Tour de Valland

The Tour de Valland is an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in Valland, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. The race was first organized in 1511. As the Tour gained prominence and popularity the race was lengthened and its reach began to extend around the globe. Participation expanded from a primarily Vallish field, as riders from all over the world began to participate in the race each year.

The Tour de Valland, along the Ceribian Tour, make up cycling's prestigious, three-week-long Grand Tours; the Tour de Valland is the oldest and generally considered the most prestigious of the three by fans and riders alike. Traditionally, the race is held primarily in the month of Zechyr. While the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same with the appearance of time trials, the passage through the mountain chains of the Vallish nation, and the finish on the Chabon Avenue in Lauren. The modern editions of the Tour de Valland consist of 20 day-long segments (stages) over a 22-day period and cover around .

The number of teams usually varies between 20 and 22, with seven riders in each. All of the stages are timed to the finish; the riders' times are compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to don the coveted red jersey. While the general classification garners the most attention there are other contests held within the Tour: the Points classification for the sprinters, the Mountain classification for the climbers, the young rider classification for riders under the age of 26, and the Team classification forr the fastest teams. Gaining a stage win is also a hotly contested competition, fought for by a specialist cycling sprinter on each team.

Classifications

The oldest and main competition in the Tour de Valland is known as the 'general classification', for which the red jersey is awarded: the winner of this is said to have won the race. A few riders from each team aim to win overall but there are three further competitions to draw riders of all specialties: points, mountains, and a classification for young riders with general classification aspirations. The leader of each of the aforementioned classifications wears a distinctive jersey, with riders leading multiple classifications wearing the jersey of the most prestigious that he leads. In addition to these four classifications, there are several minor and discontinued classifications that are competed for during the race.

General classification

The oldest and most sought after classification in the Tour de Valland is the general classification. All of the stages are timed to the finish. The riders' times are compounded with their previous stage times; so the rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race. The leader is determined after each stage's conclusion. The leader of the race also has the privilege to wear the race leader's red jersey. The jersey is presented to the leader rider on a podium in the stage's finishing town. If a rider is leading more than one classification that awards a jersey, he wears the "red maillot", since the general classification is the most important one in the race. The lead can change after each stage.

The first rider to wear the red jersey was Paul Floriot. Each team brings multiple yellow jerseys in advance of the Tour in case one of their riders becomes the overall leader of the race. Riders usually try to make the extra effort to keep the jersey for as long as possible in order to get more publicity for the team and the sponsor(s) of the team. Jacques Gondry has worn the yellow jersey for 41 stages, which is more than any other rider in the history of the Tour de Valland. Jacques Gaudin remains as the only rider to win the Tour de Valland four times (1513, 1515, 1516 and 1520).

Key

	Winner won points classification in the same year
	Winner won King of the Mountains classification in the same year
	Winner won young rider classification in the same year
	Winner won points and King of the Mountains classification in the same year

• The "Year" column refers to the year the competition was held.
• The "Margin" column refers to the margin of time by which the winner defeated the runner-up.
• The "Stage wins" column refers to the number of stage wins the winner had during the race.

