Microsoft word - cyclingo 1.doc

CYC-LING-O – Lesson 1

Puncheur: a type of road bicycle racer that specializes in rolling terrain with short but steep climbs.
Ideal races for this type of rider are the one day classics in spring. These races are characterized by
hills that are 10 – 20% and 1-2km long, examples include the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Mur de Huy in
the Flèche Wallonne and the Manayunk Wall in the Philadelphia International Championship. The
physique of this type of rider allows them to escape from the peloton through quick bursts usually with
the assistance of a teammate. Examples of such racers include Philippe Gilbert, Paolo Bettini and
Danilo Di Luca, who are able to sprint their way up the shorter climbs to win a stage or a single -day
race. However, their lower endurance is a disadvantage in stage races where the climbs are usually
longer 5 – 20 km, albeit at lower gradients 5 – 10%.
‘Rouleur’: a consistent all rounder who can ride well over most types of course. A rouleur will often work
as a domestique in support of their team leader, a sprinter or a climber on their team. The best chance
for a rouleur to win a stage is by breaking away from the main bunch during the race to win from a small
group of riders that does not contain the sprint specialists. The break away is most likely to succeed in
the undulating transition stages of multi-stage road races, that are neither mountainous nor flat.
Examples of such racers include Jens Voigt.
‘Autobus’ or the ‘Gruppetto’: In bicycling terminology the name given to the group of cyclists in a road
cycling race who form a large group behind the leading peloton. The autobus forms on mountain stages
when non-climbers fall off the back of peloton during the climb. Gradually some riders fall off the back of
the peloton and form a large group at the end of the race. These riders are generally sprinters or
domestiques unconcerned about their finishing positions in the mountain stages. Their primary concern
is beating the elimination time to ensure their survival in a multi -stage race such as the Tour de France.
If the autobus arrives outside the elimination time, the organisers may extend the elimination time if the
autobus is larger than 20% of the riders. However if a rider is dropped from the autobus in this situation
they will almost certainly be eliminated unless they have suffered an accident, in which case they may
be exempted. The elimination time varies depending on the organisers, in the Tour there are differing
coefficients depending on the difficulty of the stage. These coefficients are a percentage of the stage
winners time. Due to the common interest in survival, the mood in the autobus has a greater sense of
camaraderie than in the main peloton. Riders often assist one another with food and drinks despite
riding for separate teams.
‘Broom Wagon’ (also referred to as Sag Wagon): The affectionate name for the vehicle that follows a
Cycle Road Race picking up stragglers (or sweeping them up) who are unable to make it to the finish of
the race within the time permitted. In the Tour de France the vehicle used was traditional y a Citroën H
Van. The expression broom wagon is a translation of the French, voiture balai, and it was seen first at
the Tour de France in 1910. The broom wagon of the Tour de France did indeed once carr y a broom
fixed above the driver’s cab – except in the years that it was sponsored by a vacuum-cleaner company.
The usage of a broom wagon has expanded to other sports events – especially in marathon events a
broom wagon is a common feature. In the various marathon races many people from the neighbourhood
join in who are not able to reach the finish line within time such that the broom wagon puts an end to
their effort. Also offroad races like the Dakar Rally have come to use a broom wagon that follows on the
track picking up motorists who have broken down in between. The broom wagon is colloquially known
as the sag wagon. SAG is an acronym which stands for Supplies and Gear. By extension, cycle -touring
groups which have a vehicle to carry their luggage and food are now said to be “sagged” in that they
have a vehicle that carries supplies and gear for the participants in the ride.
‘Criterium’, or crit: A bike race held on a short course (usually less than 5 km), often run on closed-off
city center streets. Race length can be determined by a number of laps or total time, in which case the
number of remaining laps is calculated as the race progresses. Generally the event’s duration
(commonly one hour) is shorter than that of a traditional road race — which can last many hours,
sometimes over the course of several days or even weeks, as in a Grand Tour. However, the average
speed and intensity are appreciably higher. The winner is the first rider to cross the finish line without
having been “lapped.” Events often have prizes (called primes, pronounced “preems”, and are usually
cash) for winning specific intermediate laps (for instance, every 10th lap). A bell is usually rung to
announce to the riders that whoever wins the next lap, wins the prime. Success in road criteriums
requires a mix of good technical skills — in particular, the ability to corner smoothly while “holding your
line” on the road, as well as rapidly and sharply — and riding safely with a large group on a short circuit
and exceptional “sprint” ability to attack other riders and repeatedly accelerate hard from corners.
