What Is A Domestique? How Do Teams Use Their Riders?

Domestiques are the workhorses of the team, looking after their team leaders to incredibly selfless degrees.

Domestiques perform a variety of roles within teams depending on their strengths, though one of the biggest is simply to protect their team leader from the wind - saving them energy and helping to keep the lead rider fresh.

Helping to protect the race lead is another key role, making sure that no one big gets away from the front and that their overall GC rider will maintain their position. Domestiques also help their team leaders get back into the group if they have punctures, or will even give them their bike if their team leader breaks theirs.

Getting the teams leader into the right position ahead of climbs, cobbles or windy sections is key too. Tactics are an increasingly useful domestique role, with many being experienced, level headed riders.

In sprinters teams the role is different. Managing the gap to any break and leading out your sprinter are crucial.

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[dansawyer]

I love that the section about domestiques keeping the leader's morale up and having a close relationship with him shows lots of pictures of Froome and Wiggins at the 2012 Tour!

[MagliaNera]

In Japan, Domestique called “Assist”.
Leader is “Ace”.
I think that is derived from tactical word of airplane fight.

[veganbonnie]

Excellent video. Domestiques deserve more credit than they get from the cycling media.

[ClockCutter]

GCN at its best. Vids that explain the sport to newbies, but are also interesting for more experienced fans/am racers. At one time or another, I've heard of or seen on TV all of these myself. I've even done of few of these things in races. But, it was enjoyable to see them all identified at one time. Gives the fan a bit richer appreciation of all the things the domestique does. Thanks.

[BreakthroughPM]

Every video you guys put together is excellent! As a relatively newbie in the sport of cycling I have learned a TON of stuff from your videos. Keep it up!

[gcn]

... you'll have to wait and see!

[saucy]

Gloabl cycling might be the best channel on youtube. They are informative, entertaining and very professional.

Are they sponsored by uci or something? cause this looks way to professional for just a random you tube channel.

[MoreKevinLiang]

Pretty sure Dan is the super domestique of all super domestiques

[samanthaoaklandcd]

Well done. Excellent video. Cycling is a team sport. The stars get all the attention, but in order to win a major race, they need all sorts of help during the race. And before and after each stage or race, they have help from their seigneurs, team chefs and team managers. Mike Neel, originally from California (El Cerrito, also the origin of Creedence Clearwater Revival) was a major factor in the first Americans' successes in European racing. Look up the stories behind George Mount, Andy Hampsten, Tangential issue: It's a doggone shame that Lance Armstrong represents the face of American professional cycling. However, many riders, Europeans among them, did a lot of doping before, during and after Armstrong's career, and they are not accused of wrongdoing. Does not sound equitable to me.

[fpcrsrbe]

Great video!!! Could you Guy's make a video of the top 10 best climbers, puncheurs, ... in the peleton ?

[tinglydingle]

This video is going to be invaluable for explaining cycling to the British public.

[dude]

They actually do go uphill at quite frightening speeds. Of cause it depends on how steep the climb is, but I am certain that the draft also helps them uphill.

[MichaelScott]

sky 2012 had many super domestiques in frome, porte, Rodgers, boassan hagan and cav all of them are champions

[ronanmccloskey]

I don’t understand the early break away domestique? How can they set the pace when the other riders know that he/she is not the rider to be concerned about ?

[jarediannudalo]

fascinating .. great video
I'm a begginer, I don't think I'll ever be a pro but man, I'd love to bike with a team

[Joeypouls]

Should have used HTC Columbia back in the day to demonstrate sprinting domestiques but other than that, good vid

[rafamarch]

"Jens Voigt in all the races." hahaha. so true.

[superpogs]

So many roles for a domestique. I would like to see how all of these falls into place in a successful stage win.

[devilgloom]

So, only the leader can get the glory of wearing the yellow shirt while a lot of the sacrifices came from the domestiques. I don't think this is the best way to find the best rider in the world. let them ride individually not in a team.

[DiegoTelmo]

The pros ride 6 or 7% climbs at more than 20 kph, and at these speeds there is significant drag. Even at 15kph there is drag.

There's not many climbs where being on the wheel is no advantage. There's the Andgliru and some others at the Vuelta where Horner used that to his advantage