Cycling

Road cycling is a team sport with an individual winner: eight riders work so that one of them wins. The UCI WorldTour is the top race series; its three biggest races are the Grand Tours — Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.

1 Leagues and series · 18 Teams · 538 People

How is Cycling played?

One-day races are decided in a single day. Stage races run over up to three weeks; whoever leads on cumulative time wears the leader’s jersey. Drafting behind another rider saves around 30 percent of the effort — which is why the peloton rides close together, and why attacking alone is expensive.

What are the rules of Cycling?

• Time counts, not placings: in stage races the cumulative time across all stages decides
• A rider who crashes or punctures inside the final kilometre is credited with the time of their group
• Riders finishing outside the time limit are eliminated from the stage race
• Pushing, holding on to a team car and drafting behind vehicles are forbidden
• In a team time trial the time of the fourth or fifth rider across the line counts, not the first

What equipment do you need for Cycling?

Road bike with a 6.8 kg minimum weight, mandatory helmet, radio link to the team car; time trials use aero bars and a disc wheel

How long does a game of Cycling last?

One-day races 4–7 hours (the Monuments exceed 250 km), stages usually 3–6 hours, a Grand Tour 21 stages in 23 days

What is special about Cycling?

Teams carry no place name but a UCI licence nation — they have no home venue and race on other people’s roads all season long.

Which Cycling leagues are on SportOrbit?

• UCI WorldTour