Top 5 professional racing bikes in 2018

Riding a bike brings great benefits to your health and stamina, but if you are interested in doing it professionally and not just for fun, then you need to pick the right bike for you very carefully. There are many things you should think about, so here is a simplified list that can make it easier with several suggestions from us.

Trek Emonda

This bike is less than a year old, but it will prove difficult to beat for a long time. This Trek Emonda is special because of its carefully measured weight. Every cyclist knows it is one of the most important things to pay attention to, but here it is even more impressive because of the Trek-Segafredo’s added mechanics. This bike will definitely be used by the winners of big races in this year. One of the best features of this bike is that it has fast reaction time, and it will allow for great maneuvers. For great performances, chose this bike, but be ready to pay extra!

Pinarello Dogma

If you are looking for a bike that is light and all-around in terms of control and handling, choose Dogma without any doubt! It was driven by Chris Foome on Tour de France – and this testifies to the quality of this bicycle. It has dual-sided power meters – and sleek design that puts it above all others in the visual aspect. The weight frame is incredible – barely going over 800 grams! The new version – F10 – will definitely be a prominent bike this year.

S-Works Tarmac Ultralight

This is the newest version of Specialized Tarmac and it comes with outstanding Roval wheels of 50 millimeters. Additionally, it packs ultralight frame with futuristic design which improves aerodynamics significantly. The new Tarmac boasts special fork design and black and orange color scheme which works perfectly. The good thing is that this bike will be available somewhere south of two thousand Euros, even with all the latest improvements.

Canyon Speedmax

The first sign of the new identity that the Canyon Speedmax is promoting is the change in the color and paintjob. Darkish blue and black colors dominate the mystical and powerful design of the new Canyon Speedmax. If there was ever a perfect bike – this is the one, but the price reflects it quite well. The geometry of the bike is out of this world – it even features the adjustable rake that allows for greater adjustments than ever! Improved aerodynamics will boost the performance to the max and allow for amazing time on the racing track!

Cervélo S5

Another serious contender for this year’s winners favorite is Cervelo S5 which now, more than ever, puts focus on speed improvement. It guarantees increase in speed on road, through the combination of many step-by-step improvements across the frame. It is a bike that will not betray you on this field, but that does not mean it fell behind in the visual segment: it offers a wide array of color schemes, with black and red being the crowd’s favorite.

The biggest role-models in the world of cycling

The world of cycling had considerable problems with its image after the big turmoil that was caused by Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal. The whole cult built around his personality was dispersed after the news of his abuse of substances, which led to the crisis where the position of the cycling role model was left empty. However, now there a few suitable candidates that can pick this position and promote both cycling and positive life values to the whole world. These are the people who promote healthy life and good values, always looking to improve themselves, thus setting a great example.

One of the most respected members of the cycling community is Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas, who is at the moment in the Movistar team. His success in cycling is huge – he won two out of three Grand Tours, and several classifications across all three, with many stage races. But where he really shines is his dedication to helping and improving the society! His biggest efforts go to promoting gender equality and helping women in Colombia. He learned his greatest lesson when he was fifteen – he was hit by a car and he ended up in a coma for several days. However, his father always believed in his cycling potential and he helped him succeed by investing in him and helping him along the way. That is why Quintana is so ardent in his efforts to help others now he is in such a position. He is also creating positive health and body images, with his stamina and dedication to healthy diet.

Another potential role model could be the big star of cycling, the UK’s Chris Froome. This Vuelta and Tour de France winner has been very outspoken against doping and drug use. Even though he was accused for using different substances to improve his performance, Froome never fell under any doubt, with the exception of the 2017 case where he had to take medicine for his asthma problem. However, he was cleared of any guilt in that case. He was even made an officer of the Order of the British Empire due to his excellence in cycling. But his greatest activist achievement is in the position of the ambassador of the United for Wildlife conservation project, which is aiming to save many endangered animals. On several occasions, he put stickers of endangered animals such as rhinos on his bikes and tried to raise awareness of the problems surrounding endemic species. If this isn’t enough to convince you, Froome, who was born in South Africa, participated in the race #United4Mandela which celebrated Mandela’s social activism in that country.

Cycling betting basics and instructions

Out of all sports, cycling does not seem to be the most popular one. One of the reasons is that it is still a very young sport and that it is not popular in all parts of the world. However, there are a lot of people who follow cycling and there are huge numbers of people who are very much interested in betting on cycling. If you are one of the betting enthusiasts, or you are looking to join this group, then you should learn about the basics of betting when it comes to cycling. Firstly, of course, you should find a bookmaker that offers betting on cycling, and then you can search the promo code associated with that bookmaker. You can read more about the Supabets offer here to see how it works.

People bet on cycling because it is an action-packed sport with a lot of chances for turnarounds and twists, so some underdogs can win and you could earn big money if you know on whom to bet. However, this also makes it quite unpredictable, which is not something bettors like to hear. Being unpredictable, the odds before the competition itself can be quite big on some competitors, and you can use it to your advantage. One idea is betting with small sums on large odds before the competition, so you can try to guess the winner and win a lot of money.

