- Organized by the Société du Tour de France, the Tour is by far the largest event in the cycling world, road or mountain. The 21 stage race varies its course each year, but always includes super-fast time trials, testing mountain climbs, and a thrilling finish in Paris itself. The purse for the 1997 Tour de France is $2.24 million dollars, well worth the self-abuse race participants go through. However, in a race of many riders, only one wins.
- This 1,200 mile elite pro club teams race runs through over 80 communities in 6 states during the month of May every year. Ranked as one of the third largest races in the world (2nd largest outside of Europe) the race offer 18 teams and one of the 126 riders a chance to take home the prize money. Like the Tour de France, this race is ridden in stages with a cumulative time. Last year's winner was Lance Armstrong for the second consecutive time.
Race Across America (RAAM)
- RAAM and Team RAAM is the longest continuous bike race in the world. This high-endurance test starts in California and traverses America on a course usually covering about 3,000 miles. The finish line? It's on the East Coast usually in Georgia or South Carolina. And what about all those stages, how do they work? Actually, the RAAM is stage free. You ride until you drop, and you just hope you don't drop before the end of the race. A solo RAAMer may ride for over 23 hours a day catching only half an hour of sleep for over 8 days to complete the grueling course. Team RAAM riders sound like they have it easy, but instead of pacing themselves, they ride all out for a short period of time until they're relieved by a time member. Yes, the teams do finish faster in 5 to 6 days, but it becomes an entirely different race.
Furnace Creek 508
- Like the RAAM, the Furnace Creek 508 is an endurance race fought by teams of four, and individual riders. All 508 miles are ridden through Death Valley starting in the town of Valencia, California and ending in Twenty-nine Palms. Many riders/teams use this race to earn a spot in the RAAM. Like the RAAM, the object is to be the first rider or first team to the finish line with as little rest as possible.
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