Riders gridded by UCI ranking; mass start with countdown; Riders complete prescribed laps; first across finish line wins; Lapping: lapped riders pulled when caught (XCO)
Why people argue about this
People often assume that riders are lined up in order of UCI ranking before each race starts, which leads them to think they're competing against their direct rivals every time. However, the actual rule only specifies this grid formation for mass start races at the beginning of a series or season, not for individual race starts where rankings change frequently.
