Road Race Categories

Road races can be categorised by length and type:

Race Length

Single-day races

The competitor to cross the finish line first is declared the winner.

Multi-stage races

Consists of several stages ridden consecutively, each stage being a race within a race. The competitor with the lowest cumulative time to complete all the stages is declared the overall, or General Classification (GC), winner.

Many stage races also have other categories of winners such as individual stage winners, the points winner, and the "King of the Mountains" winner.

A stage race can also be a series of road races and time trials (possibly including Team time trial). The stage winner is the first person to cross the finish line that day or the time trial rider with the lowest time on the course.

Race Types

The main types of road races are:

• Open road race
• Criterium
• Individual Time Trial
• Team Time Trial
• Stage