Goal

The aim is to become the best Mind Cycling Manager by winning the most medals with your team. Medals are awarded to the cyclist first across the finish line, first to finish the sprint section, first to finish the mountain section and to the best overall team based on finishing positions.

Movement

The leader on the road is the cyclist who has advanced furthest on the course, with ties split in favour of the cyclist on the left. Cyclists move in order from the leader back through the field to the last cyclist on the road, though this order can be amended if cyclists choose to use the wheel or relay strategy.

The sprinter (green helmet) will advance a maximum of 5 spaces in the plains section, 7 in the sprint section, and 3 in the mountain section.

The domestique (blue helmet) will advance a maximum of 7 spaces in the plains section, 5 in the sprint section and 5 in the mountain section.

The climber (yellow helmet) will advance a maximum of 5 spaces in the plains section, 3 in the sprint section, and 7 in the mountain section.

Wind

If a cyclist begins a round with no other cyclist directly in front of them then they are riding into the wind and their maximum movement is one less than it would otherwise be.

Train

Two or more cyclists, one behind the other with no gaps, are considered to be in a train.

Wheel

A cyclist in a train may follow the rider who starts the turn directly in front of them to finish immediately behind them again, so long as that space is clear for them to move into. Note that sprinters cannot wheel if they start their turn in the mountain section.

Relay

A cyclist in a train may move to the front of the newly moved train so long as that space is clear for them to move into and also that they are in the front four cyclists in the train at the beginning of the turn. Note that sprinters cannot relay if they start their turn in the mountain section.

Attack

If a cyclist has a blue base then they are carrying a water bottle and they may use that bottle to launch an attack if they begin their movement in the right section (sprinter sprint section, domestique plains, climber mountain). The attack allows that cyclist to move an additional 3 steps, after which they throw the bottle away and change to a black base. If a cyclist launches an attack then a cyclist who starts the turn immediately behind them may not wheel or relay, but must move normally when it is their turn to do so.

Water Bottles

A domestique can pass their water bottle to a teammate who is directly behind them a the start of a turn - this is a free action and results in the domestique changing to a black base whilst the other cyclist changes to a blue base.

Fatigue

A domestique with a black base has no water bottle and will suffer from fatigue - his maximum movement is reduced by one and he may no longer wheel or relay.

Feed Zone

If the stage features one or more feed zones then if a domestique without a water bottle passes through such a space they immediately change to a blue base to indicate that they are carrying a bottle, before continuing with the rest of their movement for that turn. From the next turn they will no longer be fatigued and can wheel or relay as normal.

Rocky Mountains

If the stage has any spaces marked as rocky mountains then those spaces are impassable and cyclists cannot move through them or end their turn in them.

End Of The Race

The rider who crosses the finish line first wins the stage, the rider who crosses the line second will be in second place, and so on. When a cyclist crosses the line they break the train that they were in and cyclists who started the turn behind them may not wheel or relay.

Medals

Best Cyclist medal for the race winner.

Best Sprinter medal for the cyclist who finishes the sprint section first.

Best Climber medal for the cyclist who finishes the mountain section first.

Best Team medal for the player who has earned the most points (race winner gets 12 points, second 11, third 10, then 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, with 1 point for 12th).

Game Winner

The person who wins the most medals wins the game. In the case of a tie then the winner of the Best Team wins the game.

Solo

To play solo, just like in the 2 to 6 player version, you must first choose a course with the different sections (flat, sprint, and climb) using the removable strips, as well as the finish line strip, the “rock” tokens, and the “supply” tokens.

Next, choose a team (1 nation) of 5 cyclists and place them side by side in an order of your choice, just before the actual starting line.

You can now begin the solo game using exactly the same rules as the 2 to 6 player version, with one difference: instead of winning medals, the goal is to get 4 cyclists from your team across the finish line in the fewest number of turns. To help count the turns, you can place a base next to the square where the last cyclist of the team is located after each turn. When the fourth cyclist crosses the finish line, count the number of turns (number of bases placed). You must also count the number of spaces the fifth cyclist still needs to travel to cross the line. This number of spaces will serve as a tiebreaker in the event of a draw in another game.

Example

Game 1: 6 bases and 3 spaces left for the fifth cyclist to cross the finish line is a better result than

Game 2: 6 bases and 6 spaces left for the fifth cyclist to cross the finish line.

NB: To fully enjoy this solo version, it is recommended to choose a course that includes all three types of sections. For a richer game experience, also add 2 supply spaces and the 6 rock spaces to the course in the “climb” section. Have fun racing!