Is cycling the toughest sport?

Anyone who’s raced a bike knows that cycling can be cruelly hard, but how does it stack up against other gruelling sports? Do we have a valid claim to be competing in the toughest of them all? Dave Nash tests the contention

(Image credit: Watson)

It’s an argument that has vexed sports fans practically since our prehistoric ancestors first took it upon themselves to test their hunting and fighting skills against one another: which sport is the toughest?

There are many physically and mentally demanding sports that have strong claims to the throne: rugby, ice hockey, boxing and long-distance running are just some that spring to mind. Can road cycling offer a convincing argument to be a contender to the title?

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