peloton

noun

pel·o·ton ˌpe-lə-ˈtän

ˈpe-lə-ˌtän

: the main body of riders in a bicycle race

Did you know?

If you've ever watched the Tour de France on television, you've seen the peloton, the brightly colored pack of riders making up the central group. You may have also gained some inadvertent insight into the word itself, which as you may have guessed is French in origin. In French, "peloton" literally means "ball," but it is most often used with the meaning "group." It's frequently used in the bicycling context, just as in English, but it can also refer to a group in a marathon or other sporting event. French peloton can also mean "squad" or "platoon," and since we’ve told you that you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that it is also the source of our word platoon.

Examples of peloton in a Sentence

He broke away from the peloton and sprinted into the lead.

Recent Examples on the Web But the film also focuses on the water carriers, the riders who fetch water for their team leaders, protect their position in the peloton, ride into the wind, and so much more. —

Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2023 Just like the lead cyclist in a peloton works harder than the riders behind, trailing particles were shielded from gas drag by those ahead of them. —

Diane Hope, Ars Technica, 12 Dec. 2023 Cameras set the viewer’s gaze squarely on the diehards, who’ve shed the peloton, and are farthest up the incline. —

Thomas Curran, Time, 8 Aug. 2023 The stages range from: Flat (8 stages): While the route is not always flat, racers usually ride together in a large group called a peloton. —

George Petras, USA TODAY, 28 June 2023 At any moment, someone inside the 180-rider peloton might attack. —

Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 21 July 2023 After two grueling days of brutal climbing across the Pyrenees, the super flat 170-kilometer (105-mile) Stage 7 looked like the perfect occasion for the main contenders to enjoy a day off inside the peloton. —

BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2023 The peloton came charging at the end but couldn't catch up with him ahead of the finish line. —

USA TODAY, 3 July 2023 Breakaway: One rider or a group of riders who have outdistanced the peloton. —

George Petras, USA TODAY, 28 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peloton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.