Criteriums are relatively easy to organize, do not require a large amount of space, and are good for live
spectators as they allow them to see the riders pass by many times. They are the most common type of
bicycle racing in the continental United States. They are also gaining popularity as a format for mountain
bike events. Flanders (Belgium) hosts a number of criteriums, as does the Netherlands. The most
notable of these are held just after the Tour de France. However, criteriums in Europe are mostly held in
the format of a points-race. First, second, and third rider at every 5th lap gets 3, 2, 1 points respectively
(with double points at final endsprint). It was a long traditi on that after the Tour these criteriums were
fixed to have favourable results for local favorites, who may be participating for show after having ridden
in a larger race (for example, the Tour de France).
‘Hors catégorie’: A French term used in cycle races (most notably, the Tour de France) to designate a
climb that is “beyond categorization”, an incredibly tough climb. Most climbs in cycling are designated
from Category 1 (hardest) to Category 4 (easiest), based on both steepness and length. A climb that is
harder than Category 1 is designated as hors catégorie. The term was originally used for those
mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass.
‘Kermesse’, also spelled kermess, and kermis in Flemish: A style of road bicycle race that i s common
in Western Europe. Typically kermesse races are found in Belgium, especially in the northern Flanders
region, where they are the most popular style of amateur bicycle race. They also exist in the
Netherlands. The bicycle race borrows the name from the kermesse (festival) where the bicycle race is
often held on the same day as a town festival, though not always. The races are usually 90 -140
kilometers in total length. While some are longer or shorter, most are about 120 kilometers. The race is
a set distance and number of laps over the established course[1]. There are typically 10 to 20 laps, of
between 5 and 10 kilometers. The race usually begins and ends in the center of the town which is
hosting the day’s race. The race will occupy the roads in to wn as well as the roads surrounding, either
city streets or farmland. The course usually has a rolling enclosure. This means that while the race is not
passing through, the streets are open to traffic. A designated car, usually with a caution sign and a re d
flag, leads the riders and close the cross streets to traffic. A following car, usually with signs and a green
flag, open the streets back up to traffic. These events are usually amateur races restricted to
professionals and classified as UCI 1.12B[2], though there are also professional only races[1]. To enter
the race one must hold a license with a governing cycling body of their country or with the Union
Cycliste Internationale. Most kermesse races in Belgium are overseen by Wielerbond Vlaanderen[3].
Registration for the races is typically 3 euro with a 5 euro deposit for the race number. The race number
must be returned after the race to get ones deposit back. There is usually a pay out of 670 euro or 800
euro. Traditionally the 670 euro race will pay out 35 deep and the 800 euro race will pay out 50 deep.
Some race have greater or less payout. Within the event there are often special prizes awarded during
certain laps of the race, known as primes. The primes are usually cash awards, but sometimes will b e
other things like a bicycle. The kermesse is similar to the criterium but differs primarily in total course
length and lap length. While a criterium traditionally last 60 –90 minutes, a kermesse will often take 120–
180 minutes. A single lap in a criterium is usually less than 5 kilometers while the kermesse is usually 5 -
10 kilometers per lap.
‘Ruban Jaune’ (English; Yellow Ribbon): A cycling trophy created in 1936 by Henri Desgrange,
awarded to the rider recording the fastest average speed in a professio nal cycling race or stage longer
than 200km. The trophy’s name is thought is to have come from comparison with the Blue Riband
trophy awarded to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in record time. Desgrange changed
the colour to yellow to reflect the newsprint of L’Auto, the sports newspaper he edited. The timing of the
record must be by two independent timekeepers using certified timing equipment which has been
recently calibrated. Because of these strict rules it was unofficially accepted in the latter part of the 20th
century that only times in classic races would be accepted.
