Watching cycling
The biggest races are the three Grand Tours, led by the Tour de France, and Japan has big races of its own, such as the Japan Cup in Utsunomiya. This lesson covers stages, jerseys, breakaways and sprints, so you can follow the commentary and talk about a race. Tap to hear any line. The bar at the bottom plays a hands-free drill for walking.
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25 words for watching a race
Each card shows a word, the form used and a sentence you'd say watching a race. Eleven cards reuse words or forms from earlier courses and Lesson 2.
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The jerseys and the Grand Tours
What each jersey means, and the three Grand Tours. Each stage race has its own leader's jersey.
| Jersey | Means | Race |
|---|
- and . A small group escapes early (), the bunch () chases, and usually catches them near the end. That's most flat stages.
- Late nights. European stages finish in the late afternoon there, which is around midnight in Japan.
- . Track racing that started in Japan and is now an Olympic event. In Japan it is also public betting, for adults (20 and over) only.
- Races in Japan. The Japan Cup in Utsunomiya and the Tour of Japan bring top teams here, and much of the roadside is free to watch.
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Four patterns to use today
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Say it in Japanese
Say each one out loud before you reveal the answer. Getting close counts.