Domestique
by admin on Oct.07, 2008, under Glossary
A domestique is a road bicycle racer who works solely for the benefit of his or her team and the leader. Domestique means “servant” in French. In Italy and Spain, the term gregario (a kind of soldier of the roman legions) is used, while in Belgium and the Netherlands the term knecht or helper is used.
The domestique’s own performance in the race is usually unimportant. His/her main goal is to help the leader achieve a better position in the race. They do not share the fame of the cycling leaders, but are vital to the team.
A domestique’s general tasks include retrieving water and nutrition from team cars and delivering it to the rest of the team upfront, shielding teammates from aggressive opponents, cycling in front of teammates to allow drafting, and more.
Photo: flickr.com
