What is the time cut in cycling?
The time cut is the maximum time a rider can finish behind the stage winner and still be allowed to continue in a stage race. Riders who finish outside it can be eliminated.
The time cut is usually calculated as a percentage of the winner's time. The percentage depends on the type of stage and the winner's average speed, so mountain stages normally allow more time than flat stages, and a very fast stage can mean a tighter limit.
The rule matters most to sprinters and other heavy riders in the high mountains. They often ride together in a group, sometimes called the gruppetto or autobus, working out exactly how slowly they can climb and still make it.
Race juries can make exceptions. If a large number of riders finish outside the limit, or if there were exceptional circumstances such as a crash, the jury may reinstate them, sometimes with a deduction of points in the points classification.
Each race publishes its own time cut rules in its regulations. Riders eliminated by the time cut appear as outside time limit (OTL) in race results.