Cycling study finds alternative formations can reduce drag of protected rider up to 76%

Professional cycling teams can reduce air drag for their protected rider by up to 76% by adopting specific formations different from the traditional single paceline, according to new research from Heriot-Watt University in partnership with the simulation software company, Ansys, part of Synopsys.

Despite the seemingly individual aspect of competitive cycling, it’s very much a team sport. In the Tour de France, each of the 23 teams has eight cyclists who all play a crucial part in the overall success of the team. When a team leader is involved in a crash or a flat tire and he drops from the peloton or leading group in the race, his teammates will have the task to bring this protected rider back into the peloton or leading group, where riders closely follow one another to reduce air resistance. In doing so, the teammates will try to shield their protected rider from the wind thereby allowing him to save energy resources, at the expense of investing their own energy resources.

For decades, the traditional way to bring the protected rider back has been the single paceline, meaning cyclists ride in a straight line behind each other, in the absence of cross-wind, with the protected rider at the back.

Using advanced simulation and wind tunnel testing, this new study quantified the aerodynamic advantage of alternative team formations used by cyclists in the Tour de France, beyond the single paceline, revealing how different configurations can be superior and can dramatically impact energy savings and race performance.

Led by Bert Blocken, a Professor Mechanical Engineering from the School of Engineering & Physical Sciences (EPS) based at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, the findings highlight how strategic positioning helps riders rejoin the peloton. The research was conducted together with colleagues Dr Fabio Malizia and Dr Xiaoqi Hu from EPS.

With energy conservation more vital than ever, these insights could shape how teams approach the most decisive moments of the iconic race. Professor Bert Blocken in partnership with Ansys, part of Synopsys, applied computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel testing to evaluate how different cyclist formations reduce aerodynamic drag on team leaders.

Using a high-fidelity cyclist model and advanced simulation tools, the research analysed wind flow across three, four, and five-rider configurations. The results offer clear, data backed guidance on which formations provide the greatest energy savings, insights that professional teams can use to refine their race day strategies.

Professor Blocken leads Heriot-Watt University’s aerospace programme and also advises professional sports teams on aerodynamics at events including the Tour de France. Commenting on the findings he said: "The main goal is to minimise the effort of the leader to preserve maximum energy for the rest of the race.

"Depending on the competitive situation, there will be the recruitment of one or more teammates to protect the leader as much as possible from the wind to reduce aerodynamic drag."

The Tour de France is the pinnacle of competitive cycling. In 2025, cyclists will cover nearly 2,100 miles over 23 days with a total elevation gain of almost 170,000 feet.

With climbs and summits in the Massif Central, Pyrenees mountains, French Alps, and Jura mountains, riders require physical and mental strength to come out on top.

In this new study, researchers found that for a group of three riders, the trailing rider in an inverted triangle shape experienced only 40% drag compared to riding alone.

By adding a fourth rider and creating a diamond shape, the trailing rider experiences 38% drag, and the leading riders also experience significantly less drag, enabling the whole formation to travel faster. The best configuration for the leader is the train formation with two sets of two team members side by side ahead of the leader, reducing drag down to 24% at the cost of four cyclists sheltering the leader. This is 20% less than the best position in the corresponding single paceline.

Ansys, part of Synopsys, specialises in engineering simulation software that is used globally to design, test and operate products across multiple industries, including healthcare, transport, energy, construction, sport and the space sector.

Thierry Marchal, Programme Director, Sport & Healthcare at Ansys/Synopsis said: "We are bringing aerospace engineering technology to the Tour de France to help athletes better leverage their existing skills.

“But introducing AI and numerical simulation into popular sports such as cycling is also an excellent way to show the importance of modelling and simulation to a wider audience and explain complex physics in a fun and simplified way."

Frédéric Grappe, Head of Performance and Innovation at the professional cycling team, Equipe Groupama FDJ, explains the practical implications of the study: "The number of teammates required, and the configuration adopted to reduce the leader's effort without sacrificing too many team members, is usually determined by the current racing configurations and the feelings of the leader. The ultimate goal is to bring the leader back into the group by smoothing out the effort as much as possible, avoiding accelerations as much as possible, which are very costly in terms of energy.

"This study examines numerous configurations and quantifies the advantages of each in the absence of cross-wind, tail wind, and head wind. Despite other parameters such as different cyclist body geometries and the presence of other vehicles, this analysis provides invaluable information to discuss with our team before the race in order to agree on the best tactics.”

As professional cycling continues to evolve with increasingly sophisticated training methods and equipment, understanding aerodynamic principles becomes crucial for competitive success. The research provides teams with scientific validation of formation strategies that have long been used intuitively in professional racing.

Heriot-Watt University ranks among the top five institutions in Scotland for Engineering, according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025. To start your journey toward an exciting career in Aerospace Engineering at Heriot-Watt, visit the website.