In the top-tier races of the World Tour, a certain phenomenon is a common sight:
When a breakaway rider nears the stage finish or reaches a key point that could decide the victory, the peloton behind them—a massive group formed by various teams' sprinters or GC Cyclists—will bear down on them with the force of an avalanche, furiously and relentlessly.
The pressure, like that of an advancing army, is enough to mentally crush any breakaway rider who isn't strong enough.
Many riders who specialize in breakaways are cruelly swallowed by the main group when they are only dozens of meters, or even just a dozen or so meters, from the finish line.
This causes the victory they'd fought for all stage—a victory that was right within their grasp—to slip away.
It's an undeniably cruel fate.
Yet, this is precisely the allure of competitive sports.
