road cycling tour game rules, version 3.7 (August 2017) Papercut Games (

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1 road cycling tour game rules, version 3.7 (August 2017) Papercut Games ( Road Cycling Tour (RCT) is a road cycling simulation game focusing on team tactics in multi-stage races. Although it is in principle possible to simulate single stage races, that is not what the game is intended for. In these rules, you will find the beginners game first, followed by some advanced and optional rules. It is highly recommended that first-time players of the game try the beginner s game first. means that is is a counter that can be used in flatland/plains or downhill terrain; M means that it can be used uphill or on cobblestones. P-type counters are green; M-type counters are gray. On most counters, after the M or P a number between 2 and 4 follows. If such a counter is used instead of a die, then that number replaces the die roll. These are normal speed counters. Several aspects of these rules are further explained and illustrated in a series of picture tutorials in the rules forum at the website Boardgamegeek: It is best to read these tutorials after reading the rules for the beginners game. You are welcome to post further rule questions at the Boardgamegeek game forum. I ll try to answer them as quickly as possible. components road tiles Road tiles are square cardboard tiles with a number of features. Road tiles are separated into 5 lanes, which in turn are separated into spaces. The two outer lanes have a slightly darker color and are not used in twoplayer games (and some 3-player games). (The first edition of the game had 3-lane road tiles.) There are four types of terrain, and the whole of one road tile is always the same type of terrain: flatland/plains with light green edge, downhill with dark green edge, uphill with light gray edge, cobblestones with cobblestone pattern in the road surface. speed counters Speed counters are used to determine the speed of a rider (cyclist) in addition to or instead of the dice (see below). Speed counters have a number of different codes and markings. Most important is the code in the lower right, which summarizes the type of counter. P Some counters have a different type of code with a plus sign (+) (and a cyclist in red). This means that these are extra speed counters. These counters can be used in addition to the dice (or in addition to a die and a normal speed counter). Counters with a code ending in S are sprint counters; those with a code ending in D are démarrage counters. riders Sets of 5 identically colored rider (cyclist) tokens numbered 1 to 5 are needed. One set per player. Sometimes it is advisable to play with less than 5 riders per player, however. (See the subsection on number of players, lanes, and riders in the advanced and optional rules.) dice 2 dice, hereafter called D6, are needed. These are not standard dice, however. They should have the numbers 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, and 3 on their faces. (Alternatively, roll normal D6s, divide by 2, and round down.) team sheets Print out a team sheet for each player. These are used to mark rider properties and play an important role during the game (see below). Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 1

2 basic rules reference Most rules can be found in the first stage section below. Game turns and groups are defined in the first two subsections. Breakaways, movement and gaps in the following subsections. Sprint rules are described in the breakaway phase subsection. Terrain rules are introduced in the second stage section, and time trial rules in the third stage section. (Note that rules for team time trials can be found in the advanced and optional rules section below.) Rules for bookkeeping can be found in the subsection rest of the stage of the first stage section; and scoring rules in the very short game end section. (Standard scoring rules can be found in the subsection scoring in the advanced and optional rules section below.) For tactical advice, see appendix 2. beginners game The beginners game is for either 2 or 3 players. It is a three-stage race with a flat stage, a mountain stage, and a time trial, and requires approximately 2 hours to play. In the stage diagrams below and in appendix 1 at the end of these rules, S is the start tile, F, the finish tile, light green is a flatland/plains tile (with light green edge), dark green is a downhill tile (with dark green edge), light gray is an uphill tile (with light gray edge), and dark gray is a cobblestones tile (with light green edge and cobblestone pattern in the road). stage 1 stage 2 stage 3 Only the 3 middle lanes of the road tiles are used. Riders can not move onto the two darker colored outer lanes. All players get a team sheet and a pen or pencil. Team sheets are divided into 5 rows (not counting the top row) one per rider. On the left, you find the rider s number and a space to fill in his (or her) name. All riders get a number of speed counters. With two players, 5 riders are used; with three players 4 (discard the 5th). In a two-player game, each player distributes speed counters among his or her riders as follows: P2 P3 P4 P+1D P+2S P+3S M2 M3 M4 M+1D Σ The numbers on the left are rider numbers. On the top are speed counter codes. The bottom row (Σ) gives the total number of counters per type of counter. This is the same table for the three-player game: P2 P3 P4 P+1D P+2S P+3S M2 M3 M4 M+1D Σ All speed counters go face up in the riders speed counter boxes on the team sheets. All players write the number of each type of counter per rider in this same box (sometimes counters get misplaced, and this way it can always be checked which rider has which counters). the first stage Lay out the first stage in accordance with the above stage diagram. Place all the participating riders (10 or 12) before the start line. The game is now ready to begin. A stage is played in a series of game turns. The stage is finished when the last rider crosses the finish line. Each rider moves in each game turn. A game turn ends when all riders have moved. If there are still riders on the road, then the next game turn begins with the identification of groups. Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 2

