Drafting and Aerodynamics

Drafting and Aerodynamics

Drafting provides massive power savings - understanding the numbers helps optimize positioning and effort.

Drafting Power Savings

• Tight draft (1 rider): 30-40% power savings
• Peloton middle: 50-70% power savings
• Echelon formation: 20-30% savings with crosswind
• Solo riding: 0% savings, full aerodynamic load

Aerodynamic Principles

• Air resistance is ~80% of total resistance above 30 km/h
• Drag increases with square of velocity (double speed = 4× drag)
• Frontal area and drag coefficient determine CdA
• Lower CdA = less power needed at speed

Optimizing Position

• Stay in top 20 riders to avoid accordion effect
• Move up on one side, drift back on opposite
• Position before bottlenecks (climbs, corners)
• Sheltered positions before key efforts

Team Time Trial Strategy

Stronger riders pull longer at higher power. Optimal rotation puts weakest rider in draft longest. Pulling at 105% FTP, drafting at 75% FTP creates sustainable rhythm. Teams lose when riders get dropped - keeping everyone together matters more than individual heroics.