‘Domestique’ in French or ‘Gregario’ in Italian: A road bicycle racer who works for the benefit of his
team and leader. The French domestique translates as “servant”. The word was coined in 1911,
although such riders had existed before then. Domestiques bring water and food from team cars and
shield teammates from opponents. They help teammates with mechanical disasters – should the leader
puncture a tire, the domestique will cycle in front to create a slipstream allowing him to reclaim their
position. A domestique may also sacrifice his bicycle or wheel. Domestiques race in the interest of the
team, or against opposing teams. By putting themselves in a breakaway they f orce other teams to
chase. In turn, they chase a breakaway that threatens their team. Domestiques lead out sprinters by
letting them ‘draft’ behind to conserve energy until the last few hundred meters. The lead -out train
sometimes starts 10–15 km to the finish with up to eight domestiques setting a pace to discourage
others from breaking away. One by one, worn-out teammates drop off. The last to lead a sprinter is
often a good sprinter himself. The sprinter will launch into a dash to the line with one or tw o hundred
meters to go. In mountainous races, domestiques help their leaders by setting a pace or thwarting
attacks from others. There is a hierarchy among domestiques; the more accomplished, often called
lieutenants or super-domestiques, are called upon during critical times. The lieutenant(s) stays with the
leader as long as possible during demanding periods.
‘Echelon’: An echelon formation is a military formation in which members are arranged diagonally. Each
member is stationed behind and to the right (a 'right echelon'), or behind and to the left ('left echelon'), of
the member ahead. The name of the formation comes from the French word échelle, meaning ladder,
which describes the staircase effect that this formation has when viewed from above or belo w. In road
racing, an echelon formation is a diagonal line of racers, which allows cooperative drafting.
‘Lanterne Rouge’: The competitor in last place in a cycling race such as the Tour de France. The
phrase comes from the French "Red Lantern" and refers to the red lantern hung on the caboose of a
railway train, which conductors would look for in order to make sure none of the cou plings had become
disconnected.
‘Maillot’: The French word for jersey (sports), as well as for swimsuit, and may refer to:
‘Maillot à pois rouges’: 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. The leader of the
classification is named the "King of the Mountains", and since 1975 wears the polka dot jersey, a white
jersey with red dots. Since 1905, the organising newspaper l'Auto named one cyclist of the Tour de
France the meilleur grimpeur (best climber). In 1933, Vicente Trueba was the winner of this
classification. However, Trueba was a very poor descender, so he never gained anything from reaching
the tops first. The Tour de France director, Henri Desgrange, decided that cyclists should receive a
bonus for reaching the tops first. From 1934 on, the gap between the first and the second cyclist to
reach the top was given as a time bonus to the one reaching the top first. These time bonuses were
later removed, but the King of the Mountain recognition remained. Although the best climber was first
recognised in 1933, the distinctive jersey was not introduced until 1975. The colours were decided by
the then sponsor, Poulain Chocolate or Chocolat Poulain, whose chocolate bars were covered in a
polka dot wrapper. Currently the jersey is sponsored by Carrefour supermarkets, which has sponsored
the jersey since 1993, initially under the Champion brand, it switched to the main Carrefour brand for the
2009 edition of the Tour. The Tour's jersey colours have also been adopted by other cycling stage
races; for example, the Tour of Britain also has a polka dot jersey.
At the top of each climb in the Tour, there are points for the riders who are first over the top. The climbs
are divided into categories from 1 (most difficult) to 4 (least difficult) based on their diff iculty, measured
as a function of their steepness and length. A few of the very hardest climbs were originally given
different individual points scales, and were thus listed as "uncategorised" (Hors catégorie, a term that
has since passed into the French language to refer to any exceptional phenomenon); however, since
the 1980s in fact the hors catégorie climbs have been given a single points scale and effectively
became, despite the name, just a top category above category 1. In 2004, the scoring system wa s
changed such that the first rider over a fourth category climb was awarded 3 points while the first to
complete a hors catégorie climb would win 20 points. Further points over a fourth category climb are
only for the top three places while on a hors catégorie climb the top ten riders are rewarded. Since 2004,
points scored on the final climb of the day have been doubled where that climb was at least a second
category climb.