3 groups The order in which riders move is determined by the group they are part of and the location of that group on the road. Groups closer to the finish move first. A group is a set of riders (or a single rider) on adjacent spaces. All riders on adjacent spaces at the beginning of a turn belong to the same group. Note that spaces that only touch at a point/corner are not considered adjacent. Find the group closest to the finish that has not moved yet. That is the active group. Place the active group marker next to the first rider (closest to the finish) in that group. (Point the arrow at the space this first rider is in. It is important to mark that space in this way because of breakaways.) Closest to the finish means least spaces to the finish line, with the actual distance on the tiles (in cm or inches, following the middle line of the road tiles) as a tie breaker. (Thus, riders that are further to the front in the groups are higher in turn order.) For each group the following five phases are played in order: 1. Breakaway phase; 2. Breakaway Gaps Phase; 3. Positions phase; 4. Movement phase; 5. Gaps phase. After a group is finished, move the active group marker to the next group, and repeat these five phases. BREAKAWAY PHASE All players announce which of their riders in the active group are using a démarrage or sprint counter (extra speed counters) and optionally one additional normal speed counter. Other players may respond with similar announcements (there is no player order). Announcements cannot be withdrawn or changed. As soon as a player makes an announcement, he/she moves the speed counter(s) that rider is going to use to the committed box on the team sheet. All speed counters committed are open to be seen by all players. No breakaway (sprint or démarrage) is possible without an extra speed counter. In addition to the extra speed counter, one D6 can be replaced by a normal speed counter. See the movement phase subsection for normal movement rules. A breakaway (sprint or démarrage) is only possible from a group consisting of more than one rider. Single riders cannot use extra speed counters. All riders attempting to break away count the spaces that they may move (dice plus counter(s)) from the first rider in that group (rather than from their own position). Aside from that, and a few additional rules for sprints (see next paragraph), normal movement rules apply (see below). Used speed counters are turned upside down and moved to the used box after use. sprint A sprint can only be announced if there are no more up-hill spaces or cobblestone spaces between that group and the finish line. A sprint fails if none of the riders from the same group that uses a sprint counter in that turn crosses the finish line. In that case, leave the rider(s) in his/their position(s) in the group. These riders can still move normally after a failed sprint and can be subject to position change (but the speed counters are used and go into the used box anyway). BREAKAWAY GAPS PHASE Gaps between the escaping riders (the riders that successfully used an extra speed counter) are closed per the normal gaps rules. See below. POSITIONS PHASE All riders from the same team and in the same group that did not breakaway may exchange positions. (Note that due to breakaways the group may now have fallen apart, but that it is still considered one group until the end of the gaps phase for that group. What is a group is determined at the beginning of the game turn and does not change during the turn.) MOVEMENT PHASE All players announce which of their riders in the active group that did not break away are using a normal speed counter (extra speed counters can not be used in the normal movement phase). Other Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 3

4 players may respond with similar announcements (there is no player order). Announcements cannot be withdrawn or changed. As soon as a player makes an announcement, he/she moves the speed counter that rider is going to use to the committed box on the team sheet. All speed counters committed are open to be seen by all players. Turn order within the group is determined by position. The rider closest to the finish (as explained/ defined above) goes first; the one closest to the start goes last. In the first turn of a stage, when all riders are waiting before the start line, turn order is in order of the general classification. In the very first turn of a game, turn order is numbers 1 of all teams, then numbers 2 of all teams, and so forth, and the order of teams is determined randomly by means of a D6. To move a rider, roll two D6s or one D6 if a normal speed counter is used (but note that at most one D6 can be replaced with a normal speed counter). Add the numbers rolled or the number rolled and the number on the counter. That is the maximum number of spaces that rider can move. A