HI,

I have been watching for a while now and have many friends I ride with and no one seems to have a definitive answer to, Why on a straight road towards the finishline, when the peleton is in a long line riding fast, does the lead rider periodically weave to the other side of the road and every one follows?

It has been suggested that they are trying to see behind them, but I think that sounds like poop.  I know they weave when it is only a couple in a breakawya when they toy with each other, and when the lead domestique has blown his doors he pulls off to the side to let the rest go buy, and I know that some guys do it when hey are trying to break away on the sly.  But why when the peleton is in a line and all working 'together' as it were?

I think it's because it causes more movement behind their lead out, making it more difficult for other teams to put together an attack and take over leading the train.  If your team is on the front, you've got the best chance of getting your sprinter into the ideal position.

lanternerouge:

Isn't it to get the riders behind out of your slipstream?

In fact it is the otherway around.  The lead cyclists does this, as it helps to see a pending attack and hopefully be able to react 'pre-emptive', and jump the gun first.  The reason all the cyclists follow and all weave about like a shoal of fish is until *someone* launches an attack, they all try to stay in the slipstream until the last possible moment - and as we know, then all hell lets lose

Nick