Drafting a rider decreases the lead rider's drag also.....?

Alex_Simmons/RST

torms wrote:

remember reading an article about lance armstrong, saying whenever his opponents attacked he"d send one of his team mates to sit on there wheel to slow them down, as it had an impact on there speed

That's just standard race tactics, has nothing to do with aerodynamics.

If you are in break with a GC threat and the race leader in group behind is your team mate, then you don't do any work into the wind for the break. If break succeeds, then you are the freshest rider for the finale (e.g. George Hincape Stage 15 2005 TdF).

But often what happens is the breakaway group (or rider) doesn't want to do all the work and drag someone else along only to lose, so they end up slowing down as a result.