rider moves from adjacent space to adjacent space: forward, sideways, or even back (which in rare circumstances can be advantageous). Note that spaces that only touch at a point/corner are not considered adjacent. There can be only one rider in a space. Riders can move through occupied spaces, but must end their movement in an empty space. If there is no empty space available at the maximum distance a rider can move, then that rider moves as far as he can. Remember that only the 3 middle lanes of the road tiles are used in the beginners game. Riders can not move onto or through the two darker colored outer lanes. Used speed counters are turned upside down and moved to the used box after use. falls If double 0 (zero) is rolled for a rider, he falls (which implies that using speed counters also prevents falling). Immediately re-roll one D6. If it is another 0, that rider is hospitalized. Take him out of the race. He can not rejoin in a later stage. If, however, the second roll (for any of the fallen riders) is a 3, then that rider gets on his bike quickly and tries to rejoin (or perhaps he didn t fall but just had a flat tire). Roll again for his normal movement, but subtract 1 from the result. Next the rider(s) directly behind the fallen rider (in turn order) check(s) whether he/they fall(s) as well. Roll one D6, if it is a 0, that rider falls. Check for possible hospitalization (or a quick restart). If this second rider falls (or these second riders fall), the rider(s) behind that/those has/have to check whether he/they fall(s), and so forth. Behind here means in the same lane and in one space further from the finish line, or in an adjacent lane, and in an adjacent space that is further from the finish line. GAPS PHASE Gaps before the gaps phase are not really gaps. The gaps rules are intended to simulate slip-streaming and other advantages of being in a group of riders. Only gaps after the gaps phase represent real gaps. Depending on the type of terrain, gaps between riders from the same group can be closed. On plains/flatland, the only type of terrain in the first stage, gaps of 2 spaces can be closed. (See stage 2 for terrain effects.) Gaps between escaping (breakaway) riders from the same group can be closed; gaps between riders that did break away and riders that did not break away are not closed. Riders that fell cannot close gaps (not even if they got on their bike again). Gaps are closed in order from riders closest to the finish to riders furthest away. If by closing a gap a new gap is created behind that rider and the next rider can close the gap per these rules, than he can do so. Riders always move the minimum number of spaces necessary to close a gap. Hence if a gap-closing rider could move 2, but 1 is sufficient to close the gap, he would just move 1. If a gap cannot be closed, a rider does not move in the gaps phase Closing gaps is optional. A player can choose to let a rider not close a gap if that is tactically advantageous. (For example, because the leader of an opponent team is behind him, and by not closing the gap, that leader would also be unable to stay in the same group.) Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 4

5 THE REST OF THE STAGE After all riders in a group have moved (or fallen) move the active group marker to the next group and repeat the above procedure. The stage ends when the last rider crosses the finish line (or is taken out of the race either voluntarily or because of a fatal fall). (Note that if a rider is taken out of the race, that constitutes a withdrawal and that a withdrawal is permanent: a withdrawn rider can not rejoin in a later stage.) normal finish If two or more riders cross the finish line in the normal movement phase, the stage result (stage ranking position) is the order in which the riders crossed the finish line during the game. Each player should write down the results of his riders in the stage results box of his team sheet in the following format: S#: #st / s / t in which S# is the stage number, #st is the final position (stage ranking position) of that rider, s is the number of game turns that rider finished after the winner and t is the sum of s for all stages played for that rider. Example. If a rider is third in the second stage and crosses the finish line one game turn after the winner, and had exactly the same results in the previous stage, this would be the stage results: S2: 3rd / 1 / 2. The value of s is lowered by one (to -1) for the stage winner. The general classification / overall ranking for the full race is based on t in the above notation (the lower t, the higher the ranking). Ties are broken by stage results (most stage victories, most 2nd places, etc.). breakaway (sprint) finish If two or more riders cross the finish line in the breakaway phase of the same turn, the one that moves furthest over the finish line (i.e. has the most remaining movement points) wins. If this is equal, roll D6s to determine the winner. (The same rule applies to the stage results (stage ranking positions) for riders that finish after the winner but in a breakaway phase.) If a stage is won in the breakaway phase (sprint or démarrage), then all riders from the group the winner did breakaway from are considered to finish in the same time (and thus, in the notation above, s = 0). However, they still have to physically finish the race according to the normal rules, because some of them may fall and that may affect the results of later groups. getting back speed counters All speed counters used in a game turn are turned upside down and stacked in the