When the 2012 Sports Personality of the Year was announced, it was no surprise to anyone that a cyclist took away the coveted title. However, in a year when so much sporting success was seen on all fronts, the fact that a cyclist stood out above the many other champions to receive such an accolade is especially exciting.
Things have changed though, and with wins in the Tour De France and many gold medals over the summer, cycling is something that has now been taken to the hearts of the masses.
This was a year when sports of all different kinds were battling for our attention, from International football right through to the Six Nations and with many gold medals in the bag from many different individuals in many different sports, those in the running for the title had a harder ride than almost anyone else competing in years gone by.
With cycling, it is easy to get involved oneself. Buying bikes and the right Castelli cycle clothing is possible for all, and whilst the majority of us might never win a competition, we feel comfortable doing it for both enjoyment and for sport. With many other types of sport, far more training will be needed, and even a sport such as swimming will need one to go out of their way and pay each and every time, as opposed to the ease of simply putting on mountain bike clothing and hopping on a bike.
So, not only are we proud to have such world-class cyclists, but we find it easy and enjoyable to get into the spirit and cycle ourselves, so really it should be no surprise that cycling is becoming as popular as it is.
