Rouleur
Encyclopedia
A rouleur is a type of racing cyclist considered a good all-rounder.
In road bicycle racing
different courses favour different types of rider depending on a range of environmental conditions such as terrain, climate and distance. Flat courses often finish in a bunch sprint, which favours specialist sprinters who can ride fastest over the last few hundred metres of the race. Mountainous courses favour light, skinny riders with a particularly high power output to weight ratio, enabling them to ascend the mountains efficiently. The time trial
discipline is mastered by the riders who can produce a sustained high power output, over short to medium distance.
The rouleur is a consistent all rounder who can ride well over most types of course. A rouleur will often work as a domestique in support of their team leader, a sprinter or a climber on their team. The best chance for a rouleur to win a stage is by breaking away from the main bunch during the race to win from a small group of riders that does not contain the sprint specialists. The break away is most likely to succeed in the undulating transition stages of multi-stage road races, that are neither mountainous nor flat.
Examples of such racers include Jens Voigt
.
In road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
different courses favour different types of rider depending on a range of environmental conditions such as terrain, climate and distance. Flat courses often finish in a bunch sprint, which favours specialist sprinters who can ride fastest over the last few hundred metres of the race. Mountainous courses favour light, skinny riders with a particularly high power output to weight ratio, enabling them to ascend the mountains efficiently. The time trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
discipline is mastered by the riders who can produce a sustained high power output, over short to medium distance.
The rouleur is a consistent all rounder who can ride well over most types of course. A rouleur will often work as a domestique in support of their team leader, a sprinter or a climber on their team. The best chance for a rouleur to win a stage is by breaking away from the main bunch during the race to win from a small group of riders that does not contain the sprint specialists. The break away is most likely to succeed in the undulating transition stages of multi-stage road races, that are neither mountainous nor flat.
Examples of such racers include Jens Voigt
Jens Voigt
Jens Voigt is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . Voigt is known for his propensity to attack, and for his positive racing attitude. He is capable of repeated attacking, holding a high tempo, and breaking away from the peloton...
.