Is Road cycling a team sport?

May 4, 2011

I have been asked this question numerous times by newbies into the sport and those that happen to watch the sport.  I know from personal experience that road racing is a team sport and I thought I might explain why.

John Locke riding for Rapha Condor/Sharp

Road racing appears to be a fairly simple format – to be the first rider to cross the finish line.  However, this is where it becomes complicated and many people describe it as chess on wheels. Tactics are based on the benefits of drafting, here a rider will sit in a position that lowers his exposure to the wind or slipstream the rider in front this can significantly reduce the forward effort of the pedal stroke by up to 40% compared to riding alone.

Most teams at pro or amateur level will designate a leader who has the best chance of winning.  This leader will be protected by the other riders by keeping him out of the wind and in a good position until a critical section of the race such as a hill or a sprint.  This can be used by multiple teams each vying for the best position, the team with the best team work is able to position their leader at the most advantageous spot.  Teams can also force other teams to work or expend their energies in the race.  An example is shown below

Team A – sends a rider on the attack to seemingly win the race alone.

Team B – can choose to ignore this rider and risk losing the race or expend the energies of its team members chasing the lone attacker.

Team A – can sit in the slipstream of Team B saving their energy until the critical moment but have expended the energy of one of their riders.

The number of riders on a team is limited by it’s resources, however in a race there is almost always a limit to the number of riders a team can enter in a race, usually nine in pro races.
Rider types/”positions” are as follows:

Team Leader (TL) – The rider chosen by the coach/director sportif to be helped by the others to win the race, usually a superior rider in one specialty, time trialing, sprinting, climbing, for the terrain of the day or a very good “all round rider”, especially true for stage, (multiple day), races.

Time Trialist -Races against the clock, raced individually, each racer leaves the start at 1 to 3 minute intervals. No “drafting” other riders is allowed.

Sprinter- When the races finishes in a group during the last few Kilometers, each team has it’s helpers/”domestiques” lead it’s sprinters to/and at the front of the pack to accelerate as hard and fast as possible at the finish in the last few hundred meters, the pros hit near 45 mph!

Climber- Many races include long hard often multiple climbs where the smaller lighter types often excel.

Team Captain – Strong experienced rider with good tactical sense, who “calls the plays during the race” when the coach/DS is out of touch. Example- Should the team chase the latest attack or let it go? The captain can be a TL but is usually a domestique.

Domestique/Helper- Riders who ride to help the TL win by; giving draft, shared by all except TL -breaking the wind by riding just in front of the TL so he can rest, attacking in a “Breakaway” alone or with others to leave the pack threatening to win so the opposing teams have to chase, chasing down a breakaway, going back to the team follow car for water, food, clothing etc. Domestiques can be all round riders or have a specialty, sprinter, climber, Locomotive/strong timetrialist.

So with all of this in mind is road cycling a team sport?  Of course it is, the evidence is overwhelming and the science is irrefutable.  Is there more to this though on a local scale?  For me yes…

1.  Team sponsorship can reduce costs significantly, cycling is not a cheap sport and any sponsorship gained through being part of a team is very useful.

2.  Travel costs – Travel can be shared and as the oil runs out we will be looking for more and more shared journey costs.

3.  Team spirit – This cannot be over emphasized a team with a good team spirit can win even when the odds are stacked against them.  Each member of the team even the guys that don’t win can feel the rush of victory from a member of their own team.

4.  Putting back – As a team it is much easier to do your bit for your sport whether that be putting on races or marshalling.

I thought I would end this piece with a few quotes that may just go helping you understand why its not simply about being fit and willing….

“Of course, I was not going to work when I had teammates up the road,” Hushovd said. “This team is very united and we always work together. I am very happy that we could win today. That was our goal and we achieved it.” Thor Hushovd Paris Roubaix 2011

"A road rider who is not practiced is merely an athlete on a bike, 

half-educated, a pedaler - not a complete cyclist."

Maynard Hershon