How Do Cycling Teams Work? - What Lance Armstrong’s
How Do Cycling Teams Work? – What Lance Armstrong’s “domestiques” do. By Daniel Engber
This is the first time I’ve had access to TV coverage of the Tour de France. The Outdoor Living Network broadcasts the race each evening, and it’s fascinating. What is most fascinating is that the announcers often say things that seem to directly contradict the evidence of your eyes. Typically someone or a small group will go out and get 10 minutes or so ahead of the rest of the group. The announcers will say that they’re toast, and often that does seem to be the case. Or they’ll pick out someone who seems to be riding just fine and say that they’re losing form and will never be able to keep up. Often they’re right; often they aren’t.