Tour de Valland general classification winners

Year	Cyclist	Nation	Sponsor/team	Time	Stage wins
1511	Jean Galliard	Valland	Mid'est	+ 10'04"	2
1512	Jean Galliard	Valland	Mid'est	+ 1'01"	2
1513	Jacques Gaudin	Valland	Équipe du Nord	+ 8'21"	4
1514	Roger Laval	Valland	Nantes Sportif Club	+ 2'58"	2
1515	Jacques Gaudin	Valland	Équipe Du Nord	+ 14'01"	5
1516	Jacques Gaudin	Valland	Grand Lauren	+ 29'04"	4
1517	Wilhelm Kirschen	Ostland	Ostland Team	+ 3'53"	3
1518	Wilhelm Kirschen	Ostland	Ostland Team	+ 4'01"	1
1519	Georges Treilhard	Valland	Bureau National	+ 1'51"	4
1520	Jacques Gaudin	Valland	Grand Lauren	+ 8'58"	2
1521	Valentin Eriksen	Oslanburg	Oslanburg International	+ 3'01"	2
1522	Randolph de Meisen	Adwest	Royal Adwestene	+ 1'09"	2
1523	Valentin Eriksen	Oslanburg	Oslanburg International	+ 4'22"	2
1524	Pierre Signoret	Valland	Maréchal	+ 3'03"	1
1525	Pierre Signoret	Valland	Maréchal	+ 8'42"	2
1526	Basileo Tramuntana	Castleon	Remedios Marítimo	+ 2'48"	0
1527	Jean-Claude Molineaux	Valland	Galeries Gaumont	+ 11'51"	1
1528	Jean-Claude Molineaux	Valland	Galeries Gaumont	+ 7'12"	0
1529	Jean-Claude Molineaux	Valland	Le Matin-Gaumont	+ 24'24"	7
1530	Franz Kelsen	Ostland	Mann Industries	+ 0'59"	1
1531	Hubert Rodinger	Adwest	National Adwestene	+ 2'50"	1
1532	Werner Ratzenberger	Gehenna	ADM Cycling	+ 8'01"	1
1533	Werner Ratzenberger	Gehenna	ADM Cycling	+ 3'21"	2
1534	Mathieu Rozenthal	Valland	Laboratoires Filipacchi	+ 3'53"	1
1535	Alfred Simonet	Valland	Gaumont Cycling	+ 1'22"	2
1536	Mathieu Rozenthal	Valland	Laboratoires Filipacchi	+ 18'44"	1
1537	Kurt von Althoff	Nerysia	Waiblinger Team	+ 2'01"	2
1538	Wolfgang Seipel	Vienland	Weiner Team	+ 1'48"	0
1539	Guillaume Bouchez	Valland	Hollande Automobiles	+ 4'06"	1
1540	Sebastian Makatsch	Kyrland	Chartois Group	+ 2'02"	2
1541	Reinhard Kaiser	Ostland	Ungar Team	+ 2'22"	1
1542	Guillaume Bouchez	Valland	Hollande Automobiles	+ 3'53"	2
1543	Walter Bauer	Vienland	Weiner Team	+ 0'44"	0
1544	Reinhard Kaiser	Ostland	Ungar Team	+ 2'01"	0
1545	Sebastian Makatsch	Kyrland	Banque de Saint-Salomon	+ 4'40"	0
1546	Wladislaw Adamowsky	Biyra	Doppel Metall AG	+ 1'02"	1
1547	Max Gaumont	Valland	Banque de Saint-Salomon	+ 2'22"	0
1548	Jacques Delpy	Valland	Belle Èpoque	+ 1'58"	1
1549	Matthias Koch	Ostland	Rause-Heine Cycling	+ 0'44"	0
1550	Hans-Georg Simmel	Gehenna	Gesaffelstein Cycling	+ 4'55"	1
1551	Hans-Georg Simmel	Gehenna	Gesaffelstein Cycling	+ 3'42"	1
1552	Alfred Hamon	Eskkya	AVG-Rause Cycling	+ 2'05"	1
1553	Jacques Gondry	Valland	Belle Époque	+ 1'51"	0
1554	François Champlain	Valland	Casino Cycling	+ 0'59"	1
1555	Malkhaz Alasania	Ceribia	Telasi Bank Team	+ 2'02"	3
