Tour de France Glossary
Breakaway: A single rider or small group of riders that breaks away from the main peloton to lead the Stage. Most breakaways are eventually caught by the main peloton.
Champs-Élysées: The traditional finish to the Tour, located in Paris.
Domistique: French for 'servant' a domistique is a rider whose sole role is to support his team's strongest rider(s).
Drafting: Riding closely behind the rider ahead of you to reduce wind resistance. This is the same concept seen in Nascar. It is estimated that a rider can save up to 30% of his energy by drafting.
GC Man: A cycling team's best rider. This is the person that the other riders will support while he tries to gain the Yellow Jersey.
General Classification: The race for the fastest time. Each rider who is racing for the General Classification (GC) is looking to have the fastest cumulative time for all the stages. The current leader wears the Yellow Jersey.
Green Jersey: The Green Jersey is worn by the leader of the sprinters. Sprinters earn points by crossing designated sprint lines and by finishing first, second or third in designated Stages. The rider with the highest amount of sprint points wears the Green Jersey, or Maillot Vert.
Hors-categorie: French for 'beyond classification', hors-categorie refers to a mountain climb that is outside the traditional 1-5 rating. In other words, a very tough climb.
Individual Time Trial: A simple race against the clock. Each rider is sent onto the course with a timer running. Normally there is a 30 second or 1 minute gap between each rider. The rider with the fastest time of the day wins the Trial.
Lead out: When a Lieutenant or other support rider accelerates away from the pack, allowing their leader to get positioned for an upcoming sprint or mountain climb. The support rider will lead their leader to the front of the peloton allowing the leader to conserve his energy to the last moment when there is a race for the finish.
Maillot Blanc: French for 'White Jersey' the Maillot Blanc is known as the Young Rider jersey, worn by the best young rider of the Tour. In the Tour, a young rider is defined as a rider who is less than 25 years old on January 1 of the year the Tour is ridden.
Maillot Jaune: French for Yellow Jersey, it signifies the overall leader of the race.
Maillot Vert: French for Green Jersey, the Maillot Vert is worn by the leader of the sprinters. Sprinters earn points by crossing designated sprint lines and by finishing first, second or third in designated Stages. The rider with the highest amount of sprint points wears the Maillot Vert.
Paceline: A formation of cyclists working together. A paceline is normally employed during a Team Time Trial. In a paceline, the first rider will break the wind and the remaining riders will draft behind him, conserving energy. Once the leader tires he will roll off and take his place at the back of the paceline. The new leader will 'take a pull' until tired and repeat the first riders' rolloff. This continues as the riders take turns 'pulling' at the front and then resting.
Points bonus: Points are awarded for either the Green Jersey competition or the Polka Dot Jersey competition. Points are awarded to riders who cross designated checkpoints, usually a sprint point or the top of a mountain climb.
Polka Dot Jersey: Worn by the 'King of the Mountains' the Polka Dot Jersey is white with red polka dots. The rider with the most climbing points is designated as the King of the Mountains and wears this jersey.
Prologue: The first day of racing in the Tour. Normally the prologue is a short time trial (less than 10 kilometers) that is followed by Stage 1. It's main purpose is to determine who will 'start' the Tour in the Yellow Jersey.
Red Kite: The red pennant hanging from an archway at the start of the final kilometer of a Stage.
Red Lantern: Referring to the red light normally found at the end of a rail train, the name for the overall last-place rider.
Sprint: A race for either a stage win or for bonus points within a stage.
Stage: One day of racing in the Tour.
Team Car: Each team has a car that closely follows the Peloton. The team car carries food, water, spare parts and spare bicycles. The Team Director, Team Doctor and Team Mechanic all ride in the Team Car and provide support to the riders.
Team Time Trial: A race against the clock, similar to an Individual Time Trial. However, in the Team Time Trial an entire cycling team is timed as a unit. The teams ride together in a paceline formation to maximize drafting. The entire team is awarded the time of the fifth man to cross the line, which rewards teams who stick together.
Time Bonus: Time bonuses may be available to the first three riders to finish a stage or cross a designated time bonus sprint. Time bonus winners have several seconds deducted from their overall time.
Time Trial: A race against the clock. Time Trials are either Individual or Team.
White Jersey: Known as the Young Rider jersey, the White Jersey is worn by the best young rider of the Tour. In the Tour, a young rider is defined as a rider who is less than 25 years old on January 1 of the year the Tour is ridden.