used box. At the end of a stage (or at the end of a resting day but not at the end of a game turn), half that number (rounded up) is moved back to the speed counters box (the player chooses which ones). the second stage Stage 1 is now finished. Lay out the terrain for the second stage. While the first stage was all plains/flatland, the second adds different types of terrain terrain: counters and gaps All riders in a group are considered to be in the terrain the first rider is in. If the first rider is in a space on the edge of two road tiles with different terrain, the terrain of the tile closest to the finish determines the terrain of the group. Terrain of the starting tile is flatland/plains. Terrain of the finish tile is the same as that of the last road tile before the finish tile. Terrain determines which speed counters can be used. P-type (green) counters can be used in flatland/plains or downhill terrain; M-type (gray) counters can be used uphill or on cobblestones. Terrain also affects the gaps rule. Depending on the type of terrain, gaps between riders from the same group can be closed. Relevant terrain for closing gaps is determined by looking at the spaces occupied by a rider, the rider he is trying to reach, and the spaces in between. The most difficult terrain is the terrain type for gap closing rules. Order of difficulty is: up-hill (most difficult); cobblestones; plain; down-hill (least difficult). Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 5

6 The maximum closing distance is dependent on this most difficult terrain : 0 uphill; 1 on cobblestones; 2 on plains; and 2 or 3 down-hill. Example: If there are two spaces between a rider and the one in front of him, and both riders are from the same group, and neither did breakaway, and neither fell, and the terrain occupied by these riders and between them is all flatland/plains, then the rider furthest from the finish may move two spaces forward to stay in the same group (this represents slip-streaming). If one of the four spaces would have been up-hill, that rider would not have been able to close in, since the maximum closing distance for up-hill terrain is 0 rather than 2 (in plains). And 0, of course, means that on uphill terrain, gaps are never closed In down-hill terrain, a rider can normally close a gap of 2, but may attempt to close a gap of 3. This is very dangerous, however. Roll a D6 if this is attempted. If a zero is rolled, that rider falls and is hospitalized (and therefore, out of the game), otherwise he succeeds. A rider in a group of one can attempt to descend at breakneck speed. He may add 1 to his normal movement, but again a D6 is rolled and he is hospitalized in case of a 0. the third stage The third stage is a time trial. A time trial is a race against the clock rather than against each other and works according to somewhat different rules. In a time trial, all riders use the middle lane of the road tiles. There can be multiple riders on one space (put them side by side). No gaps are closed and no extra speed counters can be used. Hence, there are normal movement phases only. All riders move in turn, from those closest to the finish to the one farthest away. (The starting order is general classification order.) After movement, put a rider back to front or sideways to mark that that rider has moved. After all riders have moved change them back to normal position and repeat until all riders have finished. game end After the third stage, the beginners game is over. Scoring (per team!) works as follows: 1 point per stage won. 3 points for the winner of the general classification. 1 point for the number 2 in the general classification. Whoever scores the most points wins the game. advanced and optional rules After having played the beginner s game, you should have some grasp of the workings of the game, and you can start to exploit the flexibility of the game system. This section of the game rules describes some of the possibilities and gives some suggestions. stage design The exact stages should be decided before the game because it is vital to plan ahead. When simulating a real cycling race, it is generally recommended to use a scale of 1 road tile per 20 kilometers, stretching out mountains and time trials. The Tour de France mountain classification, for example, can be converted as follows. HC: 3 uphill; 1st cat.: 2 uphill; 2nd cat.: 1 uphill; 3rd and 4th cat.: combine several hills into a single uphill and/or replace with cobblestones (which have a similar but weaker effect as hills in the game). In the basic game, a five- to seven-stage race is recommended. Instead of designing stages from scratch the stages shown in the diagrams in appendix 1 can be used. Just add corners where desired and make them one tile longer or shorter if desired (or even two tiles longer) (or make any other changes). For a balanced race, there should be 1 or 2 stages of each of the types S, E, and M, and 0 or 1 stages of type T. If you want to design your own stages without any reference to a real race, then the following rules of thumb may be useful. A stage should not be shorter than 7 and not be longer than 12 road tiles. There are never more than 3 uphill tiles in a row, never more than 3 downhill tiles in a row, and never more than 1 cobblestone tile in a row. Cobblestones tiles are not adjacent to uphill tiles. Time trials should be between 3 and 6 tiles. Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 6

