Watching cycling road races on the television can be very confusing unless you are familiar with the the way in which the events are run. The wonderful thing about cycling road racing is that there are several races going on within the race, allowing riders with differing abilities to compete within a larger structure. There are more ways to win than simply finishing first.
Perhaps the most famous jersey in the sport is the yellow jersey of the Tour de France. The winner of this jersey is the winner of the General Classification of the race, which is the person who has taken the least time to complete the whole grand tour. This jersey has different colours depending on the race it is awarded for, with red being favoured in the Vuelta a Espana.
While all-round riders tend to try for victory in the General Classification, there are other jerseys to race for too. Every great bicycle touring race is divided into different stages which take place on each day. Some riders, generally those who are great at sprint finishes, will compete for stage wins.
Stage wins mean that points are awarded to riders, with other points awarded to riders who place during the stage. Other points are available along the route for so-called 'interim sprints', where the first rider who passes nominated points along the course is awarded points. Riders accumulate points throughout the race and the competitor with the most points wins another jersey, 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.
These three jerseys are the main ones which riders compete for the in the great endurance road races of the sport. For other riders though, there are still important contributions to make to your team's success. Every yellow or green jersey contender needs help from hard working team mates, often referred to as 'domestiques'.
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 kind of complexity is what makes cycling such as gripping and entertaining sport to both participate in and watch. There are several contests taking place at any one time during a race. This means that a variety of riders are competing, who all have different strengths and weaknesses, for races within a race.
Perhaps the most famous jersey in the sport is the yellow jersey of the Tour de France. The winner of this jersey is the winner of the General Classification of the race, which is the person who has taken the least time to complete the whole grand tour. This jersey has different colours depending on the race it is awarded for, with red being favoured in the Vuelta a Espana.
While all-round riders tend to try for victory in the General Classification, there are other jerseys to race for too. Every great bicycle touring race is divided into different stages which take place on each day. Some riders, generally those who are great at sprint finishes, will compete for stage wins.
Stage wins mean that points are awarded to riders, with other points awarded to riders who place during the stage. Other points are available along the route for so-called 'interim sprints', where the first rider who passes nominated points along the course is awarded points. Riders accumulate points throughout the race and the competitor with the most points wins another jersey, 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.
These three jerseys are the main ones which riders compete for the in the great endurance road races of the sport. For other riders though, there are still important contributions to make to your team's success. Every yellow or green jersey contender needs help from hard working team mates, often referred to as 'domestiques'.
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 kind of complexity is what makes cycling such as gripping and entertaining sport to both participate in and watch. There are several contests taking place at any one time during a race. This means that a variety of riders are competing, who all have different strengths and weaknesses, for races within a race.
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