Yellow Jersey: The jersey worn by the current leader in the General Classification (GC). Also known as the Maillot Jaune.
Champs-Élysées: The traditional finish to the Tour, located in Paris.
Domistique: French for 'servant' a domistique is a rider whose sole role is to support his team's strongest rider(s).
Drafting: Riding closely behind the rider ahead of you to reduce wind resistance. This is the same concept seen in Nascar. It is estimated that a rider can save up to 30% of his energy by drafting.
GC Man: A cycling team's best rider. This is the person that the other riders will support while he tries to gain the Yellow Jersey.
General Classification: The race for the fastest time. Each rider who is racing for the General Classification (GC) is looking to have the fastest cumulative time for all the stages. The current leader wears the Yellow Jersey.
Green Jersey: The Green Jersey is worn by the leader of the sprinters. Sprinters earn points by crossing designated sprint lines and by finishing first, second or third in designated Stages. The rider with the highest amount of sprint points wears the Green Jersey, or Maillot Vert.
Hors-categorie: French for 'beyond classification', hors-categorie refers to a mountain climb that is outside the traditional 1-5 rating. In other words, a very tough climb.
Individual Time Trial: A simple race against the clock. Each rider is sent onto the course with a timer running. Normally there is a 30 second or 1 minute gap between each rider. The rider with the fastest time of the day wins the Trial.
Lead out: When a Lieutenant or other support rider accelerates away from the pack, allowing their leader to get positioned for an upcoming sprint or mountain climb. The support rider will lead their leader to the front of the peloton allowing the leader to conserve his energy to the last moment when there is a race for the finish.
Maillot Blanc: French for 'White Jersey' the Maillot Blanc is known as the Young Rider jersey, worn by the best young rider of the Tour. In the Tour, a young rider is defined as a rider who is less than 25 years old on January 1 of the year the Tour is ridden.
Maillot Jaune: French for Yellow Jersey, it signifies the overall leader of the race.
Maillot Vert: French for Green Jersey, the Maillot Vert is worn by the leader of the sprinters. Sprinters earn points by crossing designated sprint lines and by finishing first, second or third in designated Stages. The rider with the highest amount of sprint points wears the Maillot Vert.
Paceline: A formation of cyclists working together. A paceline is normally employed during a Team Time Trial. In a paceline, the first rider will break the wind and the remaining riders will draft behind him, conserving energy. Once the leader tires he will roll off and take his place at the back of the paceline. The new leader will 'take a pull' until tired and repeat the first riders' rolloff. This continues as the riders take turns 'pulling' at the front and then resting.
Points bonus: Points are awarded for either the Green Jersey competition or the Polka Dot Jersey competition. Points are awarded to riders who cross designated checkpoints, usually a sprint point or the top of a mountain climb.
Polka Dot Jersey: Worn by the 'King of the Mountains' the Polka Dot Jersey is white with red polka dots. The rider with the most climbing points is designated as the King of the Mountains and wears this jersey.
Prologue: The first day of racing in the Tour. Normally the prologue is a short time trial (less than 10 kilometers) that is followed by Stage 1. It's main purpose is to determine who will 'start' the Tour in the Yellow Jersey.
Red Kite: The red pennant hanging from an archway at the start of the final kilometer of a Stage.
Red Lantern: Referring to the red light normally found at the end of a rail train, the name for the overall last-place rider.
Sprint: A race for either a stage win or for bonus points within a stage.
Stage: One day of racing in the Tour.
Team Car: Each team has a car that closely follows the Peloton. The team car carries food, water, spare parts and spare bicycles. The Team Director, Team Doctor and Team Mechanic all ride in the Team Car and provide support to the riders.
Team Time Trial: A race against the clock, similar to an Individual Time Trial. However, in the Team Time Trial an entire cycling team is timed as a unit. The teams ride together in a paceline formation to maximize drafting. The entire team is awarded the time of the fifth man to cross the line, which rewards teams who stick together.
Time Bonus: Time bonuses may be available to the first three riders to finish a stage or cross a designated time bonus sprint. Time bonus winners have several seconds deducted from their overall time.
Time Trial: A race against the clock. Time Trials are either Individual or Team.
White Jersey: Known as the Young Rider jersey, the White Jersey is worn by the best young rider of the Tour. In the Tour, a young rider is defined as a rider who is less than 25 years old on January 1 of the year the Tour is ridden.
Yellow Jersey: The jersey worn by the current leader in the General Classification (GC). Also known as the Maillot Jaune.
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