1556	Ludwig Magnus	Ostland	Verbund & Steiner	+ 0'39"	0
1557	Jacques Gondry	Valland	Casino Cycling	+ 2'32"	1
1558	Jacques Gondry	Valland	Casino Cycling	+ 5'41"	1
1559	Leon Rohmer	Kyrland	Gesaffelstein Cycling	+ 1'01"	2
1560	Julien Lacroix	Valland	Amaury Team	+ 1'48"	1
1561	Jan Schrieber	Nerysia	Glockscheider Cycling	+ 3'03"	4
1562	Holger Andersen	Oslanburg	Carnegun Cycling	+ 1'37"	2
1563	Holger Andersen	Oslanburg	Carnegun Cycling	+ 3'28"	2
1564	Jan Schrieber	Nerysia	Gesaffelstein Cycling	+ 2'49"	2
1565	Jean-Jacques Debussy	Valland	Gourmet Team	+ 1'59"	4
1566	Jean-Jacques Debussy	Valland	Gourmet-Haumot Cycling	+ 2'52"	3
1567	Andreas Strasser	Ostland	Astra Cycling	+ 1'08"	0
1568	Hans Weltsch	Gehenna	Stampharma Cycling	+ 1'59"	1
1569	Hans Weltsch	Gehenna	Printemps	+ 5'31"	2
1570	Hans Weltsch	Gehenna	Printemps	+ 2'10"	1
1571	Gjöke Kelmend	Kyrzbekistan	Kyrzbekistan-Malek	+ 1'33"	0
1572	Philos Thanos	Pythos	Vertigo Cycling	+ 2'23"	1
1573	Jean-Pierre Thanisse	Valland	Groupe NDEC	+ 0'34"	0
1574	Philos Thanos	Pythos	Vertigo Cycling	+ 1'26"	0
1575	Robert Artaud	Valland	Printemps	+ 1'01"	1
1576	Stavros Michelakakis	Mestra	Koske Team	+ 3'39"	1
1577	Pavel Bezbiksis	Videjszeme	Scholden-Gulcron	+ 0'37"	0
1578	Stavros Michelakakis	Mestra	MTS Team	+ 0'37"	0
1579	Kieran McLucais	North Strathae	United Strathae	+ 4'25"	0
1580	Johan Van Engelen	Batavia	BataVelo	+ 2'05"	0
1581	Stavros Michelakakis	Mestra	MTS Team	+ 5'05"	2
1582	Elton Isaksson	Nyland	ZMG-Nissen	+ 0'28"	0
1583	Elton Isaksson	Nyland	ZMG-Nissen	+ 5'35"	0
1584	Kelly Rónán McCullain	North Strathae	United Strathae	+ 0'09"	1
1585	Henri Honnecourt	Valland	Télecon Team	+ 1'02"	1
1586	Slavoj Savincek	Mordvania	Mordvelo	+ 0'25"	0
1587	Mutara Gasana	Khokharsa	Dreher-Keszariakom	+ 1'49"	0
1588	Jan Daxenberger	Gehenna	NDM Cycling	+ 3'29"	0
1589	Alessio Gagliardi	Lomarre	BataVelo	+ 3'34"	1
1590	Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest	Tyrus-Empire	+ 3'46"	0
1591	Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest	Tyrus-Empire	+ 0'46"	1
1592	Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest	Tyrus-Empire	+ 0'28"	0
1593	Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest	Tyrus-Empire	+ 0'31"	1
1594	Almas Cingur	Kyrzbekistan	KyrzAir	+ 0'37"	1
1595	Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest	Scholden-Gulcron	+ 0'13"	1
1596	Zeljko Bratansek	Mordvania	Mordvelo	+ 0'49"	1
1597	Jaap Frisch	Batavia	BataVelo	+ 0'57"	3
1598	Pharnavaz Undiladze	Ceribia	Bagdati	+ 3'19"	0
1599	Roman Herzogenrath	Dyrheim	Télecon Team	+ 2'41"	2
1600	Ulrick Vandenhof	Soyabar	Télecon Team	+ 3'56"	1
1601	Jevgenijs Kalnins	Videjszeme	Magram	+ 0'41"	0

