Alright,

Whilst discussing road racing with Mrs B, she was asking about chasing down an attack. I explained how the team leader would sit behind a few of his guys, and benefit from the drafting to shift him up the road faster, and that he’d send one of his guys up the road to sit on the wheel of his rival, but why? Does having a guy sitting on your wheel and not taking their turn make the rival use more energy than riding on his own, and if so, is it tangible, rather than having an extra pulling the leader?

G

I can’t say exactly, but if there is a guy up front from the lead chasing team, then sometimes they can be used to slow the leading group (that’s if they all take turns).

If someone in the team make it over to the break it gives more options. They won’t share the workload so should be fresher if the team leader doesn’t catch to have a go at the finish. If the team leader does make it over then it’s a fresh set of team mate legs as the ones who got him there may be done. The others in the break are unlikely to ride for a rival team leader meaning he could have a lot of work to do if he makes it over. Works to demoralise the others too.

At least that’s my understanding of some of the reasons!

As steveMTB says. If the team leader gets up to the breakaway he has a rider with fresh legs, or the breakaway rider can come back to help the final bridging with fresh legs.

Also as said, the team leader’s rider can interupt the bit&bit the breakaway riders are doing by slowing down turns. However this is considered very bad form and anyone doing this is usually forceably told where to go in no uncertain terms. I had seen people get punched in road races for doing this!

stevemtb, yeah, I get that, but if the rival buggers off on an attack, and is on his own, and the leader sends one of his guys off to sit on his wheel, is there any disadvantage to the rival having someone on his wheel, or is it just as a plan b in case the leader doesn’t catch back up?

There’s no disadvantage of having someone on your wheel, just annoying if they don’t help out.

Unless he sits on and whups you in the sprint…

gordonb – Member
stevemtb, yeah, I get that, but if the rival buggers off on an attack, and is on his own, and the leader sends one of his guys off to sit on his wheel, is there any disadvantage to the rival having someone on his wheel, or is it just as a plan b in case the leader doesn’t catch back up?

It nullifies the attack. If the rider that you send up the road is clearly stronger than the rider he has caught and refuses to work then the rider doing all the work (original breakaway) thinks its pointless. Should they stay away then the liklihood is that the rider ‘sitting on’ will jump him for the win as he will be miles fresher.

Back in the peleton the team that has a rider up front doesnt have to do any work (unless they want to chase down their own rider but whats the point of sending him up there).

You will notice in stage races that often the break doesnt form until most of the teams have at least one rider in the break.

If a team wants an easy day (say they had been chasing all day the day before) then they are keen to get someone up the road so that they dont have to do anything.

but why? Does having a guy sitting on your wheel and not taking their turn make the rival use more energy than riding on his own, and if so, is it tangible, rather than having an extra pulling the leader?

It’s very very simple. If I chased you down and sat on your wheel, you’ll have a few choices. Keep pressing on and give me a free ride. Or up the ante and risk the chances of burning out. It ain’t good for you whatever.
Taking my team leader up to you is only common in Tours where GC matters. You don’t see it in one day races.

It’s rare you’ll see a serious gc contender up the road in break in anything other than the mountains. A team mate up the road whilst you try pulling back a gc contender won’t necessarily slow down the leader on the road, but it’s someone to keep an eye on things, to put a big turn in if the bunch comes back together or take the stage win if the break lasts.

cheers chaps, old git, it was gc in tours I was referring to, Mrs B has just read Armstrongs book, and asked me about Lance sending Kevin Livingston up the road to sit on Zulle’s wheel whilst the Posties pulled Lance during the 99 tour. The book claimed that it made it harder for Zulle to pull up the road. I was just wondering if there was a physical disadvantage to having a rider sitting on the wheel, instead to a psychological one.