General Classification
Encyclopedia
The general classification (or the GC) in bicycle racing
is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage
bicycle races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest time when all the stage results are added together.
Riders who finish in the same group are awarded the same time, with possible subtractions due to time bonuses. Two riders are said to have finished in the same group if the gap between them is less than one bike-length. A crash in the final three kilometers of a normal stage means that all riders in the same group entering the final kilometer are given the same time. A restriction on this rule occurs during stages that finish in a mountain climb. Riders involved in a crash during the last three kilometers of these races must still finish the stage and are awarded the time received when crossing the finish line.
Note that it is possible to win the GC without winning even one stage of a multi-stage race. It is even possible to win the GC of the race without being the GC leader on any stage before the last stage of the race.
In many bicycle races, the current leader of the GC gets a special jersey
awarded. In the Tour de France
, the leader wears a yellow jersey, in the Giro d'Italia
a pink jersey, and in the Vuelta a España
the leader's jersey is red. It is considered an honor to wear the special jersey.
The most important stages of a bicycle race for GC contenders are mountain stages and individual time trial
stages. Both of these offer the best chance for a single racer to outperform other racers.
The term is a literal translation of the French
Classement général, as are the equivalent terms in Italian
(Classifica generale) and Dutch
(Algemeen klassement).
Eddy Merckx
, Greg LeMond
, Miguel Indurain
and Lance Armstrong
are all famous bicycle racers known for winning the GC of the Tour de France
.
Bicycle racing
Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport...
is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage
Stage (bicycle race)
In sports, a stage, or leg, or heat, is a unit of a race which has been divided in several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-day event. Usually, such a race consists of "ordinary" stages, but sometimes stages are held as an individual time trial or a...
bicycle races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest time when all the stage results are added together.
Riders who finish in the same group are awarded the same time, with possible subtractions due to time bonuses. Two riders are said to have finished in the same group if the gap between them is less than one bike-length. A crash in the final three kilometers of a normal stage means that all riders in the same group entering the final kilometer are given the same time. A restriction on this rule occurs during stages that finish in a mountain climb. Riders involved in a crash during the last three kilometers of these races must still finish the stage and are awarded the time received when crossing the finish line.
Note that it is possible to win the GC without winning even one stage of a multi-stage race. It is even possible to win the GC of the race without being the GC leader on any stage before the last stage of the race.
In many bicycle races, the current leader of the GC gets a special jersey
Cycling jersey
A cycling jersey is a specialized jersey for cycling. While the vast majority of cyclists worldwide wear conventional clothing while riding, a jersey offers certain advantages for the serious cyclist. A cycling jersey is cut long in the back to accommodate the bent-over position used in serious...
awarded. In the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, the leader wears a yellow jersey, in the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
a pink jersey, and in the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
the leader's jersey is red. It is considered an honor to wear the special jersey.
The most important stages of a bicycle race for GC contenders are mountain stages and individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
stages. Both of these offer the best chance for a single racer to outperform other racers.
The term is a literal translation of the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Classement général, as are the equivalent terms in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(Classifica generale) and Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
(Algemeen klassement).
Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
, Greg LeMond
Greg LeMond
Gregory James LeMond is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France. He was born in Lakewood, California and raised in Reno, Nevada....
, Miguel Indurain
Miguel Indurain
Miguel Ángel Indurain Larraya is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. He won five consecutive Tour de Frances from 1991 and 1995, the first to do so, and the fourth athlete to win five times. He won the Giro d'Italia twice, becoming one of only seven people in history to achieve the Giro Tour...
and Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
are all famous bicycle racers known for winning the GC of the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
.
See also
- Points classificationPoints classificationThe points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
- Mountains classification
- Young rider classificationYoung rider classificationYoung rider classification is a cycling jersey competition in multi-day stage race events, such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and many others, which awards the current leader by overall time for riders below the age of twenty-five years old depending on the race rules...