GC is the big picture in a stage race — not who wins today, but who has the lowest total time when all the stages are added together. A GC contender needs to be good at virtually everything: limit losses in time trials, defend position in crosswinds, and attack or survive in the mountains where the biggest time gaps open up. Mountain stages and individual time trials are where GC races are won and lost, but GC riders have been eliminated by echelons, crashes on narrow roads, and even mechanical problems. Seconds matter across three weeks — Cadel Evans won the 2011 Tour by 1 minute 34 seconds over 86 hours of racing.
RELATED TERMS