The points for a mountain top finish are doubled, if that mountain is an HC, 1C o r 2C. The organisation
of the race determines which mountains are included for the mountains classification and in which
category they are. If two riders have an equal number of points, the rider with the most first places on
the hors catégorie cols, is declared winner. If the riders arrived first, an equal number of times, the first
places on the 1st category cols are compared. Should the two riders again have an equal number of first
arrivals in this category, the organization looks at mutual results in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th category, until a
winner is found. If the number of first arrivals in all categories is equal for both riders, the rider with the
highest position in the overall list of rankings receives the mountain jersey. In recent years, the system
has had some criticism. Six-time winner Lucien Van Impe said that the mountain jersey has been
devalued, because it goes to cyclists who have no hope to win the general classification so are allowed
to escape and gather points in breakaways. This tactic was started by cyclists as Laurent Jalabert and
Richard Virenque, but according to Van Impe, they were really able to climb. Van Impe has proposed to
award time bonuses, which may heat up the battle. Although l'Auto was organising the Tour de France,
the meilleur grimpeur title was not given by the tour organisation, so it is unofficial. However, it is a direct
predecessor of the later Mountain King title
‘Maillot Blanc’: in the Tour de France, there has been an official competition for young riders sin ce
1975. Excluding the years 1989 to 1999, the leader of the young rider classification wore a white jersey.
The requirements to be eligible for the young rider classification have changed over the years, but have
always been such that experienced cyclists were not eligible; sometimes by exluding cyclists over a
certain age, cyclists who had entered the Tour de France before or cyclists who had been professional
for more than two years. In the most recent years, only cyclists below 26 years are eligible . From 1968
to 1975, there was a white jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in the combination
classification (best rider in the overall, points and climbing competitions). In 1975, this classification was
removed, and replaced by the Best Young Rider Classification. Any neo-professional (less than three
years professional) competed in this classification, which was calculated using the rankings fo r the
General Classification. The leader in the young rider classification wore a white jersey.
The rules for the young rider classification changed in 1983, when the competition was only open for
first-time competitors, but after 1987, it was open for all cyclists less than 26 years of age at 1 January
of the year following that tour. From 1989-1999, the white jersey was no longer awarded, although the
competition was still calculated. Since 2000, the white jersey has again been awarded, open for all
cyclists less than 26 years of age at 1 January of the year following that Tour. In 1997, the name of the
competition officially changed to 'Souvenir Fabio Casartelli'. Czech auto manufacturer Škoda has
sponsored the white jersey ever since it took over the auto sponsorship of the Tour de France from FIAT
in 2003.
Since the young rider classification was introduced in 1975, it has been won by 29 different cyclists. Of
those, six cyclists also won the yellow jersey during their careers (Fignon, LeMond, Pantani, Ullrich,
Contador and Schleck). On three occasions a cyclist has won the young rider classif ication and the
general classification in the same year — Fignon in 1983, Ullrich in 1997, Contador in 2007 and Schleck
(retroactively) in 2010. The only cyclists to win the young rider classification in multiple Tours are Marco
Pantani (two wins), Ullrich (three wins - also finishing first or second for the general classification on all
three of these occasions) and Andy Schleck (three wins).
‘Maillot Jaune’: The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the
one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general
classification wears the yellow jersey.
The winner of the first Tour de France wore not a yellow jersey but a green armband.[1] After the
second Tour de France, the rules were changed, and the general classification was no longer calculated
by time, but by points. This points system was kept until 1912, after which it changed back into the time
classification. At that time, the leader still did not wear a yellow jersey. There is doubt over when the
yellow jersey began. The Belgian rider Philippe Thys, who won the Tour in 1913, 1914 and 1920,
recalled in the Belgian magazine Champions et Vedettes when he was 67 that he was awarded a yellow
jersey in 1913 when the organiser, Henri Desgrange, asked him to wear a coloured jersey. Thys
declined, saying making himself more visible in yellow would encourage other r iders to ride against him.