If you are, however, keen on more likely bets, you might want to wait for the competitions to begin. You can bet on specific stages or only certain types of stages. Why is this important? Well, in contrast to other sports, in cycling certain competitors might not be the best overall, but they can be the fastest or the best at rough terrain – so you can bet on them only in specific stages when the conditions for their win are met. For example, there are some sprinters like Tony Martin or Chris Froome who are likely to win time trials – so you can be sure they will rank good, even if they are not the overall best. On the other hand, on climber stages, you would go for Contador or Quintana. So the most important thing is to know the strengths and weaknesses of each cyclist, and bet when you are sure they are at their best or optimal stage.

Of course, the betting of cycling can also differ based on the type of cycling – whether it’s track or road cycling. Because track cycling is shorter and more predictable, most beginners start with this type, as far as betting is concerned.

Even so, it is important to know the difference between different classifications in each competition – apart from the overall winner, people can also bet on the best times in mountains (the King of the Mountains) or on the best young rider under twenty-five years of age. With such a varied offer, people get lost, so inform yourself ahead of time on what type of races the competition you are following offers.

Another valuable piece of advice on cycling betting basics is to be patient with your bets! Just because it seems you have lost a bet mid-race does not mean the result will remain the same until the end. Cycling is a sport where nothing is definite until the end, so sit tight and follow your favorite!

The differences in horse racing all around the world

Horse racing is one of the sports that is universally present – from Asia to America, all countries have had horse racing in one form or the other during its history. But the question that bothers many people is how big of a difference there is in modern horse racing nowadays? Are there major differences between the sport and how important are these distinctions?

The biggest difference maybe is that in most of the world, horse racing is done with jockeys – and the jockeys have to remain on the horse if they want to finish the race. There are very few races in the world where it is important that horse passes the finishing line, with or without the jockey, and one of those is in Palio in Italy. In all the others, the jockey has to be on the horse – there is a story of the race at Belmont where the jockey died during the race, but since he remained on the horse, the horse still won the race. Crazy, right?

However, as far as the other specificities go, mostly everything is the same. Some race types are more popular in one country or the other, but there are no important differences in the rules, except for the age of the horses that are racing.

In Europe, however, the most popular track surface is turf. In North America and in Asia, the most popular surface tends to be dirt, even some synthetic surfaces like Polytrack. Of course, this is true if we are talking about flat racing. For other versions, different surfaces are popular.

One of the biggest differences nowadays can actually be seen in the crowds that visit the hippodrome! At the present moment, in most of the western hemisphere, the popularity is average, as horse racing is never in top three sports. However, in Hong Kong, incredibly large amounts of people flock at the hippodrome to watch the races. To help you understand the popularity in more familiar terms, horse racing in Hong Kong is similar to football in Europe – so a jockey and a horse can be as popular as Cristiano Ronaldo in Europe! At certain moments, there are even fangirls chasing after the jockeys who win after the races! That might make you think jockeys earn a lot of money, but that’s true only if they win!

What differs, in addition to previously mentioned things, is the type of betting allowed on horse racing! For example, pari-mutuel betting is still not allowed in some parts of the world, like in the United Arab Emirates. In other countries, it is allowed to make bets even off the site – like in Hong Kong. You can even bet with overseas bookmakers!

The basics of horse races betting

There is a whole science behind the betting on horse racing, e.g. reading the Mr Green review 2019, like it’s usually the case with popular sporting events. However, horse racing is more than just an action-packed event, it is an unforgettable experience that you will want to savor. So, before you head for the racetracks, be sure to learn the basic of horse racing betting, so you can enjoy the atmosphere and understand everything that is going on. Additionally, the adrenaline from the betting stacks up nicely with the excitement of the races, so you will be in for an interesting ride!

Before you start betting, you must choose which type of horse races you are going to bet on: flat racing, jump racing, steeple chasing or harness racing. Once you pick your category, you can proceed!

The next thing to understand are different ways to bet – yes, there are at least three basic ways you can bet. You can indulge in fixed odds betting, pari-mutuel and exchange betting. Fixed odds represent the most popular and by far the most numerous type of betting odds – the odds are already given by the bookmaker, you pick the ones that you like and bet your money on it. If you win, you get the money, if not, you lose it. Simple, right? On the other hand, pari-mutuel has no odds – the winnings are determined by two factors. Firstly, all people pool their money together – that is the winning pot. Secondly, the winning pot is divided among all the winners – which means the more people bet and the less people win, the bigger your winning will be! Lastly, we have exchange betting. This is a rather novel way of betting, where you strike a deal and bet with another bettor, not with a bookmaker. It takes some getting used to, but it is very interesting.

So now you know different ways, it is time to place a bet. There are several aspects as to how much money you will invest. First, you have to make a smart selection of races and horses you want to bet on. To do this, you must read up on the odds, follow the races in which they have participated so far and try to find out as much as possible about the horse’s stamina, form and health. Once you have gathered enough info, you can make an informed decision. Next, you want to see how much money you want to bet. If you are fairly sure you will win, you can even bet larger sums, but it is best if you start with small to midsize bets in the beginning. Once you see how the system works, you will be able to make more accurate bets. Keep in mind that the favorites are favorites for a reason, and they will not lose that easily. And always manage your money wisely – if you are on a losing streak, do not go for all-or-nothing bets! More likely than not, you will end up with having nothing.

Of course, if you just want to watch the exciting races and enjoy at the racetracks, you can go in blind and throw in a few bets for fun, but there is no way to guarantee or even predict what your bets are going to turn out like! But if you follow some of the basic advice given above, you will surely do much better!