Shirts - what do they mean?

FSR_XC

Trying to learn a bit, while watching the Tour de France.

Never really watched a cycle race before. Bit confused about the shirts though.

Yellow - I know is the leader's jersey.

But what about Green, Pink & the spotty one etc?

fto-si

Green - Sprinters
Polka Dot - King Of The Mountains
White - Young Rider ( 25 or under )

Pink - Leader of The Giro Italia

whyamihere

There's also the race numbers.

White on red background - Most aggressive rider from the previous day. Tomorrow it's most likely going to be Sebastien Lang, who was out of the peloton for most of the day.

Black on yellow background - Leading team. The team whose riders are best placed in the GC, with the top 3 riders from each team taken into account. Today, it was Caisse d'Epargne.

neeb

It's confusing at first, but the thing to remember is that there are several competitions going on at the same time - as well as the general classification (total time over the entire race - yellow jersey) there are separate competitions for sprinters ("points" - green jersey) and mountains (polkadot). These are based on accumulated points for passing certain markers first (or second, third, fourth etc) or being the first to the top of certain climbs. Like the yellow jersey these are worn by the rider with the highest total scores in these competitions accumulated over the entire race so far. And then winning a stage is another thing entirely - it may help you move up in the GC, but it's a prestigious achievement in its own right. The wikipedia article on the Tour de France explains it all quite well.

The fact that there are all of these different ways to "win", and the fact that different riders are aiming for different things, is what makes the TdF and other stage races exciting to watch, but unfortunately it also makes it less accessible for newcomers who don't know how it works. So for example if you get a small breakaway on a hilly stage the main group (peloton) may not bother to chase it down if no-one in the group has a chance of getting the yellow jersey. Someone in the breakaway will get the stage win, but the yellow jersey contenders can conserve their energy for when it matters.

FSR_XC

Thanks for the explanations.

I also now know what the peloton is.
GC - is this General Classification?

neeb

Yup, GC = general classification, = yellow jersey.

One confusing thing is that the green jersey competition is often called the "points" competition, but the mountains (polkadot) competition is also based on points (although different ones).

neeb

I also now know what the peloton is.

Another important thing to know (which you will know already if you ride on the road yourself in group rides) is that you can move a lot faster with less energy on a bicycle if you are in a large group, and to a lesser extent if you are in one other person's slipstream. You can also slow someone down by riding in their slipstream. So a lot of the maneuvering and mental calculations the riders are making are based on this - there's no point trying to ride away from the peloton at the front if you can't really put a lot of effort in, because as soon as you are on your own you immediately have to produce more power to go at the same speed.

McBain_v1

Some lesser-known ones, but to be looked out for nevertheless...

"Ripped jersey" - automatically awarded to rider that has had a crash

"Wet jersey" - it's raining out and rider has forgotten his waterproof

"Long sleeve jersey" - rider is chilly and didn't have enough warm tea before setting off

"Bulging jersey" - rider has nabbed all the grub from other riders' pockets

idaviesmoore

neeb wrote:

I also now know what the peloton is.

Another important thing to know (which you will know already if you ride on the road yourself in group rides) is that you can move a lot faster with less energy on a bicycle if you are in a large group, and to a lesser extent if you are in one other person's slipstream. You can also slow someone down by riding in their slipstream. So a lot of the maneuvering and mental calculations the riders are making are based on this - there's no point trying to ride away from the peloton at the front if you can't really put a lot of effort in, because as soon as you are on your own you immediately have to produce more power to go at the same speed

Howeer some sponsers will want a rider to break away even if they haven't got any real chance of winning. Just to have their name standing alone for 1/2 hours can be very lucrative indeed. Money talks

FSR_XC

McBain_v1 wrote:

Some lesser-known ones, but to be looked out for nevertheless...

"Ripped jersey" - automatically awarded to rider that has had a crash

I believe Cadel Evans has that one at the moment

geoff_ss

idaviesmoore wrote:

neeb wrote:

I also now know what the peloton is.

You can also slow someone down by riding in their slipstream.

I don't really think you can slow a rider down by sitting in. Unless, of course, you hang on to his jersey It's harder on the front but having someone, or even a whole line of riders on your wheel doesn't make it any harder.

Geoff

neeb

I don't really think you can slow a rider down by sitting in. Unless, of course, you hang on to his jersey Smile It's harder on the front but having someone, or even a whole line of riders on your wheel doesn't make it any harder.

I thought that's sometimes the reason for teams sending someone to sit on the tail of a lone breakaway rider and refusing to take turns at the front? I've a vague feeling I remember reading about it in one of Lance Armstrong's books. On the other hand, I can't immediately see how the physics would work...

Brains

The drag in the slipstream is only psychological

andy_wrx

If there are several riders who will work together, each doing a turn on the front, then you they'll all go along quicker.
But if you get a rider/riders to get in the way of this, to sit behind the leader and block this paceline, then it slows it down from the speed it could have been doing

And if you're out alone, having someone sitting on your wheel and refusing to share the work is mighty pi$$ing-off and slows you down that way, rather than increasing the drag an making it physically harder.

richk

In the TdF, is there anything like the white number on black background (for last rider on the road) they have in the Giro? (& didn't that used to be the black jersey?)

Earthbound

FSR_XC wrote:

Thanks for the explanations.

I also now know what the peloton is.
GC - is this General Classification?

Strictly speaking it's "General Classement" as King Kelly frequently uses on Eurosport.

AND the French will probably get all huffy if you debase their language with Anglicisms like "classification"

But seriously, it is Classement, and other great phrases like Bonification, Musette, Bidon. Understanding the great historical culture of road racing, the Tour in partitcular, is probably even more important than understanding the rules. History shows that neither riders nor commissaires are all that fussy about rules and the rules are liable to change without advanced noticed as the mood suits

W5454

Last placed rider is the "Lanterne Rouge".
These days he doesn't have a red light on the bike,just a white number on a red background.

ColinJ

neeb wrote:

You can also slow someone down by riding in their slipstream.

Actually, the rider at the front also gets a slight advantage from being slipstreamed. It is a small effect, unlike the big advantage of being the rider behind. Described here.

The way that you slow down the rider in front is by sitting on their wheel forever and doing their head in! Alternatively, reaching forward and hanging on to their bike will also do the trick !

Roger_This

Kinda related question - riders are awarded the same time for being in the same bunch or group at the finish. How is 'group' defined? eg is there a limit to its size or length in time, if you see what I mean? In other words, where or when does a group 'end'?

ta.

jswba

A 'group' ends (IIRC) when there is a break of at least one second between riders crossing the finishing line.