Originally Posted by
tomato coupe
Some perspective:
"Bert Blocken came to a similar conclusion in
his 2013 study on the aerodynamic drag of two drafting cyclists. Blocken wanted to find the optimal strategy for team time trials and how all riders could be used to full effect.
He found that in a four-rider paceline, the lead rider’s drag is reduced by about 2 to 3% compared to if they were riding solo. The second rider in line experiences a reduction of about 27% while the third and fourth riders see drag reductions of approximately 35%."
I'm sure 49 trailing riders offer more benefit than 3 or 4, but I'd wager it isn't a big difference.
I'd wager that the advantage of the wedge that a peloton makes provides more advantage to the lead rider than having a straight line behind him. I'd wager it's at least double, i.e., 5-6% compared to riding solo - wouldn't be surprised if it was 10%. But even if it was only another 1%, if it's reliably measurable to that extent, it may not be a big difference, but it is significant. A minute faster in 100 minutes is not nothing.