Hacker News Reader

In cycling one key is drafting. We have a few guys where I live that do well in big national races. When they show up on the Saturday group ride, weaker riders can keep up thanks to the advantage of drafting. A rider has to be about 30% stronger than me to pull away when I am drafting him.

View on HN

But the EPO user gets to draft too. So this is not an answer to the question about how can a clean cyclist compete against a doping one.

Which is why Grand Tours are really a test of climbing and time trialing ability.

And tactics knowing when to husband your teams strength and when to push to get your GC contenders time advantage.

And surviving three weeks of racing, often over very difficult terrain.

Your "average" pro cyclist (the domestiques) dope because that's the only way get through a grand tour. It's not about going faster, it's about survival.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com