Leadership and Efficiency in Professional Cycling

The aim of this paper is to assess the determinants of cyclists' performance over the season, particularly the effect of being a team leader. Several efficiency indicators are used, the most common being the number of Cycling Quotient (CQ) points accumulated by riders divided by the number of kilometers of competition. The results show that efficiency depends mainly on individual features (such as age) and the calendar of competition chosen by riders. However, the most decisive feature in enhancing rider efficiency is team status. Specifically, the estimates show that being team leader significantly increases efficiency.