He said, "He then made his argument from another direction. Several stages later, it was my team
manager at Peugeot, (Alphonse) Baugé, who urged me to give in. The yellow jersey would be an
advertisement for the company and, that being the argument, I was obliged to concede. So a yellow
jersey was bought in the first shop we came to. It was just the right size, although we had to cut a
slightly larger hole for my head to go through." He spoke of the next year's race, when "I won the first
stage and was beaten by a tyre by Bossus in the second. On the following stage, the maillot jaune
passed to Georget after a crash."
The Tour historian Jacques Augendre called Thys "a valorous rider. well-known for his intelligence"
and said his claim "seems free from all suspicion". But: "No newspaper mentions a yellow jersey before
the war. Being at a loss for witnesses, we can't solve this enigma." The formal history, therefore, is that
the first yellow jersey was worn by the Frenchman Eugène Christophe in the stage from Grenoble to
Geneva on July 18, 1919.[6] The colour was chosen either to reflect the yellow newsprint of the
organising newspaper, L'Auto, or because yellow was an unpopular colour and therefore the only one
available with which a manufacturer could c reate jerseys at late notice. The two possibilities have been
promoted equally but the idea of matching the colour of Desgrange's newspaper seems more probable
because Desgrange wrote: "This morning I gave the valiant Christophe a superb yellow jersey. You
already know that our director decided that the man leading the race [de tête du classement général]
should wear a jersey in the colours of L'Auto. The battle to wear this jersey is going to be passionate."[7]
It is possible, of course, that the availability of only yellow in sufficient quantities proved a happy chance
for L'Auto and that Desgrange was justifying a choice that he had never had to make.
Christophe disliked wearing it, anyway, and complained that spectators imitated canaries whenever he
passed. It was a habit encouraged by his nickname of Cri-Cri (from "Christophe") which is French
babytalk for a bird.[1] Christophe remembered riders and spectators teasing: "Ah, the yellow jersey! Isn't
he beautiful, the canary? What are you doing, Madame Cri-Cri", adding, "And that lasted the whole
course." There was no formal presentation when Christophe wore his first yellow jersey in Grenoble,
from where the race left at 2am for the 325 km to Geneva. He was given it the night before and tr ied it
on later in his hotel. In the next Tour de France in 1920, the yellow jersey was initially no t awarded, but
after the ninth stage, it was introduced again.[9]
After Desgrange's death, his stylized initials were added to the yellow jersey,[6] originally on the chest.
They moved in 1969 to the sleeve to make way for a logo advertising Virlux. A further advertisement for
the clothing company Le Coq Sportif appeared at the bottom of the zip fastener at the neck, the first
supplementary advertisement on the maillot jaune. Desgrange's initials returned to the front of the jersey in 1972, some years on the left, others on the right. They were removed in 1984 to make way for a commercial logo but Nike added them again in 2003 as part of the Tour's centenary celebrations. One set of initials is now worn on the upper right chest of the jersey. The original yellow jerseys were of conventional style. Riders had to pull them over their head on the rostrum. For many years the jersey was made in only limited sizes and many riders found it a struggle to pull one on, especially when tired or wet. The presentation jersey is now made with a full-length zip at the back and the rider pulls it on from the front, sliding his hands through the sleeves rather like a strait -jacket. He then receives three further jerseys each day, plus money (referred to as the "rent") for each day he leads the race. There is no copyright on the yellow jersey and it has been imitated by many other races, although not always for the best rider overall: in the Tour of Benelux yellow is worn by the best young rider. The Lance Armstrong Foundation donated the yellow jersey from Armstrong's fourth Tour de France win (2002) to the National Museum of American History, a branch of the Smithsonian. In American English it is sometimes referred to as the mellow johnny, a mispronunciation of its French n ame originally by Lance Armstrong, who wore it many times while winning the 1999 -2005 races. Armstrong also uses the name "Mellow Johnny" for his Texas-based bike shop. The Tour de France, and other bicycle stage races, are decided by totalling the time each rider takes on the daily stages. Time can be added or subtracted from this total time as bonuses or penalties for winning individual stages or being first to the top of a climb or for infractions of the rules. The rider with the lowest overall time at the end of each stage receives a ceremonial yellow bicycling jersey and the right to start the next stage, usually the next day, of the Tour in the yellow jersey. The rider to receive the yellow jersey after