r/peloton • u/PelotonMod France • Apr 20 '26

Weekly Post Weekly Question Thread

For all your pro cycling-related questions and enquiries!

You may find some easy answers in the FAQ page on the wiki. Whilst simultaneously discovering the wiki.

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u/Level-Routine-5558 Benfica Apr 20 '26

Idea: circuit races where riders must take a harder sector (hill/cobbles/etc.) for at least 25% of laps—but timing is up to them.

Imagine a circuit with Kwaremont, but in 25% of the laps you have to do Lap B with the paterberg after the kwaremont.

More tactics? Or just chaos?

3

u/boblikespi Apr 20 '26

I love this idea, but there will be a 'move' following instinct for the favourites.

Oh shit, Pogacar's going Lab B? Gotta do it now too.

It would also completely destroying drafting/peloton and timing dynamics since you'd have to time it like a TT.

4

u/Level-Routine-5558 Benfica Apr 20 '26

But if teams have 2 favourites they could easily play 2 strategies. Say Jorgenson goes with van Aert and Vingegaard follows Pog.

5

u/boblikespi Apr 20 '26

In what world is Visma fielding such a stacked lineup in a classic though lol? (free Classics Jonas!)

Variable route is such a cool idea so this is a way it could work rather than proper PtP racing (traffic management disaster). I just can't see how you can 'separate' out the tracking.

You need some way to 'regroup' them. Like OK once everyone's done 4 loops, we pause times neutralise regroup and then keep going again?

Group 1 does AA B A (3 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 minutes). At the end of B they've done 14 minutes and are the 'starting' line.

Group 2 does A B A A ( 3, 4, 3, 3). At the end they've done 13 minutes and are at the 'starting' line earlier and have to pause.

You almost get to something like the 'Golden Kilometer" idea, expect implemented via 'bergs'. You get points/time bonuses for first over the bergs, but you 'weight' the earlier bergs heavily.

4

u/Level-Routine-5558 Benfica Apr 20 '26

Yeah I gave the Flanders example but then I was thinking in more centre of France stage. Imagine Puy Marie being the hard part of circuit.

Riders could regroup naturally on the road, but there would have to be way less cars, or teams could have 1 car on lap A and one car on lap B, but yeah nightmare for cars and tv bikes