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This is a common gimmick called "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor-paced_cycling".

Why "gimmick"? Obviously you can't compare paced and non paced speeds, but there's nothing wrong with motor pacing. Lots of pros pace behind a scooter to train for high speed racing.

The logical extension is a bicycle attached to a suction cup, with five microns of airspace between the suction cup and a van moving at 100mph.

Drafting in a record attempt is a test of the ability to draft; It doesn't have much to do with designing a vehicle, only with designing half of a vehicle.

> It doesn't have much to do with designing a vehicle

Err... most bicycles are not meant to reach anything at all like those speeds, so it's very much about designing a bicycle that's fit for the job.

I can promise you, that despite all of the drafting in the world, his legs would still be on fire. It's not a "free ride" despite being assisted!

A perfect draft is negligibly different from a free ride. A ruleset which allows drafting categorically without specifying precise forms will asymptotically approach a perfect draft. A ruleset which does specify precise forms is testing those forms, again, not much to do with cycling.

looks like that page was deleted

Just a trailing quote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor-paced_cycling

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