Drafting 101 according to Lance

[Polyarmour]

From "It's Not About The Bike" by Lance Armstrong
pg 251 Chapter: The Tour

" Kevin's job is to get behind Zulle and stay right behind his wheel. making it harder for Zulle to pull up the hill. It's called "sitting on him". While Kevin "sat" on Zulle's wheel and slowed him down. the rest of my Postal team-mates pulled me, riding in front of me, allowing me to draft and catch up."

Now excuse my ignorance here but I have now bought 3 books on aerodynamics and have trawled the internet but have been unable to find anything that will substantiate this statement. That is, that sitting on someone's wheel will slow them down. In fact I have found the opposite?

I'm still going with the view that Lance must know what he is on about here, but I would like to understand why this is the case? Thanks

 

[Tapeworm]

Confusion of concept I think. Having a team mate sit on someone's wheel won't actually slow them down, it will however make them think twice about dragging up someone from another team who will a) do no work b) will be able to do a lot of work should the others join him.

There was some sketchy data I think showing that 2 or more (a LOT more) people were more aero than an individual. Alas I have no link to said data, just read it somewhere.

 

[ihavenolimbs]

I'm still going with the view that Lance must know what he is on about here, but I would like to understand why this is the case? Thanks

Lance is wrong if he thinks the "sitting" would make Zulle slower (as you said, it would make Zulle fractionally faster), it would only make Zulle slower compared to them both working together.

The "sitting on him" is supposed to be so that the sitter is fresher, so able to take the stage win, points, etc.

 

[M Sport]

There was some sketchy data I think showing that 2 or more (a LOT more) people were more aero than an individual. Alas I have no link to said data, just read it somewhere.

If you have one person slip streaming behind you then you save something like 3% of your energy, the air basically flows better over you with someone following, than by yourself.

I have read that somewhere a year or so ago, don't have time to find a link.

 

[MrBill]

Lance may also be playing a head game with him...

 

[joe1265]

Aerodynamics be damned!

Anyone who has ever actually raced their bike will tell you that having a rivals teammate sit on your wheel while you give it everything you've got WILL actually make you go slower.

 

[twothirds]

Just chalk it up to Lance being from Texas and making the same shoot from the hip statements that "W" was famous for.

 

[MrBill]

Just chalk it up to Lance being from Texas and making the same shoot from the hip statements that "W" was famous for.

Lets keep that kind of comment to the politics forum

 

[Polyarmour]

Thanks for those comments. Perhaps Lance worded it poorly. Maybe as you suggest Kevin slows Zulle down for tactical reasons and not aerodynamic ones.

 

[jae2460]

Thanks for those comments. Perhaps Lance worded it poorly. Maybe as you suggest Kevin slows Zulle down for tactical reasons and not aerodynamic ones.

It's a psychological thing. Like the poster above stated, riding your guts out and having someone sit on your wheel demoralizes everyone...except for Jens Voigt...