Power vs Positioning: What Really Wins Races?
Introduction: The Race Within the Race
In the world of competitive cycling, data rules. Watts, heart rate, CDA, and TSS all shape how we train and compete. But when race day arrives, a different truth takes over:
Power alone doesn’t win races. Positioning does.
Yes, being strong matters. But being strong at the right time, in the right place, is what makes the difference between standing on the podium or finishing minutes down. This fact was made painfully clear on Stage 1 of the 2025 Tour de France, when one of the peloton’s most powerful riders Remco Evenepoel lost critical time not due to lack of watts, but due to poor positioning in a crosswind section.
In this article, we’ll explore:
✅ The physics of drafting and energy savings
✅ Why Evenepoel’s time loss matters
✅ Data-backed race examples: WorldTour and amateur level
✅ What this means for your own race strategy
✅ Coaching tips to develop positional intelligence
1. The Physics: How Positioning Reduces Power Demand
Cycling is governed by physics, especially aerodynamics. The vast majority of energy in a race goes into overcoming air resistance around 80–90% at 40km/h+. Drafting behind another rider reduces that aerodynamic drag dramatically.
📊 Key Data: Drafting Benefits
30–40% power savings in the peloton at 40 km/h (Olds et al., 1995)
Riders in an echelon during crosswinds save 25–35% vs exposed riders
Sitting just 2 positions back from the front can cost 40–50 more watts
In other words, you can produce less power than a stronger rider and still win if you’re better positioned.
2. The Case of Remco Evenepoel – Tour de France 2025, Stage 1
Let’s look at the headline example: Remco Evenepoel : known for his prodigious power lost 39 seconds on Stage 1 of the 2025 Tour de France.
🚴♂️ Why? Not because he lacked the watts, but because he was caught out of position in a crosswind split
Increased exposure to wind = higher power required just to hang on
Less chance to react to attacks or echelon formation
No teammates in the front to pull him back in
Despite being among the strongest pure engines in the world, his race was compromised in 15 seconds of inattention.
3. The Data Doesn’t Lie: Race-Winning Power ≠ Peak Power
Let’s compare winning power vs chasing power in real races.
✅ WorldTour Example (Rouleur, 2023):
Breakaway winner in a hilly stage averaged 310W for 4h (4.7 W/kg)
Chasers averaged 340W (5.2 W/kg) but never made contact
Why? Breakaway had better timing and positioning.
✅ Amateur Race Example (British Cycling Regional A, 2024):
Winner averaged 230W (3.4 W/kg), staying mid-pack until final 10 min
Stronger riders averaged 260–280W, were exposed early or closed gaps
Winner surged to 900W for 10s in the sprint — his only max effort all day
In both examples, the winning rider did less total work than others — but spent it more efficiently due to positioning.
4. Positional Intelligence: The Hidden Skill of Champions
What is Positional Intelligence?
It’s the ability to read the race, conserve energy, anticipate moves, and be in the right place before the decisive moment.
Riders like Wout van Aert, Annemiek van Vleuten, and Tadej Pogačar all show extraordinary positional IQ:
They’re near the front before wind or crashes split the field
They use team support to maintain forward position
They anticipate terrain-based splits (e.g., narrow roads, crosswind zones, technical descents)
Evenepoel’s Stage 1 error was a failure in positional anticipation, not physiology. It shows that even elite riders are vulnerable if positioning lapses.
5. So, What Should You Focus On?
Here’s how Raceline Coaching helps you train smarter:
We combine structured power training with tactical simulations, race video breakdowns, and positioning drills — especially in races like crits, road races, and stage events where timing is everything.
6. Practical Coaching Tips: Train Power + Position Together
Drill 1: Survive and Sprint
In group rides, practice sitting 10–15 wheels back, then surfing up in the last 5 km to contest a sprint — using only 2–3 hard efforts.
Drill 2: Echelon Awareness
Ride in wind conditions and practice forming echelons with training partners. Notice how much power is needed when out of the draft (you'll feel it fast).
Drill 3: Race Sim Tactics
In group race simulations, identify moments when position matters — before climbs, turns, narrow roads — and be at the front early. Review GPS files post-ride to see how it influenced your effort.
7. Conclusion: Positioning is the Force Multiplier of Power
Let’s be clear — without power, you’re nowhere. But without positioning, you’re nowhere faster.
🚴 Evenepoel's Stage 1 loss at the 2025 Tour shows that even the most powerful riders can be undone by 20 seconds of bad positioning.
At Raceline Coaching, we coach our athletes to:
Maximise their watts
Use those watts at the right time
Race with head and legs in harmony
Want to stop wasting watts?
Want to learn when to move up and when to hide?
Let’s train smarter — not just harder.
🔗 Learn more about our coaching approach at Raceline Coaching
Sources:
Olds, T. et al. (1995). Modeling the Power-Speed Relationship in Cycling. Sports Medicine
Tour de France 2025 Stage 1 Analysis, [CyclingNews], July 2025
British Cycling Regional Race Data, 2024
FloSports, “How Much Power Does It Take To Win a Race?” (2023)
[ProCyclingStats] Remco Evenepoel 2025 TDF Stage 1 Files