Road Bicycle Racing Terminology

Much road bicycle racing terminology is derived from French, probably reflecting the importance of France in the development of the bicycle and in road bicycle racing, particularly in the Tour de France

Attack - an attempt by one or more riders to quickly pull ahead

Blocking is used by riders of one team who sit at the front of a group to control the speed, often to the advantage of one of their teammates.

A break or breakaway is a small group of riders that have pulled away from the peleton.

Cadence - the rate at which a cyclist pedals (in revolutions per minute)

Caravan - the team cars following behind the peloton in support of their racers

A domestique is a rider whose primary role is to support the team leader, as opposed to winning individual honors

Drafting is used by riders following one another to reduce wind resistance.

Drop - to leave a rider behind

An echelon is a form of paceline used to get maximum draft in a crosswind.

Etape - a race stage

Hors categorie - a climb that is "beyond categorization"

Lanterne rouge - meaning "red lantern", the name for the overall last-place rider

A leadout is a sprinting technique often preformed by the 'leadout man' where the rider will accelerate to maximum speed close to the sprint point with a teammate, the sprinter, drafting them from behind. When the leadout man is exhausted his will moved to the side to allow his teammate to race in the sprint.

Maillot jaune - the yellow jersey, worn by the overall first-place rider in the Tour de France

A paceline is formed with the riders all drafting one another. Riders will take turns at the front to break the wind, then rotate to the back of the line to rest in the draft. Larger group rides will often form double pacelines with two columns of riders.

Parcourse - the race route

Patron - the winner of the race from the year before

The peloton (from French, literally meaning ball and related to the English word platoon) is the large main group in a cycling road race.

Régional de l'etape - a cyclist who lives in the area of the day's stage

A sag wagon is a support vehicle following long races to pick up riders unable to complete the race.

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