Infographic: What is the Role of a ‘Gregario’? The Hidden Heroes of the Tour de France
You have probably heard the term "gregario" (supporting rider) in the Tour de France or in other cycling competitions, but you still don't know what it is. Here we explain what it is about .
Here we explain why this role is so important for a cycling team. Photo: LatinAmerican Post
LatinAmerican Post| Juan Manuel Londoño
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Leer en español: Infografía: ¿Qué es un gregario? Los héroes ocultos del Tour de France
What is a gregario or supporting rider? You have probably heard this term at the Tour de France or Giro d'Italia and don't know what it refers to. Here we explain why this role is so important for a cycling team.
Although it may not seem like it , cycling is a team sport. The individual results that amaze us are only possible thanks to the efforts of several athletes working together on the race track.
Thus, in cycling teams there are two types of runners: leaders and gregarious. The leader is a consummate winner and the best cyclist in the team and we already know that he fulfills his task by winning the stages or finishing first in the general classification . But what do the gregarious do?
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As we can see, cycling is a very unfair sport . Although the effort to win a race can be divided between multiple individuals, only those who reach the podium get the glory, the contracts and the media attention. So the next time you watch a cycling event, don't just focus on the leader. Watch the interviews of his teammates who came in 10th, 15th or last place. Follow them on social media and congratulate them on a job well done. After all, it is for these hidden heroes that the legends of cycling triumph. They just need more recognition.