the last stage in Paris, is the overall (or ulti mate) winner of the Tour. Similar leader's jerseys exist in other cycling races, but are not always yellow (the color being chosen by the individual race organizers). The Tour of California uses gold, the Giro d'Italia uses pink and the Tour Down Under uses an ochre-coloured jersey, as ochre is a colour strongly associated with Australia, particularly its desert regions. Until 2009 the Vuelta a España used gold; since 2010 the leader's jersey is red. More than one rider leading the general classificationIn the early years of the Tour de France, the time was measured in minutes. Although usually cyclists were seconds apart, sometimes several cyclists shared the same time. In 1913, before the introduction of the yel ow jersey, this had happened with the two leaders, Philippe Thys and Jean Rossius. After the introduction of the yellow jersey in 1919, the situation occurred twice more. The first time was in 1929, when even three riders had the same time when the race reached Bordeaux. Nicolas Frantz of Luxembourg and the Frenchmen Victor Fontan and André Leducq all rode in yellow, although none held it to the finish in Paris.[13][14] In 1931, the situation occurred for the second time, when Charles Pélissier and Rafaele di Paco were both leading with the same time. The problem of joint leaders was resolved by giving the jersey to whichever rider had the best daily finishing places earlier in the race. The introduction of a short time trial at the start of the race in 1967 - the prologue time trial - meant riders have since been divided by fractions of seconds recorded in that race, excepting the 2008 and 2011 editions. According to the ASO rules, "In the event of a tie in the general ranking, the hundredth of a second recorded by the timekeepers during the individual time trial stages will be included in the total times in order to decide the overall winner and who takes the yellow jersey. If a tie should still result from this, then the places achieved for each stage are added up and, as a last resort, the place obtained in the final stage is counted." No riders in yellowRiders who became race leader through the misfortune of others have ridden next day without the yellow jersey.[13] In 1950, Ferdi Kubler of Switzerland rode in his national jersey rather than yel low when the race leader, Fiorenze Magni abandoned the race along with the Italian team in protest at threats said to have been made by spectators. Eddy Merckx declined the jersey in 1971 after its previous wearer, Luis Ocaña, crashed on the col de Mente in the Pyrenees. The Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk did not wear the yellow jersey that passed to him in 1980 when his rival, Bernard Hinault retired with a knee injury. In 1991, Greg LeMond rode without the jersey after a crash eliminated Rolf Sørensen of Den mark. In 2005, Lance Armstrong refused to start in the yellow jersey after the previous owner, David Zabriskie, was eliminated by a crash, but put it on after the neutral zone on req uest of the race organizers. The yellow jersey on the first day of the Tour is traditionally permitted to be worn by the winner of the previous year's race; however, wearing it is a choice left to the rider, and in recent years has gone out of fashion. If the winner does not ride, the jersey is not worn. The previous year's wi nner traditionally has race number "1" (with his teammates given the other single -digit racing numbers), with subsequent sets of numbers determined by the highest classified riders for that team in the previous Tour. The lead riders for a particular team will often wear the first number in the series (11, 21, 31 and so forth), but these riders are not necessarily contenders for the general classification - teams led by sprinters will often designate the maillot vert contender as their lead rider. In 2007 there was neither a yellow jersey at the start of the race nor a number 1; the previous winner, Floyd Landis of the United States failed a doping control after the race and organisers declined to declare an official winner pending arbitration of the Landis case. On September 20, 2007, Landis was officially stripped of his title following the arbitration court's guilty verdict, and the 2006 title passed to Óscar Pereiro; in 2008, the runner -up in 2007, Cadel Evans was given the race number "1" when the 2007 winner, Alberto Contador was unable to defend his title due to a dispute between the organisers ASO and his new team Astana barring that team from riding the Tour. In 1978 the Belgian rider Michel Pollentier became race leader after attacking on the Alpe d 'Huez. He was disqualified the same day after trying to cheat a drugs test. In 1988, Pedro Delgado of Spain won the Tour despite a drugs test which showed he had taken a drug which could be used to hide the use of steroids. News of the test was leaked to the press by the former organiser of the Tour, Jacques Goddet.