The General Classification (GC) ranks riders by cumulative time across all stages of a multi-day cycling race. The GC leader is the overall race leader, regardless of stage wins or points classifications.
In races like the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, the GC leader wears a special jersey—the Yellow Jersey in the Tour and the Maglia Rosa in the Giro. Winning the GC requires consistent performance in time trials, mountain stages, and flat days, as well as strong team support. GC contenders focus on minimizing losses on unfavorable terrain and seizing time gaps on decisive stages to secure overall victory.
