This is the largest pack of riders in a road race, also called a bunch or pack. Why stick together? Riding in a pack allows cyclists to take advantage of drafting, saving them some much-needed energy during long races.

(From French, literally meaning little ball or platoon and also related to the English word pellet) The large main group in a road bicycle race. May also be called the field, bunch, or pack. Riders in a group save energy by riding close (drafting or slipstreaming) near and, particularly, behind other riders. The reduction in drag is dramatic; in the middle of a well-developed group it can be as much as 40%.