If you are a newcomer to the world of professional cycling and have recently started watching grand tour races on television, then there may well be some confusion over what all the riders are actually racing for, and what the different jerseys that they are awarded actually mean. Road bike racing is best understood as consisting of several races within a race. This means that there are different things to race for between riders with differing specialities.
The General Classification is the perhaps the most glamorous and famous of the various things to win in a bike race. The jersey which is awarded the winner of the General Classification is accorded the most recognition, as it is the rider who has finished the whole tour in the shortest time. In the Tour de France, this jersey is yellow, while it is red in the Vuelta a Espana.
Winning the General Classification of any touring race is a real test of will, endurance and skill, and not every rider is capable of mounting a challenge in this regard. There are several other jerseys to race for, therefore, which allow other riders to chase glory. One way of doing this is to try to win stages, which are the daily legs of the grand tour, and run as races in themselves.
A rider is awarded points for each stage win they manage, as well as for place finishes like second and third. Other points are on offer in the so-called interim sprints, where the first and place riders past certain points in the stage are awarded points. Whoever collects the most of these points throughout the course of the race will be presented with the points winner's jersey, which is usually green.
A different kind of jersey is the one which is awarded for being the 'king of the mountains' in a grand tour, and this jersey is the one that the real endurance riders look to take. In especially hilly parts of the race, points are awarded for being the first up certain nominated slopes and steep climbs. The accumulation of enough of these points throughout the duration of the race sees the winning rider claim the jersey, which is adorned with a red and white polka dot pattern in the Tour de France.
Those three jerseys are the main ones competed for by riders in the grand tours and major races in the sport. But cycling is a team sport, and there are many ways in which other riders contribute to the success of their team mates. Whatever jersey they are competing for, every rider needs the help of their team mates to take them to success, whether they are a sprinter chasing green or a contender for the yellow jersey.
This may sound like an unglamorous job, but it is vital to have several willing domestiques in a team. They drive sprinters to the right place to compete for stage wins, and help your General Classification riders up long hills and to stay in contention with their rivals. Every team needs willing workers such as this in order to be successful.
This complexity means that cycling is rarely boring when it comes to tension and excitement. There is always something going on which will determine one result or another. This is what helps to make such as great participation as well as spectator sport.
The General Classification is the perhaps the most glamorous and famous of the various things to win in a bike race. The jersey which is awarded the winner of the General Classification is accorded the most recognition, as it is the rider who has finished the whole tour in the shortest time. In the Tour de France, this jersey is yellow, while it is red in the Vuelta a Espana.
Winning the General Classification of any touring race is a real test of will, endurance and skill, and not every rider is capable of mounting a challenge in this regard. There are several other jerseys to race for, therefore, which allow other riders to chase glory. One way of doing this is to try to win stages, which are the daily legs of the grand tour, and run as races in themselves.
A rider is awarded points for each stage win they manage, as well as for place finishes like second and third. Other points are on offer in the so-called interim sprints, where the first and place riders past certain points in the stage are awarded points. Whoever collects the most of these points throughout the course of the race will be presented with the points winner's jersey, which is usually green.
A different kind of jersey is the one which is awarded for being the 'king of the mountains' in a grand tour, and this jersey is the one that the real endurance riders look to take. In especially hilly parts of the race, points are awarded for being the first up certain nominated slopes and steep climbs. The accumulation of enough of these points throughout the duration of the race sees the winning rider claim the jersey, which is adorned with a red and white polka dot pattern in the Tour de France.
Those three jerseys are the main ones competed for by riders in the grand tours and major races in the sport. But cycling is a team sport, and there are many ways in which other riders contribute to the success of their team mates. Whatever jersey they are competing for, every rider needs the help of their team mates to take them to success, whether they are a sprinter chasing green or a contender for the yellow jersey.
This may sound like an unglamorous job, but it is vital to have several willing domestiques in a team. They drive sprinters to the right place to compete for stage wins, and help your General Classification riders up long hills and to stay in contention with their rivals. Every team needs willing workers such as this in order to be successful.
This complexity means that cycling is rarely boring when it comes to tension and excitement. There is always something going on which will determine one result or another. This is what helps to make such as great participation as well as spectator sport.
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