Understanding Cycling’s Major Courses: A Guide for New Viewers

Cycling teams are organized by corporate sponsors. Each team can be made up of up to thirty cyclists, of which eight are chosen (nine until 2018) for each of the Grand Tours: the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. While many teams tend to have multiple riders from the country the sponsor is based in, that is not a requirement. Eighteen teams are chosen for each course based on their ranking, with an additional four spots offered by the race organizers to the wild card selections. These selections are usually, but not always, awarded to teams based in the host country.

timing and focus

The cycling season is long and exhausting, consisting of single-day “classics”, various multi-day rides and, of course, the three Grand Tours. Few athletes can maintain optimal physical condition for all three Grand Tours, so teams often have different riders focusing on different courses. Sometimes this approach means that the best running back on a team will skip a ride or two entirely to focus on the third, while other times this means that a better running back may travel in support of a teammate on one or two. tours while concentrating on others. Only a handful of riders have managed to win more than one tour in a single season, and few attempt the feat.

The Competitions

Each of the cycling Grand Tours has six competitions over the course of the race. Most teams and riders focus on only one or two of the competitions at any given time.

• General Classification – The General Classification, or “GC” as it is often called, is the fastest overall individual time. The time of each rider from each stage is added up and the fastest total time wins. In some races, riders may have time bonuses, which are seconds reduced from a rider’s total time, awarded to the fastest riders on individual stages. This is the main competition in the race and usually gets the most attention.

• Sprint – In the sprint competition, points are awarded to the top finishers in stages according to their order of finish, with the most points awarded for flat stages and the fewest points awarded for time trials. Sprint points are also awarded to the first three riders to reach specific points on a race route. More points are awarded for sprints at the end of stages. This competition is decided solely by points and has nothing to do with total time.

• King of the Mountains – The King of the Mountains meet is similar to the sprint meet in that it is determined by points, not time. Each ascent during the race is graded from Category 4 (easier) to “Beyond Category” (more difficult) with more points awarded for more difficult ascents. The winner of this competition is the rider who accumulates the most points in the category.

• Stage – Each day’s stage is a race within a race.

• Team: The team competition is determined by adding the times of the three fastest riders from each team in each individual stage. Few teams go on a major tour targeting this competition, but as the race progresses those in a position to win it generally take it seriously.

• Young Rider – This is determined in the same way as the General Classification, but only riders under the age of 25 are eligible. Although it rarely happens, a cyclist can win both the general classification and the young cyclist competitions.

Types of Internships

There are five types of stages in the main courses.

• Individual Time Trial (ITT): In the individual time trial, each rider starts the course separately and records their individual time. These are the shortest stages of each tour, but they can be essential.

• Team Time Trial (TTT): Each team runs the course together. Team members record the fifth team member’s time to complete the course, although team members who drop out record individual times.

• Flat Stage – Flat stages usually involve sprint finishes. They may have low category hills or mountains, but most riders tend to end up in a group. These stages offer the most points in speed meets, but rarely affect the overall. The exceptions are when the field splits, which is usually caused by wind or shock.

• Medium Mountain Stage – These stages typically have Category 2 and 3 climbs. They can impact the riders at the top of the GC, but more often they give GC contenders a chance to break away from the field and the contenders of the King of the Mountains the opportunity to score points, especially in close competitions.

• High Mountain Stage – As the category suggests, these stages usually have one or more higher category, category 1 or category 2 climbs. They are essential in both general and King of the Mountains competitions. As with time trials, they often create much larger gaps.

Strategy

While individual glory in the GC, Sprint, King of the Mountains and stages tends to get the most attention, road cycling is very much a team sport. A team can have a contender in any or all of those categories, and their teammates travel primarily to support them. They may strive to keep you in front of the pack to avoid crashes, take you into the mountains to put rivals in trouble, chase down breakaways, or provide an advantage for your speedster. In many cases, riders will sacrifice their own chances of achieving good results in support of their teammates. It’s common to see some teams focusing on supporting a sprinter and others working to protect their overall contender. Both before the race begins and as it unfolds, the teams’ strategies will differ depending on the competition(s) they focus on and the strengths and weaknesses of their teams.

Cycling is a great sport for those who take the time to understand it. New viewers should not expect to understand everything at once, but rather take the time to learn the sport in parts. The above provides a good overview and easy reference for those just beginning to appreciate it.