Tour d'Gylias

Jump to navigation Jump to search
Tour d'Gylias
Race details
DateJuly
RegionGylias
DisciplineRoad
TypeGrand Tour
OrganiserGylian Cycling Federation
History
First edition1960
Editions63

The Tour d'Gylias is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Gylias, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries.

The most recently-established of Tyran's Grand Tours, it is held in July. The route alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise circuits of Gylias, and starting points in the north, east, south, and west. The format is consistent, including at least two time trials, the passage through the Kackar mountains, and finishing in Mişeyáke's Civic Centre. There are 21 stages over 24 days, including 2–3 rest days.

Classifications include the general classification (for the rider with the lowest cumulative finishing times), points classification (for sprinters), mountains classification (for climbers), young rider classification (for those under 25 years), and team classification (the sum of the top three riders' times).

History

The roots of the Tour d'Gylias can be traced back to Alscia, where the rivalry between The Etra Echo and The Senik Sun led them to sponsor cycling races. The Giro d'Alscia ("Tour of Alscia") began in 1913, although at the intervention of the Donatella Rossetti government it was held as a joint venture between the Echo and Sun.

The Giro became one of Alscia's most popular sporting events. The last was held in 1938. Cycle racing was subsequently disrupted by the Liberation War.

The Gylian Cycling Federation took up the idea of a national bicycle race, with changes to the format and model of the Giro d'Alscia. The first Tour d'Gylias was held in 1960.

Then-sports minister Lilja Kjellberg was a staunch supporter of the Tour, and made it a tradition that the Minister of Sport appears at the finish to award classification jerseys.

The Tour's international exposure has grown in recent decades, particularly due to its stark differences from other Grand Tours — mainly its ban on advertising and its openness to amateur and semi-professional riders. It is a notable exception to the Gylian sporting norm of not giving official awards.

Classifications

There are 5 main classifications in the Tour d'Gylias, each with a distinctive jersey awarded:

  • Jersey gold.svg General classification — Won by the rider with the lowest aggregate time, awarded the golden jersey (maillot d'or).
  • Jersey green Epic Series.svg Mountains classification — Won by the rider who gains the most points for reaching mountain summits first, awarded the green jersey (maillot vert).
  • Jersey cyan.svg Points classification — Won by the rider who gains the most points for high finishes and winning time trials, awarded the blue jersey (maillot bleu).
  • Jersey polkadot.svg Young rider classification — Similar to the general classification but for riders under 25 years, awarded the polka dot jersey (maillot à pois rouges).
  • Jersey silver.svg Team classification — Won by the team with the best sum of its top three riders' times, awarded the silver jersey (maillot d'argent).

Also notable is the Jersey red.svg lanterne rouge ("red lantern"), awarded to the competitor who finishes last. The lanterne rouge attracts competition just as intense as winning first place, since the riders who come last are usually more popular and remembered than those who finish a few places ahead. Riders sometimes deliberately waste time to finish last and receive the lanterne rouge.

Prizes

Prize money is capped to prevent professionalisation of the race, and is denominated in þalers, leading to a low value overall. Generally, prizes in kind are preferred, and are notably eclectic.

Stages

The Tour has 21 stages, one per day, with 2–3 rest days. It alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise circuits of Gylias each year, and between starts in the north, east, south, and west every 4 years.

Notable stages include the opening Grand Départ, highly sought after by host cities and villages, at least 2 time trials, and the passage through the Kackar mountains. The race always finishes in Mişeyáke's Civic Centre.

Starts abroad

A few editions of the Tour have started outside Gylias, in neighbouring countries. The most common of these is in Molise, the only part of Cacerta to have a land border with Gylias.

The Tour has also started in Knichus the year after its civil war ended.

Culture

The Tour is one of Gylias' most prestigious and popular sporting events. It attracts great crowds, both in person along the route and for its television broadcasts. Its routes have been credited with solidifying the diverse national identity and stimulating rural development. It is a major attractor of tourism and the leading manifestation of Gylias' cycling culture.

The Tour has inspired several popular songs and been mentioned in a variety of media, including Gylianime such as Outer View, Heart of the Village, and Les Enfants Terrificques.

In recent years, the Tour has also gained popularity internationally due to its differences from other Grand Tours of Tyran, prompted by Gylias' less competitive and more easy-going sports culture, manifested in a more laidback atmosphere, an absence of advertising, and draconian anti-doping measures. It is considered the Grand Tour most friendly to amateur and semi-professional riders.