Explanation of the Tour de France bike race using A-Z format

1. ABC of the TDF!

2. A is for
ALPE D'HUEZ
This 13.8km climb has been included in the Tour de France 30 times!
It is one of the most iconic alpine climbs, with 21 hairpin bends, it has
an average gradient of 8.1% to negotiate before reaching the top,
which is at an altitude of 1850m.

3. B is for
BREAKAWAY
A group of one or more riders who accelerate ahead of the pack
during the race. Sometimes they can go on to win the race but they
are often chased down by the main group of riders as the stage
progresses. Being in a breakaway can give smaller teams exposure on
TV they would not normally experience.

4. C is for
LA COURSE
The professional women's version of the Tour de France. It first began
in 2014 and has seen many changes over the last few years. This year
it will consist of a one day event, taking place on the 29th August,
involving a 96 km road race starting and finishing in Nice.
Find out more here - https://www.lacoursebyletourdefrance.com/en

5. D is for
DOMESTIQUE
A team consists of a team leader and riders who work for the benefit
of the team and the team leader. These riders are called Domestiques,
their duties include going back to the team car to collect bottles and
food, and most importantly, riding at the front of the group blocking
the wind for their team leader, allowing the leader to save energy.

6. E is for
ECHELON
A line of riders cycling in a diagonal line across the road.
When the Tour rides through the open countryside there can often be
cross winds.
We see groups of riders move into this formation to draft each other
and limit their exposure to the strong winds, to save energy.

7. F is for
FLAMME ROUGE
This is a red flag displayed to signify there is only one kilometer to go
until the finish line.
It normally hangs from an inflated archway across the road, which the
cyclists ride underneath.

8. G is for
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
Also known as ‘the GC’, it is the category that tracks overall times for
riders in a multi-stage bicycle race.
Every stage has an individual winner, but the overall winner is the
winner of the GC, who finishes with the fastest cumulative time across
all 21 stages.

9. H is for
HORS CATÉGORIE
Climbs are categorised according to their steepness and length.
There are 5 categories for a climb; categories 1 - 4 (4 being the easiest)
and Hors Catégorie which means "beyond categorization".
HC climbs are the most difficult in a race and there are, on average, 7
HC climbs in each Tour de France.

10. I is for
INCLINE
This is the gradient / steepness of a climb. It is measured by dividing
the elevation change by the distance traveled.
If you cycled up a hill that has a change in elevation of 500m from the
top to the bottom and it is 5000m long, it would have an incline of
500/5000 = 10%.

11. J is for
JERSEYS
There are different coloured jerseys for different classifications in the Tour de France.
Each day the Yellow Jersey is presented to the rider who has clocked up the least time
on their bike, they will be also the leader of the General Classification.
The rider with the most sprint points will wear the Green Jersey.
The highest ranking rider in the GC who is under the age of 25 wears a White Jersey.
Finally, climbers compete for the Polka Dot Jersey, this is based on points awarded at
the summit of each categorised climb and mountain-top finish.

12. K is for
KING OF THE MOUNTAINS
The wearer of the Polka Dot Jersey and leader in the mountain points
competition is also known as the King of the Mountains.

13. L is for
LEAD-OUT TRAIN
Often seen at the end of a stage, when there is a sprint finish.
A team will ride at the front of the peloton, in single file, attempting to
put their sprinter in the best position to win.
The front of the peloton can get very busy on sprint stages when there
are multiple lead-out trains, all trying to control the front of the race.

14. M is for
MUSETTE
This is a little bag which is carried over your shoulder.
It's filled with food and drink bottles and handed out to riders at
designated points out on the course.

15. N is for
NUMBER OF RIDERS
Each team can take a maximum of 8 riders to the Tour de France.
They will aim to have a team leader, strong domestiques and team
members who are able to compete for sprint or mountain points too.
If a rider is injured or has to retire there are no substitutions, the team
will continue with the remaining number of riders.

16. O is for
OPENING CEREMONY
The opening ceremony and first stage of the Tour de France is also
known as ‘Le Grand Départ’.
This is often not in France, allowing another country to enjoy the
excitement of this amazing race.

17. P is for
PELOTON
The main group of riders. This is the largest group on the road.

18. Q is for
QUEEN STAGE
The hardest and most demanding stage of a multi-day race. These
stages always take place in the high mountains.

19. R is for
REST DAY
There are 21 stages but the Tour lasts for 23 days.
This is because there are 2 rest days during the race. Most riders will
still go out on their bikes on a rest day, but at a more leisurely pace, to
enjoy a chat with their teammates and release any tension in their leg
muscles.

20. S is for
STICKY BOTTLE
When a rider goes back to their team car to get a bottle, or assistance
and they hold onto the bottle (or the car) a bit longer than usual, the
team director can propel them forward by accelerating the car.
Although it is against the rules, if it is done quickly, the judges will not
normally issue a penalty!

21. T is for
TIME TRIAL
There are 2 types of Time Trial - Individual (ITT) or Team (TTT).
Course distances and routes vary, but time trial routes are generally around 50 km (31.2
miles) and encompass hilly, flat, undulating, and curved road sections.
Riders try to cycle as fast as possible to beat the clock and it's the perfect time to
witness their superior bike-handling skills.
In a Team Time Trial they will start with the whole team but only 5 need to finish, their
time is taken when the 5th rider crosses the line.

22. U is for
UCI
The governing body of cycling is the Union Cycliste Internationale.
In the UCI race calendar there are 3 Grand Tour races:
Tour de France
Giro d'Italia
Vuelta d'Espana

23. V is for
VIRTUAL LEADER
Sometimes, in the final days of a multi-day race there will be riders who are
very close to each other in the General Classification.
If one of these riders joins a breakaway or attacks to get in front of the current
GC leader they can become the virtual leader on the road.
They are called the virtual leader as the race is still in progress and the GC
leader can catch them up and maintain their lead.

24. W is for
WINNER!
The winner is crowned in Paris after 23 exhausting days of racing.
The winner is the rider who is at the top of the General Classification
and completes all 21 stages in the quickest cumulative time.

25. X is for
X-RAY
Unfortunately there are always crashes and injuries in any big cycling
race. But X-ray machines at the finish line are not just for the riders!
They can also be used to check no one has hidden a little motor inside
their bike frame to help them ride faster up the mountains!

26. Y is for
YELLOW JERSEY
The famous Yellow Jersey is something every professional cyclist
dreams of wearing and winning.
The winner of the Yellow Jersey needs to be super strong, able to
climb mountains, be quick in a time trial and keep pace day after day
for the duration of the whole race.

27. Z is for
KILOMETER ZERO
The official start of each stage is known as Kilometer zero.
The riders will often begin in a town or city and be led out by the race
organisers’ cars towards the official start line of the days race.

28. NOW FOR THE TEST!