[17] Delgado was allowed to continue because the drug, probenecid, was not banned by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The 1996 winner, Bjarne Riis of Denmark said in 2007 that he had used drugs during the race. He was asked to stay away from that year's Tour. Riis, as directeur sportif of the Danish Team CSC (now called Team Saxo Bank), has implemented a stringent drug-testing regime for the team's riders, and has become an important voice agai nst doping in the sport. The 2006 winner, Floyd Landis was disqualified more than a year after the race. After he failed a doping control after his stunning Stage 17 victory, an arbitration panel declared him guilty of doping in September 2007, after which the official title for the 2006 Tour passed to Óscar Pereiro. Landis appealed his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but lost this appeal at the end of June 2008[18] allowing Oscar Pereiro to start the 2008 edition of Le Tour de France as the unq ualified 2006 Tour champion. In 2007, the Danish rider Michael Rasmussen was withdrawn from the race by his team after complaints that he had not made himself available for drugs tests earlier in the year. Rasmussen said he had been in Mexico but there were reports that he had been seen training in Italy. Maurice Garin won the Tour de France before yellow jerseys were awarded but in 1904 he was disqualified as winner after complaints that he and other riders had cheated. The allegations disappeared along with the Tour de France's other archives when they were taken south in 1940 to avoid the German invasion. But a man who as a small boy knew Garin recalled that the old man had admitted catching a train part of the way.[19] The rider who has most worn the yellow jersey is the Belgian Eddy Merckx, who wore it 96 days. The greatest number of riders to wear the jersey in a single edition of Le Tour de France is eight, which happened in 1958 and 1987. The 2008 edition of Le Tour witnessed seven wearers (Alejand ro Valverde, Roman Feillu, Stefan Schumacher, Kim Kirchen, Cadel Evans, Frank Schleck, Carlos Sastre), leaving the record unbroken. The yellow jersey was made for decades, like all other cycling jerseys, from wool. No synthetic fibres existed which had both the warmth and the absorption of wool. Embroidery was expensive and so the only lettering to appear on the jersey was the H.D. of Desgrange's initials. Riders added the name of the team for which they were riding or the professional team for which they normally rode (in the years when the Tour was for national rather than sponsored teams) by attaching a panel of printed cloth to the front of the jersey by pins. While synthetic material didn't exist in a way to create whole jerseys, synthetic thread or b lends were added in 1947, following the arrival of Sofil as a sponsor. Sofil made artificial yarn.[17] Riders believed in the pureness of wool, and especially the Frenchman Louison Bobet, or Louis Bobet as he was still known. Bobet insisted that cyclists needed wool for their long days of sweating in the heat and dust. It was a matter of hygiene. Artificial fabrics made riders sweat too much. And, in his first Tour de France, he refused to wear the jersey with which he had been presented. Goddet recalled, "It produced a real drama. Our contract with Sofil was crumbling away. If the news had got out, the commercial effect would have been disastrous for the manufacturer. I remember debating it with him a good part of the night. Louison was always exquisitely courteous but his principles were as hard as the granite blocks of his native Brittany coast." No compromise was possible. Goddet had to get Sofil to produce another jersey overnight, its logo still visible but artificial fabric absent. For the veteran writer and television broadcaster Jean-Paul Ollivier, the woollen yellow jersey.".gave the riders a rare elegance, even if the way it caught the air left something to be desired. In wool, then in Rovyl - a material used for making underwear - it entered into legend for the quality of those who wore it. Those were the years of national teams. In 1930 Henri Desgrange, the organiser, decided that commercially-sponsored teams were contriving to spoil his race and opted instead for teams representing countries. The Tour de France stayed that way until 1962, when it reverted to commercial teams with the exception of 1967 and 1968 and the riders knotted on their jerseys a spare tyre [across the shoulders] A narrow slip of white cotton placed on the chest showed discreetly the name of the sponsor outside the Tour: La Perle, Mercier, Helyett." The advent of printing by flocking, a process in which cotton fluff is sprayed on to stencilled glue, and then of screen printing, combined with the domination of synthetic materials to increase the advertising on jerseys: the domination which Ollivier regrets. "All sorts of fantasies such as fluorescent jerseys or shorts," he said. Such was the quantity of advertising when Bernard Thévenet accepted the yellow jersey when the Tour finished for the first time on the Champs Elysées in 1975 that the French sports minister counted all the logos and protested to broadcasters. Since then the number of people with access to the podium has been restricted.
