Road Race
Criterium
Hill Climb
Time Trail
Stage Race
Šoseja
Road events take place on paved roads. They can be urban or rural setting, or a combination of both. The topography can range from flat to mountainous, creating events with a wide variety of character. This is classic bike racing and events are held on every continent.
Road Race
Road Race - These are mass-start events held on open roads. Racers ride in groups or ‘pelotons’, corner at high speeds, take turns ‘pulling’ at the front of pace lines, and pick tactical spots to try to break away. The first rider across the finish line is the winner. The course may be from point to point, from town to town, or on a circuit (the start and finish are in the same place.) Usually the course is closed to traffic in the area of the race. Road races can be up to a couple hundred kilometers long (over 100 miles.)
Criterium
Criterium - A criterium is a short road race on a circuit – usually city streets – closed to traffic. The distance per lap may vary from 1/2km to 3km (1/3 mile to 2 miles). Races are of varying numbers of laps. The mass start, high-speed cornering and sprinting make criterium exciting for participants and spectators alike. Because criterium pass the same point each lap they are better spectator events than road races.
Hill Climb
Hill Climb - During a hill climb, riders race towards a finish line that is higher than the starting line. These events may be individual (time trial) or mass start.
Time Trail
Time Trail - A time trial is an individual or team race over a fixed distance against the clock. Rider start individually at timed intervals and the rider with the fastest time wins. Distances raced vary from 1km to 100km. The course may be from point to point, from town to town, or on a circuit (the start and finish are in the same place.) The course is closed to traffic in the area of the race.
Stage Race
Stage Race - A stage race is a combination of some or all of the road events; road race, criterium, and time trial. They are held over two to fourteen days. Each cyclist’s time for all the individual events is totaled and the overall winner is the rider with the lowest cumulative time. There are also winners for each individual event and sometimes for groups of events. These are particular popular in Europe (i.e. Tour de France) and Africa (i.e. Tour de Faso, Tour de Senegal).