Cycling words · Beginner

The words you will hear in your first match, grouped the way you meet them.

B · Beginner · 37 words · Step 1 of 2

General terms

Peloton

The main, large pack of riders grouped together during a road race, riding in a group saves significant energy due to reduced wind resistance.

Draft

Riding closely behind another cyclist to reduce wind resistance and save energy.

Also called: drafting

Stage race

A race run over a minimum of two days with a general classification on time, made up of road-race stages and time-trial stages. Stage races are run by teams. A Grand Tour lasts 15 to 23 calendar days, rest days included, and has two rest days.

Breakaway

When one or a small group of riders splits off from the main peloton, trying to gain a lead.

Sprint

A short, high-speed effort to the line, such as for a stage win or for points and bonus seconds at an intermediate sprint. On the track a sprint is also an event of its own: see Sprint under track cycling.

Domestique

A team rider whose main role is to support their team's leader (pacing, fetching supplies, blocking wind) rather than trying to win themselves.

Commissaires panel

The officials who judge a race. Their composition is set in Article 1.2.116 of the regulations. In track racing the president appoints one member as judge-referee, who monitors the riders' conduct and is compulsory for the sprint, the keirin and bunch events.

Also called: commissaires
See also: Sprint, Keirin

Road racing terms

General classification

The overall standings by cumulative time across the stages. It is compulsory in UCI WorldTour stage races. Bonus seconds count only here. Ties are broken first by the fractions of a second from the time trials, then by the sum of the stage placings, then by the last stage.

Also called: GC, general individual classification
See also: Time bonus

Leader's jersey

The jersey the leader of a classification wears. In UCI WorldTour events at most four leader's jerseys can be issued, and only the one for the general classification on time is compulsory. A rider who leads several classifications wears the general classification jersey first, then points, then climber's, then the others. The yellow jersey is the Tour de France's general classification jersey.

Also called: yellow jersey, maillot jaune
See also: General classification

Time trial

A race against the clock. In an individual time trial riders start from a stationary position, held by a holder, at equal intervals and ride alone. In a team time trial teams start at equal intervals of at least four minutes, unless the UCI allows less.

Climb

A stage or section of a race that goes uphill, often decisive for overall standings due to the physical demands.

Also called: mountain stage

Feeding zone

A signposted area the organiser provides for teams to hand food and drink to riders on foot, up to 5 km long with at least 50 m for each team and at most three staff from each team. Feeding is forbidden in the first 30 km and the last 20 km, on descents of listed mountains and shortly before and after a sprint for a secondary classification. Riders may throw waste only in the litter zones.

Also called: feed zone
See also: Sprint

Peloton split

When crosswinds cause the peloton to fracture into smaller diagonal groups, since riders must angle themselves to draft effectively.

Also called: echelon
See also: Peloton, Draft

One-day race

A road race run in a single day. The stages of a stage race are run in the same way as one-day races.

Track cycling terms

Velodrome

The banked, oval track used for track cycling. The blue band along the inside is not part of the racing surface: a rider who rides on it on purpose and gains an advantage is relegated or disqualified, depending on how serious the fault is.

Sprint

A track race between two to four riders over two or three laps (three laps on tracks shorter than 333.33 m, two on longer tracks). A 200 m flying time trial selects and ranks the riders, and the tournament goes through quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, the later rounds best of three heats. In the final sprint each rider stays in their lane to the finish unless they have a clear cycle-length lead.

Pursuit

Two riders start on opposite sides of the track over a fixed distance. The winner is the one who catches the other or records the fastest time. The qualifying round picks the best four riders by time, and the two fastest ride for gold and silver. A rider is caught when the chainset of the opponent's bicycle draws level with theirs.

Keirin

A sprint after a number of laps behind a motorised pacer, the derny, which leaves the track three laps to go on a 250 m track. Starting positions are drawn by lot, and riders stay immediately behind the pacer until it leaves the track. The number of laps ridden without the pacer equals the number behind it.

Madison

A track race for teams of two riders, with the placings decided on points won in sprints and by taking laps. Teammates take turns racing by touching hand or shorts. A team that gains a lap on the main bunch gets 20 points and one that loses a lap loses 20. A tie on points is settled by the final sprint.

Omnium

An event of four races over one day: the scratch race, the tempo race, the elimination race and the points race, in that order. In the first three the winner gets 40 points, second 38, third 36 and so on, with 1 point from 21st place down. Riders start the points race with those totals and add to or lose from them.

Team sprint

A race between two teams in which each rider leads for one lap. At the top events a qualifying round against the clock selects the eight fastest teams, who are paired in a first round (fourth against fifth, third against sixth and so on), followed by the finals.

Team pursuit

A pursuit between two teams of four riders, starting on opposite sides of the track and riding four kilometres. The winner is the team that catches the other or records the fastest time.

Scratch race

An individual bunch race over a set distance. A rider overtaken by the main bunch leaves the track at once, and the placings are decided in the final sprint, taking laps gained into account.

Track rules

Gaining and losing a lap

A rider or team gains a lap by catching the rear of the largest racing bunch on the track, and loses one when caught by it. The president of the commissaires panel decides which is the largest bunch.

Bell

The bell that signals the start of the sprint laps. It is rung when the head of the race crosses the finish line, and points are awarded or the race ends the next time the head of the race crosses it.

Mountain biking (MTB) terms

Cross-country

The family of cross-country mountain bike formats. The Olympic format (XCO) is run in laps of a mixed-terrain course with all riders starting in one group. The others are short track (XCC), eliminator (XCE), marathon (XCM), time trial (XCT, used only inside stage races) and team relay (XCR).

Also called: XC
See also: Time trial, Short track, Eliminator

Downhill

A mountain bike discipline timed over a course that must follow a descending route. The final is a single run, preceded by one or two qualifying runs that admit a set number of riders, or by a seeding run that sets the start order. Two-run systems that average or add the times are not allowed.

Also called: DH, DHI

Singletrack

A narrow trail wide enough for only one rider at a time.

Berm

A banked turn on a trail that riders can use to maintain speed through corners.

Suspension

Shock-absorbing components on a mountain bike (front fork and/or rear) that smooth out impacts from rough terrain.

BMX terms

BMX racing

A race from a starting gate in heats of up to eight riders over a short dirt track. A competition has three phases: the motos, the qualifiers and the final. A final is held when nine or more riders are entered, and qualifiers when seventeen or more.

Gate start

The start of a BMX heat from a starting gate with a voice box. The starter's call is 'OK riders, random start', then 'Riders ready' and 'Watch the gate'. The front wheel must be against the gate, grounded and still during the call. In the qualifiers and final the rider with the better previous result or lap time picks their gate first.

BMX freestyle

A judged BMX discipline with two specialities, park and flatland, in which riders are scored on a routine of tricks. In park each rider does two one-minute runs per heat. Each judge scores a run from 0.00 to 99.99 on overall impression, the judges' scores are averaged, and in the semi-final and final the better of the two runs counts.

Jump

Ramp-style obstacles on a BMX track designed for riders to get airborne.

Also called: table, doubles

Park

The BMX freestyle speciality ridden on a course of ramps and obstacles. Riders perform timed routines of tricks, and each run lasts one minute. They are scored on difficulty and quality of execution, among other things.

Flatland

The BMX freestyle speciality ridden on a flat surface, judged on difficulty and risk, flow and style, originality, consistency and control of the tricks. Each rider does one run in a qualifying phase and two in the final, the better counting.

Run

The individual unit of a BMX freestyle competition: one routine of tricks that the judges score.