Peloton
by admin on Sep.26, 2008, under Glossary
The peloton (French word) refers to the large main group in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group often save energy by riding close to (drafting, slipstreaming) other riders. It dramatically reduces drag, with research showing up to 40% reduction when riding in the middle of a well-developed group.
If the riders are riding closely behind one another in the form of a line, it is often called a paceline instead of a peloton.
More loosely, “the peloton” can also refer to professional cyclists in general: “LeMond joined the European peloton at a time when few Americans could.”
