Professional Cycling For the Fans - why quick double pace line?

I notice in small 4-5 man breaks, the group tends to have very quickly rotating double pace line instead of TTT single file rotations. Is it just because some rider(s) wants a faster pace than the others? Is there a big efficiency difference between TTT formation and lead swaps, and the more hectic rotation?

well i think it's also a case of trying to maintain a certain pace but also not working too much......a TTT is different because it's all about working as a whole, breakaways with different team members are working together but also trying to not help the other guys out to much.....these guys are still looking out for themselves first and foremost

Seems to me that regardless of the wind, they hardly ever textbook paceline. Unless its 2/3 riders.

It would seem to everyone's advantage to be as efficient as possible. Even if you want 10 second pulls per rider, its going to be smoother than what I've seen so far this year. The best idea against it I can see is that it might be easier for someone to break away if everyone is following rules too closely, and there's a single file with no one else ever accelerating.

Seems to me that regardless of the wind, they hardly ever textbook paceline. Unless its 2/3 riders.

It would seem to everyone's advantage to be as efficient as possible. Even if you want 10 second pulls per rider, its going to be smoother than what I've seen so far this year. The best idea against it I can see is that it might be easier for someone to break away if everyone is following rules too closely, and there's a single file with no one else ever accelerating.

With a double paceline you divide your pull between both front positions. You spend less time unprotected drifting back, are more protected(since only one side is exposed) and don't have to accelerate as much to get back on. This will be smoother when done right.

the riders dropping back are taking the wind, sheltering those moving up. Once you have more than 3-4 riders, this works best outside a TTT where the rouleurs are expected to pull longer turns and shelter GC riders/climbers. But there are always exceptions...riders like Boardman and Armstrong could go faster alone than par equipes.

actually, they are being very innefficient for some reason I don't understand.

Not only do they typically run double lines, but the back guys are more often accelerating up to the front instead of the lead guy(s) pulling off.

Maybe its trying to signal to guys that they are going too slow?

Not only do they typically run double lines, but the back guys are more often accelerating up to the front instead of the lead guy(s) pulling off.
You're not looking at it right. It's a paceline, period. A rider pulls at the front, then pulls off to the side, drifts back, and gets on at the back of the line. The only thing is, the pull is so short, the previous lead rider hasn't gotten all the way back before the leader pulls off. In fact, the previous leader is only able to drift back about one bike length before the lead rider ends his pull.

Another way to think about it is to imagine everyone trying to take the shortest pull possible. How do you think that would look?

You're not looking at it right. It's a paceline, period. A rider pulls at the front, then pulls off to the side, drifts back, and gets on at the back of the line. The only thing is, the pull is so short, the previous lead rider hasn't gotten all the way back before the leader pulls off. In fact, the previous leader is only able to drift back about one bike length before the lead rider ends his pull.

Another way to think about it is to imagine everyone trying to take the shortest pull possible. How do you think that would look?
+1

It's a continuously rotating single paceline. The next rider pulls through and over and drops back, which is why the riders look like they're moving around in a circle.

What made me say that is the back riders are often standing to come to the front, with no noticeable slowing from the front...

I recognize it could still be an illusion, or not as frequent as the textbook double pacelining (front slowing and peeling), and the camera just switches to break any time there is some shuffling around, but I remain a bit puzzled