As of 1602, 23 cyclists have won the Tour de Valland more than once.

Multiple winners of the Tour de Valland general classification

Cyclist	Nation	Total	Years
Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest	5	1590, 1591, 1592, 1593, 1595
Jacques Gaudin	Valland	4	1513, 1515, 1516, 1520
Jean-Claude Molineaux	Valland	3	1527, 1528, 1529
Jacques Gondry	Valland	3	1553, 1557, 1558
Hans Weltsch	Gehenna	3	1568, 1569, 1570
Stavros Michelakakis	Mestra	3	1576, 1578, 1581
Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest	4	1590, 1591, 1592, 1593
Jean Galliard	Valland	2	1511, 1512
Wilhelm Kirschen	Ostland	2	1517, 1518
Valentin Eriksen	Oslanburg	2	1521, 1523
Pierre Signoret	Valland	2	1524, 1525
Werner Ratzenberger	Gehenna	2	1532, 1533
Mathieu Rozenthal	Valland	2	1534, 1536
Guillaume Bouchez	Valland	2	1539, 1542
Sebastian Makatsch	Kyrland	2	1540, 1545
Reinhard Kaiser	Ostland	2	1541, 1544
Hans-Georg Simmel	Gehenna	2	1550, 1551
Jan Schrieber	Nerysia	2	1561, 1564
Holger Andersen	Oslanburg	2	1562, 1563
Jean-Jacques Debussy	Valland	2	1565, 1566
Philos Thanos	Pythos	2	1572, 1574
Elton Isaksson	Nyland	2	1582, 1583

By nationality

Tour de Valland general classification winners by nationality

Country	No. of winning cyclists	No. of wins
Valland	18	30
Ostland	6	8
Gehenna	4	8
Adwest	2	7
Oslanburg	2	4
Nerysia	2	3
Kyrland	2	3
Mestra	1	3
Strathae	2	2
Kyrzbekistan	2	2
Batavia	2	2
Mordvania	2	2
Ceribia	2	2
Videjszeme	2	2
Vienland	1	2
Pythos	1	2
Nyland	1	2
Castleon	1	1
Biyra	1	1
Khokharsa	1	1
Lomarre	1	1
Dyrheim	1	1
Soyabar	1	1

Mountains classification

The mountains classification is the second oldest jersey awarding classification in the Tour de Valland. The mountains classification was added to the Tour de Valland in 1529 and was first won by Alstarian Werner Ratzenberger. Prizes for the classification were first awarded in 1530. During stages of the race containing climbs, points are awarded to the first riders to reach the top of each categorized climb, with points available for up to the first 10 riders, depending on the classification of the climb. Climbs are classified according to the steepness and length of that particular hill, with more points available for harder climbs. The classification was preceded by the meilleur grimpeur which was awarded by the organising newspaper Le Pays to a cyclist who completed each race.

The classification awarded no jersey to the leader until the 1551, when the organizers decided to award a distinctive blue jersey to the leader. The climbers' jersey is worn by the rider who, at the start of each stage, has the largest amount of climbing points. If a rider leads two or more of classifications, the climbers' jersey is worn by the rider in second, or third, place in that contest. At the end of the Tour, the rider holding the most climbing points wins the classification. Some riders may race with the aim of winning this particular competition, while others who gain points early on may shift their focus to the classification during the race. The Tour has five categories for ranking the mountains the race covers. The scale ranges from category 4, the easiest, to hors catégorie, the hardest. During his career Ceribian climber Malkhaz Alasania won the mountains classification a record five times.

