- published: 17 Dec 2014
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The peloton (from French, literally meaning little ball or platoon and also related to the English word pellet), field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close (drafting or slipstreaming) near (particularly behind) other riders. The reduction in drag is dramatic; in the middle of a well-developed group it can be as much as 40%.
The term is also used to refer to professional cyclists in general.
The peloton travels as an integrated unit, like birds flying in formation, each rider making slight adjustments in response to the riders around him or her (particularly the one in front of each). When developed, riders at the front are exposed to higher loads, and will tend to slip off the front in order to rejoin the pack farther back. In some cases, with sufficient room to maneuver, this will develop into a fluid situation where the center of the peloton appears to be pushing through its own leading edge.
The shape or formation of the peloton changes according to many factors. A strong headwind or a hard effort tends to spread-out or string-out the riders, while a slow tempo or tailwind tends to bunch up the peloton into a wider formation. Side wind forces the peloton to form into echelons in the direction of the wind. Often, the width of the road forces the peloton to form into several echelons. When two or more groups of riders want to contest control of the peloton, several lines may form racing one another.