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Writer's pictureTravis Stone

European Cycling Grand Tour Data: Tour De France, Giro D'Italia, Vualta a Espana

Updated: Jul 23, 2023

European Cycling Grand Tour Data

  • The three European cycling grand tours are the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España.

  • The winner of each grand tour wears a different colored jersey: pink for the Giro d'Italia, yellow for the Tour de France, and red for the Vuelta a España.

  • There are four types of stages in a grand tour: flat, mountain, hilly, and time trial.

  • The average length of each stage is 180 kilometers (112 miles).

  • The climbs in a grand tour are categorized according to their difficulty: HC, 1ère catégorie, 2ème catégorie, 3ème catégorie, and 4ème catégorie.

  • Bicycles used in grand tours have a weight limit of 6.8 kilograms (14.9 pounds), an average tire size of 25 millimeters (1 inch), and an average cost of €10,000 (US$11,000).

Grand Tours Data


  • Giro d'Italia: The Giro d'Italia is a three-week long cycling race that takes place in Italy. It is the second oldest grand tour, after the Tour de France. The winner of the Giro d'Italia wears the pink jersey.

  • Tour de France: The Tour de France is a three-week long cycling race that takes place in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious grand tour. The winner of the Tour de France wears the yellow jersey.

  • Vuelta a España: The Vuelta a España is a three-week long cycling race that takes place in Spain. It is the third oldest grand tour. The winner of the Vuelta a España wears the red jersey.

Jerseys

  • Pink jersey: The pink jersey is awarded to the leader of the general classification in the Giro d'Italia.

  • Yellow jersey: The yellow jersey is awarded to the leader of the general classification in the Tour de France.

  • Red jersey: The red jersey is awarded to the leader of the general classification in the Vuelta a España.

  • White jersey: The white jersey is awarded to the best young rider in the general classification of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.

  • Points jersey: The points jersey is awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points on the intermediate sprints and stage finishes.

  • Mountains jersey: The mountains jersey is awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points on the mountain climbs.

Types of Stages

  • Flat stages: Flat stages are the most common type of stage in a grand tour. They are characterized by long stretches of flat terrain.

  • Mountain stages: Mountain stages are characterized by steep climbs and high altitudes. They are the most difficult type of stage in a grand tour.

  • Hilly stages: Hilly stages are a mix of flat and mountain terrain. They are less difficult than mountain stages, but more difficult than flat stages.

  • Time trial stages: Time trial stages are individual races against the clock. They are the only type of stage in a grand tour where the riders do not compete against each other.

Average Length of Each Stage

The average length of each stage in a grand tour is around 180 kilometers (112 miles). However, the length of the stages can vary greatly. The shortest stage in a grand tour is usually around 100 kilometers (62 miles), while the longest stage can be over 250 kilometers (155 miles).

Categories of Climbs

The climbs in a grand tour are categorized according to their difficulty. The categories are:

  • Hors catégorie: These are the most difficult climbs. They are often referred to as "HC" climbs.

  • 1ère catégorie: These are very difficult climbs.

  • 2ème catégorie: These are difficult climbs.

  • 3ème catégorie: These are moderately difficult climbs.

  • 4ème catégorie: These are easy climbs.

Bicycles

The bicycles used in grand tours are very lightweight and aerodynamic. They have to be able to withstand the rigors of a three-week race, while also being fast enough to compete on the flat stages and the mountain climbs.

  • Weight limit: The UCI weight limit for a bicycle in a grand tour is 6.8 kilograms (14.9 pounds).

  • Average tire size: The average tire size for a bicycle in a grand tour is 25 millimeters (1 inch).

  • Average cost: The average cost of a bicycle used in a grand tour is around €10,000 (US$11,000).

Prompt Engineer : Travis Stone

AI : OpenAI/Bard

7/23/2023

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