Year	Rider	Nation
1529	Werner Ratzenberger	Gehenna
1530	Serge Fouroux	Valland
1531	Helmut Hörbinger	Ostland
1532	Vincenzo Padania	Lomarre
1533	Hubert Rodinger	Adwest
1534	Serge Fouroux	Valland
1535	Antoine Chumay	Eskkya
1536	Antoine Chumay	Eskkya
1537	Aristion Carras	Pythos
1538	Jean de Pizan	Valland
1539	Stsiapan Radionov	Nentsia
1540	Noe Sakaadze	Ceribia
1541	Noe Sakaadze	Ceribia
1542	Pierre Bonaparte	Valland
1543	Noe Sakaadze	Ceribia
1544	Jean Romand	Valland
1545	Fabrice Montillet	Valland
1546	Zandor Makasz	Keszaria
1547	Daniel Blanco	Castleon
1548	Malkhaz Alasania	Ceribia
1549	Malkhaz Alasania	Ceribia
1550	Malkhaz Alasania	Ceribia
1551	Vettias Ioannu	Pythos
1552	Vettias Ioannu	Ceribia
1553	Vladislav Kerzhakov	Severyane
1554	Vladislav Kerzhakov	Severyane
1555	Malkhaz Alasania	Ceribia
1556	Carlo Ladino	Lomarre
1557	Malkhaz Alasania	Ceribia
1558	Carlo Ladino	Lomarre
1559	Julien Lacroix	Valland
1560	Janos Horvath	Keszaria
1561	Honoré Gaumont	Valland
1562	Janos Horvath	Keszaria
1563	Pierre Bettencourt	Valland
1564	Jean-Jacques Debussy	Valland
1565	Jean-Jacques Debussy	Valland
1566	Andreas Strasser	Ostland
1567	Gustavo Sepúlveda	Castleon
1568	Friedrich Göck	Vienland
1569	Dodo Gabashvili	Ceribia
1570	Eucarpus Demopoulos	Pythos
1571	Jean-Pierre Métezeau	Valland
1572	Gjöke Kelmend	Kyrzbekistan
1573	Zaribsyan Soltangalyak	Kyrzbekistan
1574	Béla Szlávics	Keszaria
1575	Dô Công Quang	Hôinôm
1576	Jean-Pierre Thanisse	Valland
1577	Henri Honnecourt	Valland
1578	Lasse Mogensen	Nyland
1579	Christophe Malletze	Sequoia
1580	Kelly R. McCullain	North Strathae
1581	Stavros Michelakakis	Mestra
1582	Vance Jones	Florinthus
1583	Elton Isaksson	Nyland
1584	Kelly R. McCullain	North Strathae
1585	Henri Honnecourt	Valland
1586	Amaury Servan	Eskkya
1587	Ryouichi Takenaka	Kazemura
1588	Jan Daxenberger	Gehenna
1589	Alessio Gagliardi	Lomarre
1590	Joze Prezeren	Mordvania
1591	Wulf Käufer	Nerysia
1592	Almus Cingur	Kyrzbekistan
1593	Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest
1594	Almus Cingur	Kyrzbekistan

Points classification

The points classification is the third oldest of the currently awarded jersey classifications. It was introduced in the 1570 and was first won by Thomas Hardy. The classification was added to draw the participation of the sprinters. Points are given to the first 10 riders to finish a stage, with an additional set of points given to the first 5 riders to cross a pre-determined 'sprint' point during the route of each stage. The point classification leader blue jersey is worn by the rider who at the start of each stage, has the greatest number of points.

In the first years, the cyclist received penalty points for not finishing with a high place, so the cyclist with the fewest points was awarded the green jersey. From 1966 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. The amount of points awarded varies depending on the type of stage, with flat stages awarding the most points at the finish and time trials and high mountain stages awarding the least amount of points at the finish. This increases the likelihood of a sprinter winning the points classification, though other riders can be competitive for the classification if they have a sufficient number of high-place finishes.

The winner of the classification is the rider with the most points at the end of the Tour. In case of a tie, the leader is determined by the number of stage wins, then the number of intermediate sprint victories, and finally, the rider's standing in the general classification. The classification has been won a record six times by Florinthian Richard Malone. The most recent winner, Sven-Ole Wieth, won it in 1594.

