Tour de France Roles
Of course the ultimate goal of the Tour is to win the Yellow Jersey, so in the simplest terms the strategy is to go really fast. But it's really much more involved than this. Each team is allowed to start 9 riders for the Tour. While in theory any of the riders could win the Tour, in reality there are clearly defined roles for each rider. To truly understand the team nature of cycling, think of a cycling team as one interconnected unit. Each team has it's own goal for the Tour, depending on their riders' strengths. If a team has one rider vying for the Yellow Jersey the remaining 8 riders will not attempt to beat this rider, but rather they will try to help him. There are many roles that these helpers can play.
Leader Roles
GC Man: Most teams have one rider who is their main General Classification (GC) threat. This is the rider that the Team Director feels has the best chance of winning the Yellow Jersey. Normally the team's 'GC man' is the most well rounded cyclist on the team. A rider who can sprint, ride at high speeds, and maybe most importantly, climb mountains. The team may also have other riders who specialize in sprinting or mountain climbing, but if the team has a viable GC man they will be the main focus.
Sprint Leader: Many teams do not have a rider that can be a serious threat for the overall race lead. These teams may choose to focus on a rider they feel can win the sprint championships. Sprinters are explosive riders who can accelerate quickly over short distances. Lieutenants and domestiques will support a sprinter at each time bonus opportunity, working to ensure that their leader is in place to win the upcoming sprint.
Mountain Leader: A rider who excels at mountain stages, but is not strong enough to be considered a GC threat. Teams will ride in support of a mountain rider on each mountain stage hoping to allow their leader to pass designated summits first and gather the most points for the King of the Mountains competition.
Support Roles
Lieutenant: The most visible roles are the Lieutenants. The Lieutenants will ride side by side with the GC man, Sprinter, or King of the Mountain candidate protecting him from being bumped by the rest of the peloton. Each Lieutenant is chosen for a particular strength. Lieutenants who excel at speed will lead a team on the flat stages, allowing the leader to conserve his energy. Lieutenants who excel in the mountains will lead their leader out on mountain climbs, again allowing the leader to conserve his energy. Often, these Lieutenants will ride themselves to the point of exhaustion protecting their leader and they will finish well back in the pack at the end of the stage.
Domestique: The other, less visible, role that riders can play is that of a 'domestique' which is French for servant. Domestiques also ride to protect the team leader, but they have a unique role as well. Domestiques act as human cargo trucks by constantly dropping back in the pack to their team car to fetch fresh water bottles and anything else the leader needs. Domestiques will fall back to the team car, fill their jerseys with up to 21 water bottles, and then ride back to their team in the peloton and hand out the new supplies to their team.
Leader Roles
GC Man: Most teams have one rider who is their main General Classification (GC) threat. This is the rider that the Team Director feels has the best chance of winning the Yellow Jersey. Normally the team's 'GC man' is the most well rounded cyclist on the team. A rider who can sprint, ride at high speeds, and maybe most importantly, climb mountains. The team may also have other riders who specialize in sprinting or mountain climbing, but if the team has a viable GC man they will be the main focus.
Sprint Leader: Many teams do not have a rider that can be a serious threat for the overall race lead. These teams may choose to focus on a rider they feel can win the sprint championships. Sprinters are explosive riders who can accelerate quickly over short distances. Lieutenants and domestiques will support a sprinter at each time bonus opportunity, working to ensure that their leader is in place to win the upcoming sprint.
Mountain Leader: A rider who excels at mountain stages, but is not strong enough to be considered a GC threat. Teams will ride in support of a mountain rider on each mountain stage hoping to allow their leader to pass designated summits first and gather the most points for the King of the Mountains competition.
Support Roles
Lieutenant: The most visible roles are the Lieutenants. The Lieutenants will ride side by side with the GC man, Sprinter, or King of the Mountain candidate protecting him from being bumped by the rest of the peloton. Each Lieutenant is chosen for a particular strength. Lieutenants who excel at speed will lead a team on the flat stages, allowing the leader to conserve his energy. Lieutenants who excel in the mountains will lead their leader out on mountain climbs, again allowing the leader to conserve his energy. Often, these Lieutenants will ride themselves to the point of exhaustion protecting their leader and they will finish well back in the pack at the end of the stage.
Domestique: The other, less visible, role that riders can play is that of a 'domestique' which is French for servant. Domestiques also ride to protect the team leader, but they have a unique role as well. Domestiques act as human cargo trucks by constantly dropping back in the pack to their team car to fetch fresh water bottles and anything else the leader needs. Domestiques will fall back to the team car, fill their jerseys with up to 21 water bottles, and then ride back to their team in the peloton and hand out the new supplies to their team.
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