Cycling team
Encyclopedia
A cycling team is a group of cyclist
s who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races
whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel. Cycling teams are most important in road bicycle racing
, which is a team sport
, but collaboration between team members is also important in track cycling
and cyclo-cross
, .
There are also officers for sponsorship, marketing, and communication.
, which enforces rules and a points system for professional competition.
save their energy for sprints for points and position; time trialist
s keep speed high over great distances; and domestiques
guard the team from rivals and carry food and drink to their leaders.
The leaders of teams are called captains, the rest supporting the captain. The team helps the captain but may be allowed to try to win. The captains have the most media exposure and best chance of winning.
In one day races, one or several leaders are chosen according to demands of the race. In stage races
, teams focus on different goals. For example, during the 2005 Tour de France
teams such as Discovery Channel
or T-Mobile focused on the general classification
while other teams tried to win stages or one of the other classifications. In the 2004 Tour de France
, helped Richard Virenque
win the polka dot jersey
while helped Robbie McEwen
win the green jersey
. Smaller teams may simply get riders into a long breakaway to get coverage on television. Most professional teams have 10-20 riders.
Teams are generally sponsored in exchange for advertising
on clothing and other endorsements. Sponsorship ranges from small businesses to international companies.
The Tour de France between 1930 and the late 1950s was for national teams which carried no prominent commercial advertising.
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
s who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races
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...
whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel. Cycling teams are most important in road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
, which is a team sport
Team sport
A team sport includes any sport which involves players working together towards a shared objective. A team sport is an activity in which a group of individuals, on the same team, work together to accomplish an ultimate goal which is usually to win. This can be done in a number of ways such as...
, but collaboration between team members is also important in track cycling
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
and cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...
, .
Composition of a cycling team
While riders form the core of a team, a top team also has personnel who support the racing and training. These include- A manager, who oversees the team's commitments, sponsorships and general operation.
- Directeurs sportifDirecteur sportifA directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
, who travel to races and dictate the racing strategy. In bigger teams they often drive team cars and have radio contact with the riders. - Coaches, who direct the team's training.
- Doctors, responsible for riders' well-being and often making sure the riders meet regulations such as those related to dopingDoping (sport)The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
. - Therapists, who assist the coaches .
- Soigneurs, who are assistants responsible for feeding, clothing, and escorting riders. They also massage riders.
- MechanicsBicycle mechanicA bicycle mechanic is a mechanic who can perform a wide range of repairs on bicycles. Bike mechanics can be employed in various types of stores, ranging from large department stores to small local bike shops; cycling teams, or bicycle manufacturers....
, who are responsible for the team's equipment.
There are also officers for sponsorship, marketing, and communication.
Cycling teams by levels of commitment
There are different levels of commitment between the riders and the team. Amateur teams range from a collection of riders who identify themselves as a team to those that provide riders with equipment and money. A top-level professional team is registered with the Union Cycliste InternationaleUnion Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
, which enforces rules and a points system for professional competition.
Road cycling teams
Team members have different specializations. Climbing specialists grind away on hard inclines; sprintersCycling sprinter
A cycling sprinter is a road bicycle racer or track racer who can finish a race very explosively by accelerating quickly to a high speed, often using the slipstream of another cyclist or group of cyclists tactically to conserve energy.-The road sprinter:...
save their energy for sprints for points and position; time trialist
Time trialist
A time trialist is a road bicycle racer who can maintain high speeds for long periods of time, to maximize performance during individual or team time trials...
s keep speed high over great distances; and domestiques
Cycling domestique
A domestique is a road bicycle racer who works for the benefit of his team and leader. The French domestique translates as "servant". In Italy and Spain, the term gregario is used, while in Belgium and the Netherlands the term knecht or helper are used...
guard the team from rivals and carry food and drink to their leaders.
The leaders of teams are called captains, the rest supporting the captain. The team helps the captain but may be allowed to try to win. The captains have the most media exposure and best chance of winning.
In one day races, one or several leaders are chosen according to demands of the race. In stage races
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...
, teams focus on different goals. For example, during the 2005 Tour de France
2005 Tour de France
The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
teams such as Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team was a United States-based professional road bicycle racing team. It was the continuation of the 2004 U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France winner, was its leader until July 2005...
or T-Mobile focused on the general classification
General Classification
The general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
while other teams tried to win stages or one of the other classifications. In the 2004 Tour de France
2004 Tour de France
The 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and...
, helped Richard Virenque
Richard Virenque
Richard VirenqueRichard Virenque's name is pronounced Ree-shah Vee-rahnk. Virenque considers himself a man of the South but pronounces his name in standard French. Confusion is caused by the southern habit of pronouncing "en" as "ang" or "eng", making it Vee-rank. But Virenque says Vee-rahnk or...
win the polka dot jersey
Polka dot jersey
The Mountains classification in the Tour de France is a secondary classification in the Tour de France, in which cyclists receive points for reaching a mountain top first...
while helped Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, for on the UCI ProTour, specializing in sprint finishes...
win the green jersey
Green jersey
The green jersey is a term used in road bicycle racing and Grand Tour stage races in particular. The green jersey is a distinctive racing jersey worn by the leader in a subsidiary competition....
. Smaller teams may simply get riders into a long breakaway to get coverage on television. Most professional teams have 10-20 riders.
Teams are generally sponsored in exchange for advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
on clothing and other endorsements. Sponsorship ranges from small businesses to international companies.
The Tour de France between 1930 and the late 1950s was for national teams which carried no prominent commercial advertising.
See also
- UCI ProTourUCI ProTourThe UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
- Road bicycle racingRoad bicycle racingRoad bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
- Stage race
- List of UCI Professional Continental and Continental teams