When you think of some of the toughest cycling races in the world, the Tour de France usually comes in near the top of the list. It goes without saying that it’s not easy, but it’s hard to measure one race more or less difficult than the other. It’s part of human nature to push the limits of our bodies. To strive for the next goal that may seem impossible in the beginning, but becomes achievable with the right amount of discipline and training. Although most of us will never tackle the Tour de France, there are a ton of other races and events out there to that could be added to your cycling bucket list (but maybe not these ones). Here are 7 of the world’s toughest bike races.

The World’s Toughest Bike Races

La Ruta de los Conquistadores – Costa Rica

Starting out with one the most feared races, the La Ruta is only for the world’s best endurance riders. It’s reputation is well warranted, as the course traverses the American land mass from Pacific to Atlantic. There’s over 29,000 feet of climbing over five mountain ranges including a 12,000 foot volcano. If that’s not enough to have you shaking your head, try riding through dense jungle, rainforests and rivers. It’s three days of hell on a mountain bike, and only the best finish it.

The Trans Pyr – Spain

Another one for the mountain bikers, the Trans Pyr inflicts a whole lot of pain over the eight day race. Starting out on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, it sends riders over 509 miles on rugged paths through the Pyrenees. There’s over 66,601 feet of climbing (let that number sink in), with participants spending between 45 – 90 hours in the saddle.

Race Across America – United States

A race longer than the Tour de France, this gruelling test of endurance sends individuals and teams over 3,000 miles from California to Maryland. With no sleep requirements, some of the top individual riders will average just a couple hours a day–spending the rest of the time in the saddle or desperately trying to intake enough calories to keep their bodies going. Both teams and solo riders are given up to 12 days to complete the distance.

The Tour de France

Picture by Alex Broadway/ASO/SWpix.com – Cycling – 2017 Tour de France

There can’t be a list of the toughest races without the Tour de France simply due to its incredible speed. Riders must maintain an average daily speed of 25 miles/hour if they are to simply complete the race, let alone compete. That speed has to be maintained every day for 21 days and more than 2,100 miles. The intensity is grueling and puts the body on the edge of the lactate threshold. The last rider must finish within a certain percentage of the winner’s time or else they are not allowed to continue.

The Tour Divide – Canada / US

The grand tour of mountain biking, the Tour Divide is a completely self supported race across the country from Banff, Canada, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. There is no entry fee and no medals, but if you finish you’ll be in the record books and will have the experience of a lifetime! The route is the forgotten passes of the Continental Divide, climbing over 200,000ft over extreme mountainous terrain.

The Iditarod Invitational

It’s not the longest, nor does it have the most elevation, but as far as races go this is one of the toughest. Riding over 1,110 miles from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome in the dead of winter is not for the faint of heart. In fact, most participants do not finish with extreme weather conditions and no set course. Racers are given the freedom to make their way on bike, ski, or foot, with an average speed being just over 3mph. This one is not for everyone, and can become dangerous if participates are unprepared for the freezing temperatures and bleak landscape.

The Death Ride – US

The Death Ride (aka The Tour of the California Alps) is 129 miles all wrapped up into one gruelling day. Riders navigate five mountain passes, 15,000 ft of total elevation and get to take in some stunning views–that is if they can see through the pain.

Cycling Races

In July, as the Tour de France hits TV screens across the country, it seems like everyone in America is a fan of cycling. Even without the appeal of Lance and his American domination of the race, the coverage here creates countless new fans of the sport as they watch the best cyclists in the world duke it out on the roads of France. But if you want to up your cycling game, there is a whole lot more to the world of professional cycling than just the Tour. Here is a list of the next biggest events in cycling to fulfill your endless need for cycling!

The Spring Classics

The classics are the first major events on the professional cycling calendar, and offer some of the most exciting racing. There are 8 races, 5 of which are often referred to as ‘Monuments’, due to their historical prestige. Each race is a long one-day race, taking anywhere from 5-8 hours to complete. Milan-San Remo is the first race, and also the longest at almost 300 km. Since it is so early in the season, it often puts riders through some crazy spring weather. Next up are the Cobbled Classics, headlined by the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix – a series of races on the punishing cobbled roads of northern France and Belgium. The Spring Classics finish off with the Ardennes races; most notably Liege-Bastonge-Liege, a grueling race famous for its short, very steep climbs that pile up in the closing kilometers of the race.

Giro d’Italia

The Giro is the first of the three ‘Grand Tours’ – the longest and arguably most prestigious races in cycling. The climbs featured are often much steeper than those in the Tour, and especially in recent years, organizers have displayed a willingness to experiment with radical routes to give spectators an exciting race. The roads in the Italian Alps and the Dolomites are generally narrower and of poorer quality than those featured in the Tour, which can make for some interesting mountain descents. Weather often plays a big part in the mountains too – most famously in 1988, when Andy Hampsten rode through a blizzard over the highest pass in the race to take the leader’s jersey. Given the willlingness of the Giro to add new and exciting elements, it is surely a race to watch in the future.

Vuelta a Espana

The last of the grand tours, the Vuelta has been overshadowed recently by the Tour and the Giro, but organizers have been working hard to change this. As with the Giro, they have taken to adding more and more extreme climbs to shake up the race and inject excitment. It is also a race to watch for up and coming stars, since many riders who have already competed in the Tour or the Giro do not compete. Chris Froome, winner of the 2013 Tour de France first burst onto the cycling scene at the Vuelta. Last year, there was particular interest from North America, as Chris Horner rode to a surprising victory, becoming the first American to win the race, and also the oldest Grand Tour winner, at the age of 41.

World Championships

Held near the end of the road biking season, the UCI Road World Championships determine the best road cyclist in the world, and the right to wear the famous rainbow jersey in the upcoming racing season. The location and course of the race changes from year to year, which makes this race the most unpredicatable of the major cycling races. Depending on the course, the race might end up in a mass sprint, a long breakaway, or be decided by punishing climbs. The race is also traditonally a circuit race, which is great for spectators, as they get the chance to see their favorite riders multiple times in the race.

Cyclocross

If eight months of cycling isn’t enough for you, then cyclocross is there to fill the gap. Starting early in the year, it is a great appetizer to get your cycling enthusiam going after the down months of November and December. Cyclocross races are a hybrid between mountain biking and road racing – the bikes used resemble modified road bikes, but the race courses tackle dirt, grass, sand and mud in a circuit-style race. Races are often close and exciting, and full of spills and impressive bike handling ability.

Hopefully I’ve given you enough here to keep your appetite for cycling whetted year round. Coverage of these races used to be very hard to find, but with the surge in popularity of various streaming video services, a quick Google search will often point you to live coverage of all of these races. Just remember to get on your bike and imitate what you’ve just been glued to a computer screen watching for hours!