Science Fair Project Encyclopedia Road bicycle racing Road
bicycle racing is a popular sport all over the world, especially
in Europe. The most competitive and devoted countries are
generally thought to be Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, France,
the Netherlands and Switzerland, although the United States also
have a high international standing, and many countries the world
over do well in certain disciplines. Road races can be
categorized by length and type: - Single-day races: The
competitor to cross the finish line first is declared the
winner. - Multi-stage races: Consists of several 'stages' ridden
consecutively. The competitor with the lowest cumulative time to
complete all the stages is declared the overall, or General
Classification (GC), winner. Most stage races also have other
categories of winners such as the stage winner, the points
winner, and the "king of the mountains" winner. A stage race can
also be a series of road races and time trials. The stage winner
is the first person to cross the finis