7 Note that in all these tile counts, start and finish tiles are not included. If you wish to use another scale (rather than the 1 tile per 20km), then feel free to do so, but note that shorter scales are not advisable, and that if you use a longer scale (1 tile per 10km for example), the number of speed counters used should be increased accordingly. roundabout and yellow-flag markers The Tour de France is plagued by roundabouts, so RCT needed a special tile for that. This tile can be used as a straight, a corner, or even a crossing. Aside from that, it works as a normal tile. In a real race, whenever there is an obstacle on the road, there will be someone standing there waving a yellow flag. If desired, place yellow flag markers on one or more spaces of the stage s road tiles. Those spaces represent obstacles and cannot be used. number of players, lanes, and riders The game does not work well if there are too many or too few riders on the available road surface. The following table summarizes recommended numbers of riders per player and numbers of lanes for different numbers of players at standard game scale. (With longer game scales (more tiles per distance), the game can also handle larger numbers of riders.) # players using 3 lanes using 4 lanes using 5 lanes 2 5 riders 3 4 or 5 5 riders 5 riders 4 3* * or * or 4 Best options in bold print and underlined. * playing with just 3 riders has a negative effect on the possible team tactics and is, therefore, usually better avoided. If 3 lanes are used, use the middle 3 (lighter colored) lanes; if 4 are used, mark the outer (darker) lane that is not used on the start tile with a yellow flag marker. It should also be noted that the number of riders used greatly influences game length. Two experienced players (2x5 riders) can play an average stage in about 30 minutes. With 4 players (4x5 riders) that doubles to an hour. And different scales further influence this, of course. (At 1 tile per 10 km and 5 teams of 5, a single stage would take between two-and-a-half and three hours. Playing a full Tour de France at that scale and with that many riders would be quite an epic event.) speed counters and riders There are four ways of assigning speed counters to riders. The easiest one is assigning them in accordance with the tables in the beginners game. The second option is to give each player the same mix of counters used in the beginner s game and let him/her distribute those among his/her riders him/herself. This is recommended for the first few games after the beginner s game. There are a few limitations, however. No rider has more than 7 speed counters. No rider has more than 2 counters from the following set of types of counters: P+2S; P+3S; P4; M4. No rider has both sprint counters and M-type (gray) speed counters (with an exception for one and only one M2). These limitations also apply to options 3 or 4. (But note that changing the game scale, and consequently changing the numbers of counters used, would also require changing the first, and possibly the second of these limitations.) The third option gives the players considerably more freedom and should only be used by experienced players. All players get a previously agreed upon sum of money (either game money or written down). 100 is recommended for teams of 5 riders with normal game scale. Players use this money to buy speed counters for the prices in the left bottom corner of those markers. Players should agree on a point value (in the final score) of unused money. (See scoring rules.) In the fourth option, the players together design all of the riders available. They determine the names of all riders and give them appropriate numbers and types of speed counters. All players receive a previously agreed upon sum of money. 100 is recommended. All riders are auctioned to the players. Only the highest bid is paid (to the bank). Which rider is to be auctioned at what time is decided by voting. Before bidding starts, players should agree on a point value (in the final score) of unused money. (See Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 7

8 scoring rules.) (For example, the player with the most remaining money could get 3 points, and the player with second most remaining money 1 point.) team time trials In a team time trial, all riders use the middle lane of the road tiles. There can be multiple riders from different teams, but not from the same team on one space (put them side by side). Gaps are closed only for riders from the same team. No extra speed counters are used. Hence, there is no breakaway (and breakaway gaps) phase, but there is a positions phase (and that can be very important). All riders move in turn, from those closest to the finish to the one farthest away. (The starting order is one rider of (player s) choice of the team with the highest ranking rider in the general classification, then one rider of the team with the second highest ranking rider, etc., then in the same order of teams another rider, then in the same order of teams another, until all riders have started.) After movement, put a rider back to front or sideways to mark that that rider has moved. After all riders have moved change them back to normal position and repeat until all riders have finished. The finishing time (turn number) of the third rider in the team counts as the time for the first two riders as well. For the fourth and fifth finishing riders in a team, their real finishing time (turn number) counts as their stage result. (Because of gap-closing rules, it pays off to keep a team together as long as possible.) (In case of 3-rider teams, the time of the 2nd also counts for the 1st.) time limit If a rider passes the finish line more than 