Does the pro peloton ride on the left?

[Pale Rider]

Watching the Vuelta and the Tour it seems to me the pro peloton generally rides on the left hand side of the road.

Not all the time, not least because on closed roads they can cut right hand bends.

But it seems to me the pros generally keep to the left.

Am I right about that, and if so, why do they do it?

 

[sight-pin]

I noticed that to...I would suspect it's if they was to forget when out general road riding theirs a possibility they may get to complacent otherwise.

 

[Milkfloat]

I would assume depending on the tour most of the riders would be based in right hand drive countries. The peloton is very adept a hiding from the wind, I would say this is more likely.

 

[400bhp]

There's more left hand corners in the tours as they ride in a counter clockwise route*

*I may have made some or all of that up.

 

[oldroadman]

There's more left hand corners in the tours as they ride in a counter clockwise route*

*I may have made some or all of that up.

 

[oldroadman]

All depends which way the wind is blowing and if a team is trying to put the race in the gutter, then whichever side is necessary is used. I never noticed it really, but now you mention it.....

 

[JohnnyRemo]

The race convoy drives on the right hand side of the road, so when riders go back or forward amongst the convoy they are usually on the left hand side of the road - unless the wind is blowing from the left.

 

[HF2300]

I'm not sure that's strictly correct. Regulation 2.2.033 says that "Vehicles shall travel on the side of the road required by the domestic legislation of the host country"; so the right if the country drives on the right, left if it drives on the left.

Of course, that would mean for most races the convoy drives on the right - and it often seems to be honoured more in the breach than the observance! There's also a rule that says press vehicles must comply with the highway code for the country the race is held in.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Most times the team cars are left hand drive vehicles, so the riders will tend to keep left so that they can easily communicate with the DS, take a bidon etc.