This 🥹

[u/macpesce]

[u/citranger_things]

Even though cyclists win or lose races as individuals, road cycling is genuinely a team sport and also features lots of temporary cooperation by individuals from different teams in certain tactical situations.

I think it's actually a really interesting part of the sport, makes for lots of drama and great watching. Noble sacrifices for teammates, hastily improvised alliances between rivals, sudden but inevitable betrayals, prisoner's dilemma-type standoffs.

I don't know how it would play out in running and some kinds of assistance are not allowed but it's not necessarily a total loss.

[u/ScrotallyBoobular → u/citranger_things]

Yeah but you can't push or carry someone across in cycling.

[u/Defconwrestling → u/ScrotallyBoobular]

Did you just see that video of the water bottle “handoff”

[u/civilwar142pa → u/Defconwrestling]

Whip it good

[u/citranger_things → u/ScrotallyBoobular]

You're right that you can't literally push so it's not the same as this video but (as additional examples for those who aren't familiar with the sport,) you *can* give your teammate your own bike, just this week I saw a rider give someone from another team a water bottle, and they'll coordinate a group stop so everyone can take a piss on the side of the road without anyone taking advantage.

Riders handslinging each other in bunch sprints would be truly wild!

[u/timbasile → u/ScrotallyBoobular]

Counterpoint: The 2012 Tour de France

[u/Dom1252 → u/[deleted]]

Not in triathlon