7 turns after the winner in an M-type stage or more than 5 turns after the winner in any other kind of stage, that rider is disqualified from the rest of the race. (Provided that all players agree, other time limits can be set.) variant rules Some or all of the following variant rules can be used instead of the relevant standard rules as explained above (provided that all players agree, of course). The following three variant rules were suggested by Shawn Murphy. [positions phase] Riders can swap places with teammates only up to 2 spaces forward or backward. [breakaway phase] Riders in a group announce their breakaway attempts in order of their position in the group (from front to back). [getting back speed counters] Instead of choosing which speed counters return from used to the available stock, each stack is shuffled and the appropriate number of counters is drawn randomly. [breakaway phase] Riders attempting a breakaway from a position in the group that is more than two spaces behind the first rider in the group start counting from their own position, but add 2 to their movement. scoring Like the stages, scoring has obviously to be agreed on before the start of the game. Standard scoring rules (for teams) are as follows: 1 point per stage won; n points for the winner of the general classification / overall standings (the t in the rest of the stage subsection in the first stage section above); two thirds of n (rounded down if necessary) for the overall number 2; n minus what the number 2 got for the overall number 3. With large numbers of participating riders, numbers 4 and 5 (etc.) may also get points. n should not be larger than the number of stages. Whoever gets the most points wins. There are no tie breakers in case of equal results. If players wish to do so, three different classifications (Jerseys) can replace the standard scoring. This is modeled on the Tour de France, but most other major cycling tours use similar systems. The yellow jersey classification is the overall standing (t in the rest of the stage subsection in the first stage section above). The green jersey is the stage winner classification. While the yellow jersey ranking is in time (or turns), this one is point based. Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 8

9 For all S-type stages in appendix 1, or flat stages or stages with a single tiny hill or some cobblestones far away (3 tiles or more) from the finish line, the stage winner gets 3 points, the second gets 2 and the third gets 1. For time trials (T-type) and stages that have more than three up-hill tiles or that end with two or more uphill tiles in a row (M-type), the winner gets 1 point. For all other stages (E-type), the winner gets 2 points and the second gets 1. The (red on white) polka dot jersey is for the best climber. Again, this is a point based ranking. Different numbers of points are awarded for different size mountains. A mountain is a series of up-hill tiles followed by a series of down-hill tiles (or plains or the finish line). Whoever passes the last of those up-hill tiles (or the finish line if that follows an up-hill tile) first gets the most points. The rider that passes the last of three up-hill tiles in a row first gets 3 points, the second gets 2 and the third gets 1. (It is not recommended to include mountains of more than 3 up-hill sections in a row in your stage design at normal scale.) The rider that passes the last of two up-hill tiles first gets 2 points, the second gets 1. The rider that passes a single tile hill first gets 1 point. If players wish to do so, they could choose to count points for the last mountain in a race double (as is done in the Tour de France). Examples: S-type stages from appendix 1 are all 3-point stages for the green jersey; E-type stages are 2 points; and M-type and T-type stages are 1 point. In stage S2 there is a single 1-point hill. The rider that passes its top first gets 1 point for the polka dot jersey. Stage E2 has a 2-point mountain and a 1-point hill at the finish line. If a single rider is first at both, he gets 3 points in total. Stages M1 and M2 both have a 3-point and a 2-point mountain, but in different order. Of the time trials, two have mountains/hills (T2 and T3). Here too, polka dot jersey points are available for the rider who passes them first. Players should decide at the start of the game how the different jerseys (and 2nd and 3rd places) work out in the final score. One of many options is secretly setting goals and seeing at the end which player was most successful in reaching those goals. (Use your imagination, but play the game a few times with standard scoring rules first.) other rules No limit in the number of any component is intentional. Make as many of any component as turns out to be necessary. Everything not covered in these rules (or nor covered clearly enough) is decided by voting, bearing in mind that the intention of the game is to simulate road cycling. appendix 1: model stages type S stages (sprint) S1 S2 S3 type E stages (escape) E1 E2 E3 type M stages (mountains) M1 M2 M3 type T stages (time trial) T1 T2 T3 Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 9

