Pro Cycling Manager: Season 2010

When He Majestically swept over the finish line in the 2010 Tour de France Spain's Alberto Contado sang, "I've got a bike. You can ride it if you like. It's got a basket, a bell that rings, and things to make it look good. I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it." Playing Pro Cycling Manager 2010 is as close as most of us will come to singing a ditty after completing the world's most gruelling bicycle race. Whilst it won't appeal to the masses, it does offer something to those who aren't fazed by 180 Lycra-clad arses.

When it comes to the extremely niche cycling management genre this is as good as it gets. There are times when PCM2010 looks beautiful, the sight of riders turning into the Champs-lilysees or cascading down a mountain pass can be impressive. Of course, most of the game is spent hitting the accelerate time button to skip past the courses' endless straight roads and fields.

And yet there's a sense that this is a proper simulation rather than a screen full of cyclists and scenery. If you can fathom the occasionally baffling menu system and interface, it becomes clear that tactics, strategies and orders do make a difference.

Not Just Roads

This isn't just about Le Tour though. The career mode lets you train up a team from scratch, and the season mode takes you through one whole season as one of the 65 official teams. You can choose from 500 separate stages to race, and even sample the classic mode where stages from historical races can be re-enacted.

There's also an indoor track mode where you can take a break from the gruelling long-distance slogs and indulge in a spot of high-speed pursuit as well as numerous other velodrome-based activities. To top it all there's an editor that lets you create your own extreme race routes involving cliffs and sheer drops.

If you're into bicycle racing then PCM2010 is worth it. And best of all you get to play in baggy shorts, which means you don't scare your family and neighbours.