Cycling
How a leadout works in pro cycling – and how you could benefit from it
If you’ve ever watched a pro rider pop out of the bunch with just a few hundred metres to go in a 200km race, and win, you’ve probably wondered how they do it and where on earth they came from.
So, let’s talk about a sprinter’s leadout, how they use it to save energy and attack when the moment is right, and how you can apply it to your own riding (and not just at the finish of a race!).
Lead age group men powering though the heat.
© Graeme Murray/ Red Bull Content Pool
What is a leadout?
A leadout is the process in which a rider, most often a team’s designated sprinter, is strategically “delivered” to the finale of a race by his team-mates in optimum condition, to be able to execute his speciality: an explosive sprint for the victory.
It happens in certain stages of Grand Tours and shorter stage races, but also in one-day races where the parcours favours a sprinter, and is an extremely technical piece of tactical manoeuvring.
Simply put, a leadout “train” will ride in formation, with the riders involved taking turns to lead and each having a specific role. The unit protects and shields its sprinter, until the moment is right for the sprinter to jump and unleash their sprint.
In shading the sprinter from the wind and letting them draft for as long as possible, the leadout can achieve one of its two main goals, which is allowing the sprinter to save up to 30% energy, even in the most demanding and brutal of finishes. A massive, and often significant impact.
The second major goal of a leadout is to position the sprinter. The physical efforts exerted by leadout riders are phenomenal, and allied with their honed ability to find the right gaps and positions and spot moves unfolding in a split second, it is a unique and complex process.
Group dynamics
© Ewald Sadie
How does a leadout train unfold?
As the finish approaches in a pro race, the pace rises dramatically, often reaching up to 60km/h inside the final kilometres as the tension rises, and the various leadouts from different teams compete for position.
Until roughly 500-750 metres to go, two or three riders will ride a high tempo on the front of the leadout to prevent attacks and keep their leadout at the front of the race. They will drop off the front one by one, often at pre-agreed distances to go.
Cyclists ride in formation
© Ydwer van der Heide / Red Bull Content Pool
Once inside those final 500 metres, the final leadout rider then takes over, and will be doing one of two things: either cranking the pace up until a full-on sprint unleashes and he or she drops off, or to get their sprinter into the perfect position in a now crowded bunch which is moving fast and furiously.
Finally, the last move is down the sprinter. They have to decide when to open their effort and kick for their sprint. Usually this happens with just 200-300 metres to go, when the sprinter will jump off their last leadout rider’s wheel and straight into the wind, or will jump onto the wheel of a competitor to get one last slingshot into the crucial final metres.
As you can see from the video below, Deceuninck–Quick-Step rider Elia Viviani gets the perfect leadout from his team-mate Michael Mørkøv, who drops him off at around 150m to go at the recent RideLondon race which the Italian won.
The numbers: Big, big power
With the speed tipping 60km/h into the final kms, the first two or three riders of the leadout will hold more than 500 watts for a couple of minutes at the front. This is already exceptionally high.
The final leadout rider is effectively sprinting, and will often put out an incredible 1000W or more. Their effort, mind bogglingly, usually lasts longer than the actual final sprint. In a lot of cases, they can hold a huge number for a 30-second period that their sprinter could not.
A world-class sprinter stands out in two aspects. The first is their ability to accelerate even when sprinting at 65km/h or more. The second is the peak power they can produce, which for the very best is around the 1500W mark. That can even reach as much as the stratospheric 1903W André Greipel laid down at the 2018 Tour Down Under, when he won Stage 6 with a massive sprint effort.
How you can benefit from a leadout style of riding
Okay, let’s be honest, none of us are going to be hitting the kinds of power outputs that the pros do, but an amateur rider can still benefit from the same principles that a leadout offers.
Sheltering behind other riders when riding will save you energy at any point in a race. Perhaps not the 30% a pro would, but enough to make a difference, and in a racing situation it will also allow you to observe the competition.
Red Bull TimeLaps
© Patrik Lundin
Finally, there are some rules to always remember when riding in tight quarters with others, the most important being that you’re responsible for the wheel in front of you (which means don’t overlap it with your own front wheel). Always look ahead and stay focused on what’s happening in front of you, and don’t brake erratically!
