3,942 km and 23 stages in 23 days. It’s no exaggeration to say it goes around the country. The number of competitors is also massive, with 198 athletes divided into 22 national teams, with nine cyclists each.  

Each stage is like a small race within a big one, and cyclists must fight for the top of each of them. It’s necessary to pay attention to jersey colors to follow the race better, as different colors mean different achievements, and riders can change jerseys throughout the event. The white jersey goes to the best cyclist under 25 years, while the green one points to the top scorer. The red and white polka dot jersey goes for the best performers in the Alpine section.

The Giro d’Italia is nearly as old as the Tour de France, dating back to 1909, and it’s inspired by its French counterpart. This year, the event starts on May 9 and goes until June 1, covering 3,413 km, beginning in Durres, Albania, and going all the way up to Rome. Over this course, riders must endure 52,500m of elevated terrain.

Indeed, the track isn’t gentle to riders, who must face 1,800m of climbing on Stage 1 at Albania’s capital, Tirana. The landscape is equally breathtaking, including the Tuscan countryside and dramatic views of the Apennines. Yet, Stages 19 and 20 are the most challenging ones, including over 5,000m of elevated terrain, separating the winners from the rest.

Jersey colors are different here: the top classified cyclists keep the pink one, the purple jersey goes for the best scorers, and the blue one for the athletes in the mountains. Similarly to the Tour of France, the best young rider gets the white jersey.   

The Vuelta a España, also known as “La Vuelta,” is slightly shorter than the previously mentioned tours, with 3,138km. Yet, it’s by no means less prestigious, let alone less challenging. The first edition dates from 1935; the route begins in Torino, Italy, and ends in Madrid, across the mountain region in northern Spain. This year, the event goes from August 23 to September 14.

La Vuelta is divided into 21 stages, and a good part goes uphill. In fact, only four stages are flat, while 14 stages include medium and high mountains, plus three hill stages. The event also includes two days of resting, for obvious reasons. The polka dot jersey goes to the King of the Mountain, while the green one is for the top scorer. There are two white jerseys: one for the top young rider and the other for the most competitive rider.

The Tour de Flanders looks small compared to other European tours, spanning across “only” 268.9km. For this reason, the race begins and ends on the same day; the 2025 edition will take place on April 6. However, this competition isn’t less traditional or challenging than the others. The first edition occurred in 1919 around the Dutch Flanders region, which is comprised of Belgian and Hollander cities.

The starting point isn’t always the same, though. Last year, the race started in Antwerp, but this year, it’ll begin in Bruges. Since it’s a “short” track, there isn’t much space for resting, and it’s a resistance test for riders. Throughout the race, riders must endure 16 climbs and seven cobblestone sectors. Unsurprisingly, it’s the most famous one-day race on the calendar, and winning there is a huge achievement for any rider.

The European tours may be the most famous events in the sport, but there are many other important events going on worldwide, including some famous routes across the United States. Learn more about them below.  

Yes, the United States also has its tour, though its size defies an “around-the-country” event. The 11-day event takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; this year, the tour will happen between June 19 and 29. However, there’s also an amateur series of “only” five days, crossing Wisconsin’s southern region.

Those who love road cycling events with a view can’t miss America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, which truly deserves its name. The track surrounds the gorgeous Lake Tahoe, between California and Nevada, spanning 115.8km of snow-capped mountains and lavish woods. It’s a charitable event, and the proceeds help fund the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, supporting research, treatments, the patients and their families.

One of the oldest and most traditional bike races in the United States, the Hotter’N Hell Hundred derives its name from the scorching sun under which cyclists must finish a 100-mile (about 160km) track in Wichita Falls, Texas. It’s a weekend event scheduled between August 21 and 24 this year. While the longest version is for professionals only, the competition welcomes amateurs with smaller tracks going from 10km to 120km; there are also mountain bike and off-road trails.

Here’s another American race where the name says it all. The event is hosted by Blue Mounds in Wisconsin, with 100km to 200km of daring slopes uphill in the countryside. The track is as beautiful as it is challenging, and the proceeds go to the Friends of Blue Mounds State Park, where the race takes place, and it’s directed to local conservation. The Horribly Hilly Hundreds (HHH) route includes 10,000ft of elevation gain, sided by Wisconsin’s Driftless Area.   

“Chase the Sun” is an appropriate name for a road cycling tour between the UK and Ireland. While the sun isn’t guaranteed, the fun is. The itinerary comprises nearly 336km of coast-to-coast routes across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Although it is lengthy, riders can finish in one day; this year, the race will take place on June 21. Locations include the Thames estuary at Minister-On-Sea, Whitley Bay (northern Newcastle), the Isle of Arran, and Belfast. The competition is open to teams or individuals, and there’s even a 16-week training course for those who want to prepare for the challenge.  

One of the best parts of road cycling competitors for spectators is the stunning views, and the Etape Loch Ness is generous in that respect. The 106km race goes around the iconic lake in Inverness, Scotland, on April 27. It’s Scotland’s longest road cycling event, where riders enjoy traffic-free roads in the Highlands. It may not be as hilly as other tracks, but riders still have to endure a pretty mean 900m ascent and a mountain stage of 7.72km.    

Speaking of hilly roads, there’s also the Fred Whitton Challenge in Cumbria, northern England. It’s a pretty long track (about 180km), but it stays inside the Lake District National Park, offering gorgeous views of the countryside and its lakes, of course. It’s a one-day event on May 11, at the height of spring. The Hardknott passage includes 30º inclinations testing the riders’ endurance. Albeit challenging, the event is open to amateurs, counting on a very engaged local community.

Scotland’s second-largest race happens on the same day (May 11th), taking riders around the village of Pitlochry, nested in the Highlands. The itinerary goes up and down around lakes like Loch Tummel and Loch Rannoch and a steep climb to Mount Schiehallion. Not even the spring can save Scotland from its miserable weather, and the race typically happens in the rain, which can pose an extra challenge to riders. There are three different lengths: 64.3km, 88.5km, and 136.7km. Stunning views are guaranteed for all of them.  

The Stone Circle goes around the mythic Stonehenge and other historical sites in Salisbury, and it’s said to be the best gravel event in the UK. There are three different routes: The Jester, The Rebel, and The Bastard, with 80km, 130km, and 220km, respectively. The starting point is the same, though, and they all go uphill to the Old Sarum, one of England’s Heritage hilltops, where the ruins of an Iron Age fort await.

The Dragon Ride is a one-day event in Wales on June 22. The longest route goes 296km into the Brecon Beacons or “Bannau Brycheiniog,” as it’s known locally. It’s one of the toughest events in the UK, attracting professional riders worldwide. However, only 15% of athletes take the longest route, and its epic climbs and shorter versions are available, with 98km, 157km, and 220km.