What is a startlist in cycling?
A startlist is the official list of riders and teams who start a race, usually with each rider's race number.
Teams submit their selections to the organiser before a race. The final startlist is confirmed shortly before the start, and changes can happen up to the last moment because of illness or injury.
Race numbers often follow a pattern: each team receives a block of numbers, and the team leader commonly wears the first number in that block. At the Tour de France, the previous year's winner traditionally wears number 1 if they start.
Startlists tell you a lot about a race before it begins: how many top riders are there, what kind of rider each team has brought, and which teams are targeting the general classification or stage wins. A strong startlist raises the prestige of a race and the value of winning it.
On howtoturnpro.com we combine startlists with our salary estimates to calculate the estimated total value of each startlist. Our most expensive startlists ranking shows which races brought together the best-paid riders. The value is an estimate and is shown only when enough riders on the startlist have an estimate.