If you are unlucky enough to be in the middle of a fast group, and someone up front goes down, there is almost nothing you can do to avoid wreckingWonder what the advantage is of riding in a peloton, Dgeigh?
There can't be much of a slip stream effect as there is in car racing because the peloton is not a solid mass at the leading edge of the wedge.
No doubt, it is harder to pass a peloton than a single cyclist, but, on the other hand, if you are inside the peloton it's harder to get out of it to break away. I take it this latter consideration is not really a problem because the peloton is actually a 'team' and they would cooperate with anyone inside the 'heap' wishing to break out.
Perhaps it is just moral support or pacing control. Long distance runners run with friendly pacers to keep them on their mark. Interesting phenomenon suggestive of Canadian Geese flying in a "V", in any event.
Aha! Here we have the answer -- not a "V", but an "X":
"Peloton Strategy: "X" marks the spot"http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=9720
