What is a peloton? Term and Cycling route at Commonwealth Games explained

Cycling road races are taking place at Birmingham 2022

By Matthew Mohan-Hickson

7th Aug 2022, 11:20am

Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Top cycling stars from across the Commonwealth are competing in the road races.

Australia’s Georgia Baker won the womens event at Birmingham 2022.

The men’s road race will take place at the Commonwealth Games from 12.30pm today (7 August).

If you are tuning in, you might be wondering what some of the terminology means.

Here is all you need to know:

What is a peloton?

If you are watching the road race, you might hear the commentators talk about the peloton a lot.

It is nothing to do with the expensive home exercise product.

Peloton is a French word, it literally means “ball” but is often used to mean a “group”, and it is used in cycling as the name for the main group or pack of cyclists in a road race.

If there are a number of break aways, then the peloton will be the group with the largest amount of riders.

Cyclists ride in groups to save energy, as riding close to or behind other riders to create drafting or slipstreaming.

How long is the road race?

The women’s race was 112km - which is about 69.5 miles.

The men’s race is longer at 160km.

This translates to just shy of 100 miles - 99.4 to be exact.

What is a peloton? (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

What is a peloton? (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

What is the route of the road race?

On the Commonwealth Games website it describes the route as:

Starting on Myton Road, outside Myton Fields, the course heads north, over the River Avon, with a stunning view of Warwick Castle and St Nicholas Park, towards Warwick town centre, before taking an immediate left turn onto Jury Street (A429), past the Collegiate Church of St Marys on the right, Warwick Town Council’s offices, and onto Warwick High Street, with the Lord Leycester Hospital on the right.
The course follows this road until a right turn onto Shakespeare Avenue and then a left turn onto Hampton Road (A4189), opposite Warwick Race Course. The cyclists then head out towards Hampton on the Hill and the rural section of the course
The course passes through the village of Hampton on the Hill. From here the course takes in the more rural roads of Old Budbrooke Road, Church Lane and Ugly Bridge Road, before a right turn to join the Birmingham Road (A4177), with the cyclists heading back towards Warwick
The course continues on Birmingham Road (A425) via Priory Road to Coten End, Emscote Road and Warwick New Road before turning into Princes Drive
The course stays on Princes Drive, passing Victoria Park, in Royal Leamington Spa, the home of the Birmingham 2022 Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls competition, until a right turn at the roundabout onto Myton Road.
The final run into the finish is along Myton Road, offering a long straight finish outside Warwick School and Myton Fields.

Who is riding the men’s road race?

Peloton Cycling Birmingham 2022 Australia Cyclists Words and Meanings

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.