Vientiane 2009

Bicycle racing or cycling, an internationally popular sport conducted on closed courses or the open road.

Bicycle racing includes road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX racing and bike trials. As the bicycle evolved its various forms, different racing formats developed.

Road races may involve both team and individual competition, and are contested in various ways. They range from the one-day road race to multi-stage events.

Indoor Track racing takes place at a velodrome, usually a banked 1,093.6 ft (333 km) oval.

medals are awarded in individual and team track events, including the sprint, which features a duel between two finalists.

Another track event is the pursuit, in which racers begin at opposite sides of the circuit and attempt to catch each other.

Outdoor road races are gruelling multiday races, especially the Tour de France 4,000 km in more than twenty daily stages.

Tour de France cyclists ride for teams that share prize money and employ various strategies to aid each other, but an individual winner emerges from both time trials and races over varied terrain Another outdoor race is mountain biking, featuring varied off-road events such as cross-country, hill climb and slalom.

Cycling was first incorporated into the Asian Games in 1951.