Pro cycle racing explained

[Cudzoziemiec]

The bloke standing in a red Škoda with his upper body protruding through the sunroof in a manner almost, but not quite, entirely unlike Botticelli's Venus emerging from the sea

Never mind the jerseys, Mr Larrington has won the thread!

[liam_whippet]

Note also, Venus is doing an Arrivee - in crosswinds - whereas 'the other bloke' is doing a Depart ...

[citoyen]

The 26 cut-off may have to do with the 26 -32 bracket being considered (by some, and by results perhaps, YMMV) the prime years for pro-cyclists, but the emergence of MVdP, WVA, Evenpoel et al, and most of all Pogecar, make a bit of a mockery of the 26 upper age limit for 'young' riders.

Old fogeys compared to Henri Cornet, who was 19 when he won it in 1904 (albeit largely due to everyone else being disqualified for cheating).

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Ah, there was a bit of a fracas a year Orr two back when they had a mountain top finish on a hill that only had the one road on it. The lead competitors (and I think some of the vehicles) started back down the mountain before everyone had finished resulting in said fracas.
Or did I dream thwt?

About once a decade, the TdF thinks that they can organised a constrained mountaintop finish without issues. About once a decade, they find out that they can’t.

[fimm]

Pogacar won the yellow, white and polka-dot jerseys this year.

[mzjo]

I have come to this late and ICBA to see if anyone else has got the answer but to my memory the polka dot jumper is red and white because it was sponsored by Champion supermarkets and those were the Champion colours. Indeed at one time it had Champion written across the front. Champion no longer exists (bought up by Géant-Casino i believe).

The early combativity awards were IIRC sponsored by Coeur de Lion cheese (a cambembert) in the days of Richard Virenque. Dunno if they still do!

All fule know Le Tour est là pour les enfants who will pick up all the goodies chucked out by the caravan if the mémé doesn't get there first with her stick to hoik goodies to safety in her sac (or pochon in this part of the world). The racing is of no interest apart from it gives the gendarmes an excuse to stop you getting into your car to drive home. Entertaining the kids in the hour's wait before the pelican flashes by in about 15 seconds (or less if they are all still grouped) is a major logistical headache which is why serious watchers of the racing do it at home with the tele and a few beers and despatch the kids with a hard-suffering maman (who truth be told would actually like to watch those good-looking boys giving their all up or down a mountain - which is why their hubbies are afraid to let them; complexes of inferiority rool, ok)

[Cudzoziemiec]

The early combativity awards were IIRC sponsored by Coeur de Lion cheese (a cambembert) in the days of Richard Virenque. Dunno if they still do!

Making him Richard Coeur de Lion.



Je vais chercher mon manteau.

[Mr Larrington]

The early combativity awards were IIRC sponsored by Coeur de Lion cheese (a cambembert) in the days of Richard Virenque. Dunno if they still do!

Latest sponsor news I could find was Antargaz signing a three year deal in 2014.

[mzjo]

The early combativity awards were IIRC sponsored by Coeur de Lion cheese (a cambembert) in the days of Richard Virenque. Dunno if they still do!

Making him Richard Coeur de Lion.



Je vais chercher mon manteau.

Well I do remember something with Virenque being linked to the promotion and the phrase Richard Coeur de Lion being put up in the publicity. I can't remember if it was before or after his doping saga or his retirement. Lance must wonder what he has to do sometimes. Virenque is still a prized sporting ambassador for Festina! (Or at least he was just a couple of years ago, he's been a bit more silent recently)

[Ian H]

There are races other than the major tours (as described in this thread).

[fimm]

I don't think anyone answered this one:

Next up there is the snotty jumper, that goes to the rider who is first past the most of certain signs that are not on tops of hills. These signs seem to be at least one in the middle of every stage, and one at the end, if the end is not on the top of a mountain?

6) Is this magic jumper always snotty? Does it change based on country of racing?

The answer is no, in the Giro d'Italia it is purple ("ciclamino"). Wikipedia says the Vuelta also has a green jumper.

[Salvatore]

I don't think anyone answered this one:

Next up there is the snotty jumper, that goes to the rider who is first past the most of certain signs that are not on tops of hills. These signs seem to be at least one in the middle of every stage, and one at the end, if the end is not on the top of a mountain?

6) Is this magic jumper always snotty? Does it change based on country of racing?

The answer is no, in the Giro d'Italia it is purple ("ciclamino"). Wikipedia says the Vuelta also has a green jumper.

Tour de Wallonie, for example:
Maillot orange: GC
Maillot jaune: Points
Maillot rouge: Young Rider
Maillot fuschia: Sprints
Maillot blanc: climber

https://www.trworg.be/les-maillots-2021/

[yoav]

The polka dot jersey came into being in 1975 when the sponsor of that competition, Chocolat Poulain used the design of the wrapper of their chocolate bars for the jersey.

[Mr Larrington]

The polka dot jersey came into being in 1975 when the sponsor of that competition, Chocolat Poulain used the design of the wrapper of their chocolate bars for the jersey.

Or not.

[yoav]

My favourite leaders jersey is from the Criterium de Dauphiné from a few years back when they used a reverse of the polka dot jersey, ie red jersey with white circles but sadly, ASO weren’t selling replicas of them