Watching cycling is a lot more fun when you know the lingo. Here’s a rudimentary glossary.

Break/breakaway: A rider or group of riders that has left the main group behind.

Caravan/race caravan: The official and support vehicles in a race.

Circuit race: A one-day race that laps around a circuitous route.

Classic race: A one-day race in which the route travels between two separate points, instead of a circuitous route.

Criterium: A multi-lap, one-day race on a closed, short-course, typically 1 mile or less.

Domestique: A team rider who will sacrifice his individual performance to help a designated teammate. Duties can include giving up one’s bike for another rider, supplying refreshments to teammates and catching breakaway riders. French for “servant.”

Draft: To ride closely behind another racer, saving energy by using that racer as a wind break. Riding in front is strenuous but affords a great energy-saving advantage to the rider behind.

Drop/dropped: When a rider has been passed by another, or left behind.

Field sprint: A mass sprint at the finish among the main group of riders in a road race.

Gap: The amount of time or distance between a rider or group of riders and another rider or group of riders.

Grand Tour: Refers to three-week major cycling stage races: Tour de France, Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy) and Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain).

Hammer: To ride hard

Jump: A quick acceleration, which usually develops into a sprint.

Lead out: To intentionally sacrifice one’s chances in order to create a windbreak and an opening for a rider behind. A racing tactic whereby one rider races at high speed to give a head start to the rider on his/her wheel.

Mechanical: Slang for a mechanical problem with the bicycle.

Off the back: When a rider or riders cannot keep pace with the main group and lag behind.

Off the front: When a rider takes part in a breakaway.

Peloton: The main field, or pack, of riders in the race. Peloton is French for a group moving forward.

Prologue: One type of beginning for a stage race, which is a relatively short time trial.

Popped: Blown. Had it. Knackered. Stuffed. Lots of words to describe the legs just going all weak.

Puncture: Flat tire.

Road rash: Skin abrasions resulting from a fall or crash onto the road.

Saddle: The bike seat.

Slipstream: The area of least wind resistance behind a rider.

Stage race: A bike race held over successive days, with a different course each day. Stage races can last anywhere from three to 25 days. The rider with the lowest total time wins.

Velo: Bike. French.

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