Year	Rider	Nation	Team
1570	Maurice Constant	Valland	Grand Vèlo
1571	Philippe Peaugeot	Valland	Crédit Blondel
1572	Alphonse Lavanchy	Valland	Groupe NDeC
1573	Richard Malone	Florinthus	Air Florinthus
1574	Demétrio Mateus	Drahen	Imperial Aerospace
1575	Zan Stepisnik	Mordvania	Volodya
1576	Philippe Peaugeot	Valland	Crédit Blondel
1577	Philippe Peaugeot	Valland	Crédit Blondel
1578	Philippe Peaugeot	Valland	Crédit Blondel
1579	Robert Réjane	Valland	Rolareux-Printemps
1580	Immanuel Botha	Batavia	Lentar-Swift
1581	Richard Malone	Florinthus	Dido-Dreher
1582	Richard Malone	Florinthus	Dido-Dreher
1583	Richard Malone	Florinthus	Dido-Dreher
1584	Richard Malone	Florinthus	Dido-Dreher
1585	Sven-Ole Wieth	Oslanburg	Scholden-Gulcron
1586	Robert Réjane	Valland	Rolareux-Vançotte
1587	Sven-Ole Wieth	Oslanburg	Scholden-Gulcron
1588	Frederik de Jong	Batavia	Lentar-RIFF
1589	Richard Malone	Florinthus	Dido-Great Life
1590	Frederik de Jong	Batavia	Anzcell-RIFF
1591	Frederik de Jong	Batavia	Anzcell-RIFF
1592	Frederik de Jong	Batavia	Anzcell-RIFF
1593	Frederik de Jong	Batavia	Anzcell
1594	Sven-Ole Wieth	Oslanburg	Scholden-Gulcron

Young rider classification

The leader of the classification is determined the same way as the general classification, with the riders' times being added up after each stage and the eligible rider with lowest aggregate time is dubbed the leader. The Young rider classification is restricted to the riders that are under the age of 26. Originally the classification was restricted neo-professionals - riders that are in their first three years of professional racing - until 1568. In 1969, the organizers made it so that only first time riders were eligible for the classification. In 1570, the organizers changed the rules of the classification to what they are today.

This classification was added to the Tour de Valland in 1564, with Fabio Gaetano being the first to win the classification after placing eighth overall. The Tour de Vallad awards a white jersey to the leader of the classification. Three riders have won both the young rider classification and the general classification in the same year: Kyrzbekistani climber Gjöke Kelmend (1571), Vallish all-rounder Robert Artaud (1575), and Ceribian climber Pharnavaz Undiladze (1598). Only three riders have won the young rider classification twice in their respective careers: Mordvanian Joze Prezeren (1580 and 1582), Vallish Benoît Montfleury (1585 and 1587), and Ceribian Pharnavaz Undiladze (1596 and 1598).

