In the beginning when everybody is fresh, there's much drop riding and aerodynamic movement. It's generally the fastest part of the trek. However as time progresses, many roadies start sitting upright on their hoods anyways. That's the equivalent of riding with flatbars, more or less. The main problem with hybrids are the flatbars, because they limit your hand positions. The longer the ride, the more you need a change in hand positions. Therefore, distance favors the drops!