10 appendix 2: tactical advice Some tactical suggestions for the model stages in appendix 1, assuming the standard counter mix and distribution for 5 riders as specified in the rules for the beginners game. rider roles With the standard counter mix for 5 riders (beginners game), these have the following roles: #1: team captain. Goal: winning the general classification (GC). Speed counters: P2, P3, P4, M2, M3, M4, M+1D. #2: backup GC rider (in case of a fatal fall of 1). Goal: ending high in the GC; helping 1. Speed counters: P3, P4, P+1D, M2, M3, M+1D. #3: attacker. Goal: winning a stage; helping the GC riders. Speed counters: P3, 2x P+1D, M2, M3, M+1D. #4: backup sprinter (in case of a fatal fall of 5: Goal: winning a stage; helping 5. Speed counters: P2, P3, P+1D, P+2S. #5: sprinter. Goal: winning sprints (stages). Speed counters: P2, P3, P4, P+3S. Note that 2 is in between 1 and 3 in abilities, and 4 in between 3 and 5. Both 2 and 4 can also act as an attacker. First of all, always keep an eye on the next stage! If the next stage is important for a rider, then make sure that that rider (still) has the necessary counters for that stage. Do not use all your counters for a rider in a stage, if he needs them more in the next one. stretching the peloton In any type of stage, stretching the peloton (the main group of riders, in English often the pack ) increases the chance of a successful escape. This is because in a stretched peloton, there are fewer riders in the front, and thus fewer riders that may be able to keep up with the escapees. Hence, if you re planning an escape, trying to stretch the peloton by means of a breakaway attempt is a useful strategy. Using an extra speed counter when a successful breakaway is unlikely does often result in stretching of the peloton, and may therefore be very useful for the team if you re planning your real breakaway a few turns later. You can often even do this right at the start (i.e. play an extra speed counter in the first turn). S-type (sprint) stages Keep your sprinters (5 and/or 4) in the front group, because this is sprint terrain. When you re 8 spaces or so away (from the finish line), try a sprint (D6 + P3 or P4 + P+2S or P+3S is anywhere in between 5 and 10 spaces with the right counters and a bit of luck, your sprinter can go very fast). S1 is very difficult for any non-sprinter to win. Unless, of course, the sprinters are not in the front group (which only happens if players aren t paying attention, or in case of lots of terribly bad luck). In normal circumstances, in both S2 and S3, escapes have a small chance of success if the peloton is stretched and if such an escape takes place just before or on the hill in S2 or the last cobblestones in S3. Attempting escapees need to make big escapes (and keep up speed), however, because sprinters go very fast and are likely to pass them otherwise. Depending on next day s stage (which determines what counters you d better keep in reserve), and if the situation on the road looks right (a long thin, and preferably broken up, peloton especially) trying something like this with either rider 2, 3, or 4 may sometimes pay off. E-type (escape) stages This type of stage will not end with a sprint, and is not likely to end with big differences between riders, and is therefore not important for the general classification riders (1 and 2). Best bet is to let riders 3 or 2 attack before the second half of the stage, and hope that they manage to stay away. E-type stages are nearly always won by a rider from a small group of escapees. Stretching the peloton right from the start helps to make the first real escape more likely to succeed. The best point for that real escape is just before the first hill. Probably, other riders will also break away, making it necessary to escape once more from the group of escapees later; for example at one of the cobblestones sections in E3, on the last climb in E1, or just before the last climb in E2. Rider 3 has the most démarage counters (extra speed counters marked D) and has a good chance of pulling this of. Rider 2 may also do well, but should only try to win a stage like this if the next day is not important for the general classification. Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 10

11 M-type (mountain) stages This type of stage is important for the overall classification, and the differences between riders will probably be considerable. Focus your attention on riders 1 and 2. Possibly you can try to let 3 escape early and use him later as some kind of springboard, but most important is choosing the right moment for your main riders (1 and 2) to try to escape. Uphill is usually the best timing for that, because few will be able to follow, but if you escape too early, they might come back later. Usually, the first mountains are too far away from the finish for a decisive breakaway. Nevertheless, in all three mountain stages, it often pays of to let rider 3 and/or in some cases 2 try to breakaway on the first mountain. Most likely he will be caught back by riders 1 and 2 who have more counters to spend in the mountains, but the caught-back rider can be used as a springboard for a later breakaway attempt of the team captains (riders 1). The best point for those to try is right at the beginning of the final climb. The combination M4 and M+1D gives them an enormous boost uphill, which is difficult for others to follow. Riders 2 may be able to follow if they haven't spent all their good counters earlier, but anyone else who was lucky enough to hang on thus far in the stage is most likely shaken of. Consequence is that in a mountain stage huge differences in finish times occur. T-type (time trial) stages Together with mountain stages, time trials determine the overall winner. There s not much tactics here just go as fast as you can. That means using as many as possible P4, P3, M4, and/or M3 speed counters (M counters only in case of up-hill terrain, of course). Road Cycling Tour Papercut Games p. 11