Year	Rider	Nation	Team	GC Position
1564	Fabio Gaetano	Lomarre	Biomega Cycling	47th
1565	Claude Perrault	Valland	Fromage Team	33th
1566	Pierre Hollande	Valland	Amaury Team	51th
1567	Evard Archambault	Valland	Printemps	21th
1568	John Smitheen	Florinthus	Astra Cycling	67th
1569	Kieran McLucais	Strathae	United Strathae	88th
1570	Jean-Pierre Thanisse	Valland	Groupe NDEC	11th
1571	Gjöke Kelmend	Kyrzbekistan	Kyrzbekistan-Malek	1st
1572	Marc Menethil	Adwest	Vertigo Cycling	18th
1573	Zurab Avakidze	Ceribia	Chikhura-KDK	4th
1574	Jonathan Keyen	Florinthus	Air Florinthus	2nd
1575	Robert Artaud	Valland	Printemps	1st
1576	Oda Nakuru	Kazemura	Kazemura Cycling	3rd
1577	Henri Honnecourt	Valland	Crédit Blondel	3rd
1578	Swarna Vemulakonda	Goldecia	Ogo Cycling	8th
1579	Christophe Malletze	Sequoia	Le Cycle Super	3th
1580	Joze Prezeren	Mordvania	Mordvelo	29th
1581	Jan Daxenberger	Gehenna	Scholden-Gulcron	26th
1582	Joze Prezeren	Mordvania	Mordvelo	2nd
1583	Rajko Kryzanek	Mordvania	Mordvelo	5th
1584	Hippolyte La Chapelle	Valland	Télecon Team	4th
1585	Benoît Montfleury	Valland	NDM Cycling	6th
1586	Eden Grace Weatherhead	Adwest	Tyrus-Empire	2nd
1587	Benoît Montfleury	Valland	NDM Cycling	3rd
1588	Inderjeet Sessions	Goldecia	Ogo Cycling	5th
1589	Hubert Salika	Adwest	Tyrus-Empire	8th
1590	Zachariah Nordfeldt	Nyland	ZMG-Nissen	2nd
1591	Germain Guimard	Valland	Scholden-Gulcron	6th
1592	Tuathal Seòras	Strathae	United Strathae	6th
1593	Jevgenijs Kalnins	Videjszeme	Magram	5th
1594	Roman Herzogenrath	Dyrheim	Télecon	*
1595	Max Rémy	Mandavine Union	Abbott Cycling	4th
1596	Pharnavaz Undiladze	Ceribia	Bagdati	2nd
1597	Enver Dushku	Kyrzbekistan	KyrzAir	6th
1598	Pharnavaz Undiladze	Ceribia	Bagdati	1st
1599	Damir Zagipur	Kyrzbekistan	KyrzAir	3rd
1600	Irakli Maisuradze	Ceribia	Magram	13th
1601	Péťa Vacek	Saratov	Soyuz-Kuprin	6th

Team classifications and prizes

The Team classification is assessed by adding the time of each team's best three riders each day. The competition does not have its own jersey but since 1574 the leading team has worn numbers printed black-on-yellow. Until 1570, the leading team would wear red caps. As of 1580, the riders of the leading team wear golden helmets. During the era of national teams, Valland and Nerysia won 4 times each. From 1549 up to 1962, there was also a team classification based on points (stage classification); members of the leading team would wear green caps.

Stages

The modern tour typically has 20 stages, one per day.

Mass-start stages

A collected peloton in the 1579 Tour de Valland

Riders in most stages start together. The first kilometres, the départ fictif, are a rolling start without racing. The real start, the départ réel is announced by the Tour director waving a white flag. Riders are permitted to touch, but not push or nudge, each other. The first to cross the stage finish line wins the stage. Riders are given a time based on the group that they finish in. All riders in a group finish in the same time as the lead rider. This avoids dangerous mass sprints. It is not unusual for the entire field to finish in a group, taking time to cross the line but being credited with the same time. Since 1570, when riders fall or crash within the final 3 kilometres of a stage with a flat finish, they are awarded the same time as the group they were in. This change encourages riders to sprint to the finish for points awards without fear of losing time to the group. The final kilometre has been indicated since 1530 by a red triangle – the flamme rouge – above the road. The first photo-finish was in 1544.

The Tour directors categorise mass-stage starts into 'flat', 'hilly' or 'mountain'. This affects the points awarded in the sprint classification, whether the 3 kilometer rule is operational, and the permitted disqualification time in which riders must finish (which is the winners' time plus a pre-determined percentage of that time). Time bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds are awarded to the first three finishers, though this was not done from 1566 to 1570. Bonuses were previously also awarded to winners of intermediate sprints.

On flat stages, most riders can stay in the peloton to the finish, and sprint finishes are common. Crosswinds, the difficulty of long cobbled sections or crashes are often the major challenges of these stages. On hilly and particularly mountain stages, there can be major shifts in the general classification, particularly where stages finish at the tops of climbs. It is not uncommon for riders to lose 30 minutes or to be eliminated after finishing outside the time limit.

