You'll be well-equipped to follow the pros once you master the meaning of these common road race terms.
Attack: A sudden attempt to get away from another rider.
Blocking: When a rider tries to get in the way of other riders, usually done as part of a team strategy to slow down the main field when other team members are ahead in a breakaway.
Bonk: Known as "hitting the wall" in marathon running, this is when a rider completely runs out of energy.
Breakaway: When a rider or group of riders attempts to reach a group farther ahead, also known as "bridging the gap."
Chasers: Riders who are attempting to "bridge the gap" to catch the lead group.
Criterium: A multi-lap event on a course usually a mile or less in length and of medium total distance, usually 25-75 miles.
Derailleur: The mechanism that moves the chain from one gear to another.
Director Sportif: Pronounced "Director sporteef" this is the manager of the team.
Domestique: A rider who sacrifices any individual honors to the team leader who is in contention to win.
Drafting: Riding closely behind another rider, which creates a slipstream, or air pocket. The lead rider expends up to 30 percent more energy than the following rider does.
Drop: To leave another rider or riders behind by attacking. Losing contact with the group in which they are riding will drop fatigued riders.
Echelon: A line of riders taking orderly turns at the lead and staggered so that each rider will get maximum protection from the wind.
Feeding: At some point during a long road race it is necessary for riders to replace expended energy. Riders are given a "musette," a small cloth bag, containing food and water bottles. Riders grab the bag from the team support personnel, remove the contents and put them in the pockets of their jerseys to eat when most convenient.
Field: The main group of riders, also known as the "pack," "peloton," or "bunch."
Field Sprint: The final sprint between a group of riders, not necessarily for first place.
Force the Pace: When one rider goes harder than the pack to increase the tempo.
Gap: The distance between individuals or groups.
Hammering: Very steady, strenuous pedaling. Also called "jamming."
Hanging On: Barely keeping contact at the back of the pack.
Hook: When one rider's rear wheel, either on purpose or by accident, hits the front wheel of the rider following behind.
Jump: A sudden acceleration, often at the start of the sprint.
Kick: The final burst of speed in a sprint.
Lead Out: An international and often sacrificial move where one rider begins a sprint to give a head start to another rider (usually a teammate) on his rear wheel, who then comes around at an even faster speed to take the lead.
Neo-Pro: Cycling's term for a rookie at the professional level.
Prime: Pronounced "preem."
A race-within-a-race where riders sprint for prizes on a designated lap or at a certain point in a race.
Pull: To take a turn at the front and break the wind for the other riders in the pack.
Pull Off: To move to one side so that another rider can take a turn at the front.
Pull Through: To move to the front of a pace line, from second spot, after the lead rider swings off to the front.
Sitting In: When one rider refuses to take a pull and breaks the wind for the group in which he/she is riding.
Slipstream: The pocket of air created by a moving rider, just as in automobile or motorcycle racing. See "drafting."
Sprint: A sudden burst of speed for the finish of a race involving more than one rider. Also a 1,000-meter event on a bicycle track called a "velodrome."
Stage Race: A series of individual races-time trials, road races, circuit races or criteriums-grouped into one event that lasts several days. The rider who has the lowest accumulated time for all stages determines the winner.
Take a Flyer: When one rider goes off to the front of the pack, usually alone.
Time Trial: An individual race against the clock, often called the "race of truth."
Velodrome: An oval banked track, usually 333.33 meters in length. In general, track riders and road riders compete in separate kinds of events.