The French bank, Crédit Lyonnais, has sponsored the maillot jaune since 1987.[20] The company has
been a commercial partner of the Tour since 1981. It awards a toy lion - le lion en peluche - to each
day's winner as a play on its name. In 2007, sponsorship of the jersey was credited to LCL, the new
name for Crédit Lyonnais following its takeover by another bank, Crédit Agricole.
‘Maillot’ Vert’: The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de
France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate
sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition. The
leader is indicated by a green jersey. After scandals in the 1904 Tour de France, the rules of the 1905
Tour de France were changed: the winner was no longer determined by the time system, but with the
points system. The cyclists received points, equal to their ranking in the stage, and the cyclist with the
least points was the leader of the race. After the 1912 Tour de France, the system was changed back to
the time system that is still in use. In the 1953 Tour de France, to celebrate the 50th birthday of the
Tour de France, the points system was reintroduced, but this time as an additional c lassification.
Because the leader in the general classification wears a yellow jersey, the leader in the points
classification also received a special jersey, a green jersey (French: maillot vert). The color green was
chosen because the sponsor was a lawn mower producer.
In the first years, the cyclist only received penalty points for not finishing with a high place, so the cyclist
with the least points was awarded the green jersey. From 1959 on, the system was changed so the
cyclists were awarded points for high place finishes (with first place getting the most points, and lower
placings getting successively fewer points), so the cyclist with the most points was awarded the green
jersey. In 1968 the jersey was red, to please the sponsor. Whereas the yellow jersey is awarded for the
lowest cumulative time in the race, the green jersey reflects points gained for high placings on each
stage and intermediate "hot spots," especially during the flat stages of the Tour. The intermediate sprints
were formerly for an additional red jersey, with the points for the green a 'side-effect'; however, this was
later scrapped, and they are now part of the green jersey competition.
The points classification is widely thought of as the "sprinter's competition," since the ri ders generally
remain together in one large peloton during flat stages, leaving those with the fastest acceleration at the
end to fight for the stage win. However, to win the competition a rider will need a reasonable level of all -
round skills as well as strong sprinting, since he will need to finish within the time limit on mountain
stages to remain in contention, and ideally will be able to contest intermediate sprints during mountain
stages as well. For example, Mario Cipollini was one of the best sprint ers of his era but was never in
contention for the points classification because he was unwilling to make it through the mountain stages
and finish the race (however, he did finish the Giro d'Italia and won its points classification several
times).
Like all classification jerseys in the Tour, the green jersey is made by American sportswear giant Nike. It
has been sponsored by PMU, the French national parimutuel betting scheme, since 1991. Riders can
lose points for various infractions to the rules, which means some riders finish the Tour with a negative
points tally. Currently, the points classification is calculated by adding up the points collected in the
stage and subtracting penalty points. Points are rewarded for the first cyclists to cross the finis h-line or
the intermediate sprint line, and for the cyclists with the fastest times in the prologue or individual time
trials, according to the following scheme. Before the start of the Tour de France, the organization
declares which stages are considered "flat", "medium mountain" or "high mountain". Flat stages typically
have few or no categorized climbs (several 4th category and an occasional 3rd category), medium
mountain stages have numerous climbs, typically 2nd and 3rd category, and high mountain sta ges have
numerous large climbs, often 1st category or hors categorie.
When the order in which cyclists crossed the line cannot be determined or when cyclists score exactly
the same time in the prologue/individual time trial, the cyclists divide the points (rounded up to the
nearest 1/2 point). A cyclist that does not finish a stage, is removed from the points classification. After
every stage, the leader in the points classification is given a green jersey. In the event of a tie in the
ranking, the cyclist with the most stage victories is the leader. If that is also a tie, the number of
intermediate sprint victories indicates the leader. If that is also a tie, the general classification
determines the leader. At the end of the Tour de France, the cyclist leading the points classification is
the winner of the green jersey.

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