WE all will have our own thoughts as to the world’s greatest sporting event ... and our own personal favourite.

Olympic and Commonwealth Games, football and rugby World Cups, Wimbledon and the Open golf, can all lay claim to the title.

But, for the sheer physical and mental demands required of its competitors, the Tour de France is hard to beat.

Add in doping scandals and the recent success of British riders, and you can see why cycling is centre stage in the current sporting calendar.

Tomorrow sees the 102nd Tour finish as the riders cycle up the Champs Elysees and around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris – with England's Chris Froome almost certain to be crowned champion for the second time.

The Tour can genuinely be said to be the world’s biggest annual sporting event.

It began in 1903 and, over 100 years, later still boasts massive interest worldwide – particularly in France, where the whole country comes to a standstill for the duration of the event.

This year’s event covered over 21 stages and a total of 3,360km over 21 days.

Perhaps the uniqueness of the tour is the contrast between the heat, speed and power of the flat time trial stages to the steep and potential cold of the daunting, energy draining mountain stages in the Pyrenees and Alps.

Cycling is a sport which pushes the physical demands on the body to the limit.

Working with some of our cyclists over the last few years has given me an insight into the incredible demands of the sport and the risk of injury, which they accept as one of the pitfalls.

Traumatic injuries are usually the result of a collision which often results in the rider falling from their bike and hitting the road or track.

In addition, they have the added incentive of avoiding the other riders as they pass by. Cuts and abrasions are common with broken bones and head injuries more serious.

As in many sports, over-use injuries are frequent, especially of the hip, knee and foot and ankle.

Plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the soft tissues which form the arch of the foot, Achilles tendon problems and irritation of the tissue on the outside of the leg from hip to knee called ileo-tibal band syndrome are common, presenting problems to those of us who look after their injuries.

Specific cycling injuries include irritation of the nerves running through the arm to the wrist and hand such as carpal tunnel syndrome and the descriptively-named handlebar palsy – each more common when the handlebars are set at an incorrect height. Similar height issues with the saddle can result in hip and back pain.

Despite the injury risk in professional cycling, as a recreational sport it is hard to beat.

It requires little cost or equipment – a bike and helmet – and with the expansion of cycleways around the country, is safe and great fun.

From a health and fitness point of view, it is an excellent combination of aerobic fitness and muscle strength.

As it is non-impact, cycling is “joint friendly” and, like all aerobic exercise, has a wide range of health benefits from prevention of heart disease, cancer and diabetes to the positive effect on stress and mental well-being.

The National Stadium Sports Health and Injury Clinic is on 0141-616 6161 and www.sportsmedicinecentre.org