Originally Posted by chroot
Okay, so there is, by definition, only one peloton in any race, defined as the biggest pack? Everyone not obviously in this pack gets an individual time?
- Warren
Yes and NO!
There is only one Peloton, but any group gets the same time. Two or two hundred it makes no difference. For time differences there has to be a real break. About 2 tenths of a second or a couple of bike lenghts.
Oh and it is a judgement call. If the gap opens because of people sitting up at the line it is likely to be ignored, if it remains because a break is almost caught the rider(s) still barely away are more apt to get the minimal time difference.
Oh and which group is the Peloton is also a bit of a judgement. Not just numbers but importance (and likely a bit of nationalism). Often it is the first big group (e.g. 20 or more) that gets called the Peloton even though the group of riders the group far far back worried only about the elimination time may be far larger.