Mind Cycling, Flamme Rouge, Velonimo or Tape l’étape?
Four cycling games, four ideas of a race. Mind Cycling is the only one of the four with no dice and no cards: it all happens on a board. First the facts, then what the others do well, and who each one suits.
Side by side
All four are about cycling, but they do not play the same way: a board with no draw, a board with cards, and two card games. Here are the facts, line by line.
       Mind Cycling | Flamme Rouge | Velonimo | Tape l’étape | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The game | A board, with a course of removable tabs | A course of track tiles you put together, and cards | A card game | A card game, played in stages |
| Dice, cards | No dice, no cards | Cards, no dice | Cards, no dice | Cards, no dice |
| Luck |  None: every move is a choice Even the wind follows a rule: a rider with nobody right in front of him moves one square fewer. | You choose from the cards you draw | The deal: 11 cards each round | The deal of the cards |
| Who wins | Most medals: winner, sprinter, climber, team | The first rider over the line | Whoever wears the pack leader’s jersey after round 5 | The overall standings, in seconds; you win a stage by emptying your hand first |
| Players | 2 to 6, with the box alone | 2 to 4; 5 or 6 with the Peloton expansion | 2 to 5 | 3 to 6 |
| Age | From 10 | From 8 | From 7 | From 7 |
| Designer, publisher | Philippe Scheinok, self-published, 2024 | Asger Harding Granerud; Lautapelit.fi, 2016 (Gigamic in French) | Bruno Cathala; Studio Stratosphères, 2021 | Sophie and Vincent Cusset, Géraldine and Camille Dehais, Florian Gaubert; Éditions Troisième Degré, 2023 |
Sources
- Mind Cycling: this site, the rules of the game, Board Game Arena
- Flamme Rouge: BoardGameGeek, the rules, the Asmodee UK product page (checked on 3 October 2026)
- Velonimo: regles-du-jeu.net, ludum.fr
- Tape l’étape: espritjeu.com (new edition), ludum.fr
Checked on 6 November 2026. Editions and ranges change: check before you buy.
Which one suits you?
Go for Mind Cycling
You want nothing left to the draw, up to 6 players with a single box, and a free game online before you buy.
Go for Flamme Rouge
You mostly play with 2, 3 or 4, sometimes with children from age 8, and you like a bit of luck to shake up the race.
Go for Velonimo
You want a short card game to take along, for 2 to 5 players from age 7.
Go for Tape l’étape
You want a stage race with overall standings, for 3 to 6 players from age 7.
If you like one, the others deserve a game
All four games are about the same sport, each in its own way. If you already enjoy racing round a table, Mind Cycling gives you a race with no dice and no cards, where everything comes down to your choices. The simplest thing is to try it: playing online costs nothing.
The box
- Free Mondial Relay parcel point in six countries
- 14 days to change your mind
- 2-year legal guarantee
- Delivery and returns