Everyone knows that cycling is a seasonal sport, with bad weather and low light often getting in the way of people riding when and where they want.
The same goes for spectators unless they are willing to watch races on television from places such as the Middle East or the southern hemisphere.
With this in mind, it is worth having some backup sports to turn to when cycling times are bad, meaning you can get those racing thrills elsewhere until the top riders and teams start pulling their jerseys on again.
Here are some of the sports that go some way to living up to cycling.
Horse Racing
Whether it is a sprint finish on a flat stage or a lung-busting climb to a finishing line on a mountain peak, few other sports can compare to the dash for the top of the cycling podium.
However, there is one sport that comes pretty close to recreating the same buzz, with man and beast combine in horse racing to send those fans by the winning post crazy, as the bets they placed earlier in the day look set to come good and the riders come tearing down the final stretch. Some sites will even offer free bets for new fans of the sport, so you can jump right into the action online as well as live at the track.
Of course, just as with cycling, the horse racing experience is so much more than just spectating and wagering on the race at hand, with food and trackside entertainment all making for a great day out.
Just do not try and run alongside the horses as you would at a Tour de France mountain stage, because course security will quickly have you booted out. Still, once you have made use of that racing free bet, get down on the finishing straight’s railing and you will feel plenty close enough to all the action.
Ski Racing
With most cycling fanatics having to take a breather during the cold winter months, it always pays to have a sport in your pocket that flourishes in the snow and ice.
Therefore, ski racing is a logical place to look for daredevil descents that certainly rival those seen in cycle races.
And if you think that the crashes in skiing are softer than those in cycling, then think again, because the pistes these guys and gals come down are as solid as any tarmac road.
If you get a chance to travel to the Alps to catch a race or two—in between doing a bit of skiing or snowboarding yourself, of course—then the best races to spectate are the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel and the World Cup night race in Schladming, both of which attract tens of thousands of fans.
MotoGP
With a racing calendar that goes deep into November, MotoGP is the ideal release for bike riders who do not mind horsepower being provided by something other than human legs.
Most of this season’s races have remained in Spain, France, and Portugal, meaning that any races you do manage to catch before the finale in the Algarve will probably be bathed in sunshine, as pit girls strut their stuff around the paddock and riders don their shades.
All that will have you hankering after those warmer and drier days, when you can once again get back in the saddle and out on the roads.
