What different roles do team members fulfil?
Many. When a race begins with 150-180 starters, there are usually 10 or so that could potentially win. So, the riders chosen to be team leaders on that particular day are ’protected’. This means they can take it easy within the bunch whilst others do the work of getting food, chasing down breaks up in front, etc. Each rider plays a very important role in the team not unlike how a team works in American football. An offensive lineman will probably never score a touchdown and get himself on television — unless he does something wrong — but at the same time, if he doesn’t block correctly, the running back doesn’t score or the quarterback doesn’t have the time to throw the touchdown. Not a very glamorous role, but nevertheless vital to the success of the team.. The same goes for cycling — if a team needs to chase down a dangerous breakaway because they don’t have a rider in it, they get to the front of the main group and turn = up the speed a few miles an hour. The riders then rotate on