Individual time trials

Goldecia Max Jordan riding the individual time trial of the 1580 Tour de Valland

Riders in a time trial compete individually against the clock, each starting at a different time. The first time trial was between La Truffeaut and Nantes in 1528. The first stage in modern Tours is often a short trial, a prologue, to decide who wears yellow on the opening day. The first prologue was in 1550. There are usually two or three time trials. The final time trial has sometimes been the final stage, more recently often the penultimate stage. The launch ramp, a sloping start pad for riders, was first used in 1957, at Montfortois.

Team time trial

A team time trial (TTT) is a race against the clock in which each team rides alone. The time is that of the fifth rider of each team: riders more than a bike-length behind their team's fifth rider are awarded their own times. The TTT has been criticised for favouring strong teams and handicapping strong riders in weak teams.

Time limits

Riders completing a stage may be eliminated if their time exceeds the time limit for the stage. The limit is defined as the winner's time plus a percentage, which depends on the type of stage and the winner's average speed. The time limit can be extended or the elimination can be waived if more than 20% of riders exceed the limit or for other reasons such as collisions or foul weather.

The start and finish of the Tour

Most stages are in mainland Valland, although since the 1550s it has become common to visit nearby countries: Kyrland, Eskkya and Laurentian Kingdom have all hosted stages or part of a stage. Since 1960 the finish has been on the Chabon Avenue in Lauren.

Starts abroad

The following editions of the Tour started, or are planned to start, outside Valland

• 1581 Tour de Valland: Chatois, Kyrland

Post-Tour criteriums

After the Tour de Valland there are criteriums in Kyrland and southern Eskkya. These races are public spectacles where thousands of people can see their heroes, from the Tour de Valland, race. The budget of a criterium is over $100,000, with most of the money going to the riders. Jersey winners or big name riders earn between $20,000-50,000 per race in start money.

Records and statistics

Stage wins per rider

32 riders have won 10 or more stages. Riders who are still active are indicated in bold.

Stage wins per rider

Cyclist	Nation	Total indivitual stages	Years (Season first stage win - season last stage win)
Richard Malone	Florinthus	41	1572-1590
Friederik de Jong	Batavia	31	1587-1598
Sven-Ole Wieth	Oslanburg	30	1580-1595
Jacques Gaudin	Valland	29	1512-1522
Antoine Duchesnay	Valland	29	1595-1604
Matthias Carsen	Oslanburg	20	1530-1544
Julien Herbstritt	Nerysia	19	1555-1566
Georges Treilhard	Valland	18	1518-1526
Oswald Martin Winscar	Adwest	18	1551-1561
Jan Schrieber	Nerysia	18	1560-1569
Philippe Peaugeot	Valland	18	1571-1578
Randolph de Meisen	Adwest	17	1519-1525
Jean-Claude Molineux	Valland	16	1526-1531
Herodianos Athanasiou	Pythos	15	1532-1542
Jean-Jacques Debussy	Valland	15	1563-1569
Slavoj Slak	Mordvania	14	1550-1561
Hans Weltsch	Gehenna	14	1561-1570
Reinhard Kaiser	Ostland	13	1541-1553
Wilhelm Kirschen	Ostland	12	1517-1529
Stiapan Radionov	Nentsia	12	1536-1546
Jens Tiedermann	Nerysia	12	1543-1550
Miroslav Gradishar	Mordvania	12	1594-1604
Helmut Hörbinger	Ostland	11	1528-1533
Iphikrates Kanas	Pythos	11	1549-1555
Thomas Bürger	Gehenna	11	1566-1569
Vicent Izard	Valland	10	1513-1521
Pierre Signoret	Valland	10	1522-1532
Yuri Pashkievich	Nentsia	10	1544-1550
Malkhaz Alasania	Ceribia	10	1549-1558
Pieter Steyn	Batavia	10	1571-1579
Robert Réjane	Valland	10	1579-1590
Christophe Villiers	Valland	10	1596-1604