The Echelon Attack

What cycling enthusiast has never heard of the famous echelon attack? What is it? How does it happen? What’s the point? Who are the players? Who benefits? Who suffers? Even if it’s not always easy to explain to the general public, 3bikes.fr will try to analyze the phenomenon in this article…

By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: Billy Ceusters / commons.wikimedia / 3bikes / DR

The famous echelon attack: an expression that comes back like a refrain in the friendly jargon of cycling… But what does this evocative term mean? An echelon is a phenomenon that occurs within a cycling peloton mainly when there is a strong crosswind. To protect themselves, riders will move next to each other until they reach the opposite edge of the road from where the wind is coming. At that moment, to benefit from the drafting phenomenon, riders position themselves one behind the other, but with reduced shelter compared to those in the fan, i.e., the group of riders in the middle of the road. And the echelon is thus “almost” created!

Why “almost”? Because we’re not quite done with the difficulties yet. Indeed, the echelon is one of the most demanding technical phenomena in this sport. The effort is intense. Visibility is impaired. Balance is challenged, as riders try to follow the slipstream of the riders at the front of the group, with reduced protection. The proximity between riders and potential rubbing requires great skill to stay in the shelter of the rider ahead, and a lot of lucidity to avoid hitting the derailleur of the rider in front with the wheel. And if the phenomenon lasts long enough, it causes splits in the peloton.

Reduced shelter, an imbalance created by a crosswind, and a lack of visibility in the wheels at the very edge of the road eventually get the better of the weakest riders and those less skilled at staying tucked into the wheel ahead. But isn’t that the objective of the method? To split the peloton and eliminate opponents?

One of the main difficulties in cycling

The echelon attack is an art. Accelerating sharply at the front of the peloton, as a team or by agreeing with other riders to create a fan (a well-oiled organization consisting of taking short, fast turns starting from the middle of the road), to make those who are lagging behind, poorly positioned in the wheels, give way. And among the key elements for a successful echelon: wind, a clear road, good timing, and the element of surprise are some crucial factors…

A strong crosswind from the 3/4 rear or 3/4 front is the first condition. It’s what will give some the idea to position themselves on the other side of the road, so that no one is protected beyond a certain point, thus “taking out” the rest of the peloton from the Game. Thus, the riders concerned arrange themselves in a fan, halfway up the teammate in front of them to protect themselves, and take turns one after the other until the first rider finds himself in single file and therefore exposed. And very quickly, this last rider will lose the wheel, letting this small group of strong and cunning riders go. By the time the stragglers reorganize, they have already lost a lot of time.

How is it prepared? It’s not just a matter of instinct and race sense; the echelon also involves anticipation and therefore a good analysis of the map as well as the day’s weather conditions. Pro team riders anticipate it from the briefing in the bus. Even if plains, treeless sections, town exits, or roundabouts are preferred locations, the idea is also to create surprise and leave those most likely to be eliminated or most threatening even further behind.

And then, beyond this well-established strategy, you still need to have the right riders. Generally, these are strong, large-framed riders whose power allows them to pull off this feat. It’s rare to see a slender rider, who would be more at ease on mountainous terrain, leading the charge. Bardet vs. Asgreen, for example. Because to create the desired decision and splits in the echelon, you need to push a lot of watts into the wind. To succeed in this very offensive action, it’s about several companions spotting a change of direction, such as exiting a forest or the exposed summit of a climb, then launching the most violent acceleration possible and mastering the technique of echelon relays.

And you, dear viewers, who only swear by mountain stages? And who don’t want to watch this flat stage of the Tour because it promises to be uneventful? Were you expecting to be bored? Well no, the echelon phenomenon is indeed one of the most spectacular phenomena in this sport…

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