What is a prologue in cycling?
A prologue is a short individual time trial held at the start of a stage race, before the first regular stage. UCI rules limit a prologue to a maximum of 8 kilometres.
The prologue decides who wears the first leader's jersey. Because it is short, time gaps are usually small, often seconds rather than minutes, but they still count in the general classification.
Prologues suit explosive time triallists and track riders, who can hold very high power for a few minutes. GC riders mainly aim not to lose time, while specialists see a real chance to win and wear the leader's jersey for a few days.
A prologue is also a showcase for the organiser. It is often held in a city centre in front of large crowds, with every rider introduced one by one. Some races have dropped prologues in favour of a road stage on the first day, so they appear less often than in the past.
If a short opening time trial is longer than 8 kilometres, it counts as a normal stage, not a prologue. Our race pages list stage results and winners for each edition we cover.