The perfect move for Visma-Lease a Bike. This Thursday, during the 6th stage of the Tour de France between Mâcon and Dijon, the team succeeded in its attempt to create a border to thin out the peloton, around 80 km from the finish. Several riders, including Tadej Pogacar’s teammates (UAE Team Emirates) were trapped by this poker move, even if at the cost of a great effort, they ended up joining the leading group. A few kilometers earlier, the Lotto Dstny team had opted for a similar strategy, without success. Why did these teams have the idea of creating a border? Explanations.
In cycling vocabulary, a fan corresponds to the first stage of a kerb, one of the most feared racing events by riders. If you see bikes scattered in several fans, it is because the wind has carried it away and a kerb has just hit.
From there, big gaps in the time trial can form. A kerb can occur at any time from the moment the wind is blowing from the side or three-quarters head-on and the route is not sheltered by a building or trees. “A kerb is very simple, it’s when there is a side wind and you have to move to the side, across the road, to take shelter and save energy, summarized the rider Rudy Molard in 2022. When there is no wind, you are sheltered behind the rider in front of you. But inevitably, by moving out, there is not room for everyone and after a while, it breaks down.”
From the moment several groups form, it becomes extremely difficult to close the gaps. In this little game, the formations composed of big riders capable of sending a lot of power on the flat and taking turns in single file are very closely watched. The echelons made by Julian Alaphilippe’s Quick-Step in 2019, notably in Albi, are models of the genre.
Edging, instructions for use.
“It’s a bit like war”
Conversely, climbers are often the most vulnerable. It is up to them to compensate with their sense of placement and friction. As the years go by, technologies to visualize places where edging and changes of pace, such as roundabouts, are becoming more and more available to protect against them. In addition, successfully edging is energy-consuming. It also puts the cohesion of a group at risk.
“It’s said: to the right, to the left. Yeah, it’s a bit of a war between the shouts and the noise of speed. Everyone wants their little place in front, the slightest gap that you leave, you get taken the place. It’s a moment of great vigilance and a lot of adrenaline. You can quickly lose twenty places, we don’t realize when the peloton is in a ball but we can quickly go from 10-15th to 40th place”, assured Rudy Molard at the time.
The 6th stage can be followed live with commentary on leparisien.fr
