Team pursuit

The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that teams of four riders compete. Riders in a team follow each other very closely in line to minimise total drag, and periodically the lead rider in the team (who works the hardest) will peel off the front and join the "train" of riders at the rear of the team. Also, the winning team is decided by whichever team's third rider crosses the line first, so it is common for one rider in the team to do more than their share of the front position in the first part of the race, then drop out towards the end.