In road bicycle racing, a domestique is a rider who works for the benefit of their team and leader, rather than trying to win the race. In French, domestique translates as "servant". The use of the term dates back to 1911, although such riders had existed before then.
Domestiques from several teams form lines at the front of the peloton to keep their leaders near the front of the race. Note George Hincapie working for his team leader Lance Armstrong, visible in the yellow jersey of the Tour de France.
A domestique retrieving water bottles for his teammates.
Chris Froome assisting Bradley Wiggins (yellow jersey) in the 2012 Tour de France. Froome went on to win the 2013 Tour de France.
Sepp Kuss riding in support of Jonas Vingegaard at the 2023 Tour de France
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common competition formats are mass start events, where riders start simultaneously and race to a set finish point; and time trials, where individual riders or teams race a course alone against the clock. Stage races or "tours" take multiple days, and consist of several mass-start or time-trial stages ridden consecutively.
A breakaway of riders during the 2021 Giro d'Italia
The Tour of Gippsland – a stage race in Australia – climbing through the Omeo Shire
Cyclists drafting behind one another, forming a paceline
The 1991 Giro d'Italia. The Giro is one of three Grand Tours.
