Speed control: Yellow jersey in charge
The game is always the same on many stages: A leading group breaks away early on and the chasers ride behind. In our example, the lead is around ten minutes after 130 of 200 kilometres. If the lead lasts until the finish, the best-placed of the breakaway riders (red) takes the yellow jersey. According to an unwritten law, the team of the man in the yellow jersey is responsible for organising the race - this means a lot of work for the helpers (blue) in the team. In the background, the sporting director in the support car tries to forge alliances with other teams.
Mass sprint: Yellow jersey rolls along at the front
On flat stages, when it all comes down to a bunch sprint, the team of the overall leader is usually supported in the pace work - by the racing teams that have a strong sprinter (green) in the race. Yellow rides at the front of the peloton, usually in the first 20 positions in the slipstream of one or more team-mates and must first and foremost be careful not to get involved in crashes and to stay in the first bunch, which is counted at the finish with the same time as the winner. The three-kilometre mark is an important point: from here, in the event of a mass crash, all riders in the group receive the same time at the finish.
Defect: Yellow jersey needs quick help
On a descent, the race leader has a puncture and fears for his yellow jersey. The situation is critical because the team car is not directly behind - but the race jury keeps the support cars with the spare tyres behind a group that has been left behind (the so-called "barrage"). A team-mate (blue) stops and gives his captain his front wheel so that he can continue immediately. It is an unwritten law that the opponents (orange, red) do not attack in this situation - and slow down if possible. But they don't stop at the front either. The man in the yellow jersey has to hurry to catch up again on his own.
Attention, wind edge
Flat stages have particular pitfalls - such as changing winds. If a strong wind blows from the side, so-called wind edge situations can occur. Tactically attentive teams at the front set the pace, the peloton fans out into wind groups and stretches out. If individual riders weaken in the centre, where there is hardly any slipstream, the field breaks up. Now you have to react quickly so that there are no time gaps until the finish! Difficult situation: Does the team management call all the blue riders back to join forces and drag their leader to the most important competitor (orange)? Or do they leave the riders at the front as an option?
Mountain stage: Yellow jersey is isolated
The rivals have isolated the man in the yellow jersey from his helpers through high speed or aggressive riding style. He now has to think carefully about which attacks to counter and which not to counter - if he rides behind himself on the flat in the situation described, the main rival (orange) will take it easy in his slipstream and lurk for an attack of his own - but the man in red is also dangerous in the overall classification! The helpers (blue) try to catch up again to help the captain.
Mountain stage: Yellow jersey sends helpers ahead
Often seen tactic on mountain stages - also to avoid a scenario like the one in the diagram above: Yellow sends one of his helpers (blue) into an early breakaway group. This helper is supposed to serve as a "springboard" and provide his boss with slipstream between the mountains in case he catches up and, as a strong climber, usually has to leave the other team-mates behind. If the race remains calm and the escape group has enough of a lead, the helper has a chance of winning the stage.
Final in the mountains: control or attack
A mountain top finish: the man in the yellow jersey leads the overall standings by a narrow margin. After a long elimination race, yellow is alone on the final climb with the second (orange) and third-placed riders (red). The favourites eye each other. Yellow simulates weakness and drops to third position. From there he watches the competition - and can surprise them with an attack. A final attack only makes sense for the man in yellow if he needs to increase his lead - for example because of a weakness in the individual time trial.
