In Praise Of... Domestiques

They are the worker drones of bike racing, without whom the queen bees would never be able to rule.

- Trevor Ward

We’re used to hearing stories of the sacrifices required of professional athletes, which typically include giving up things such as meat, alcohol and sex before a big event. It’s only professional cyclists, however, who regularly sacrifice victory, personal glory and the occasional body part in the name of their team leader.

In other team sports, every member gets a medal for winning. But in cycling, only the leader gets the yellow jersey, gold medal or rainbow stripes.

Of the 200 riders who will start a Grand Tour, most will be putting their leader before any personal ambitions or UCI World Tour ranking points, in a way their counterparts in sports such as football would struggle to comprehend (unless you play with Cristiano Ronaldo perhaps).

The French have a word for this selfless devotee on two wheels –domestique – which translates rather bluntly as ‘servant’. The Italian word is less derogatory, and more fitting to that country’s excitable, sociable stereotype: gregario.

It’s still a support role, however, one where a place on the podium will remain a distant dream or, in the case of Fausto Coppi’s right-hand man Andrea Carrea during a stage of the 1952 Tour, a living nightmare. Told by his team leader to police a break of three, Carrea accidentally ended up in the yellow jersey, and was so ashamed of upstaging his boss he was in tears as he collected his prize.

There are no supporting actors’ prizes in cycling, and yet dozens of riders elect a career in this role.