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What are bonus seconds in cycling?
Bonus seconds are time bonuses deducted from a rider's overall time for finishing high on a stage or at intermediate sprints. They count only in the general classification.
At many stage races, the first three riders across the finish line of a stage receive a time bonus, often 10, 6 and 4 seconds. Some races also give smaller bonuses at intermediate sprints or at the top of selected climbs. Time trials usually do not carry bonus seconds.
Bonuses can decide close races. In a one-week stage race, where the top riders are often separated by seconds, a stage win and the bonus that comes with it can be worth more than any time gap on the road. That encourages GC riders to sprint for stage wins and to contest intermediate sprints.
Rules vary between races and even between editions of the same race. The race regulations, published by the organiser, set exactly where bonuses are awarded and how large they are.
Our race pages show the final general classification for each edition we cover, which already includes any bonus seconds.