Inside the WorldTour-Peloton

The World Tour peloton is a diverse and dynamic group of athletes, each with their own story, background, and journey to the top of professional cycling. In this section, we take a closer look at the riders who make up this elite group. Through clear visualizations of their nationalities, ages and other key factors, we uncover the trends and patterns that define the makeup of the peloton. Explore how cycling has become a truly global sport and discover the individuals powering the races that captivate audiences around the world.

Tour around the world

To explore the global reach of professional cycling, we visualize the number of World Tour riders representing each country in a selected year. The interactive map below highlights how widely the sport is embraced around the world. Click on a country to reveal a detailed list of its riders for that year — including their names and number of victories — offering deeper insight into each nation's contribution to the peloton and their success on the road.

As you slide through the years, a clear trend emerges: the number of countries represented in the World Tour peloton has steadily increased. This growth reflects the truly global nature of modern professional cycling and its rising popularity across diverse regions.

But cycling isn’t just about participation — it’s about performance. In the following two graphs, we shift our focus to the winners. The first chart highlights the top 10 nations with the most victories in the selected year, revealing the countries that dominate the sport. The second spotlights the top three individual riders by number of wins, celebrating the standout athletes who consistently cross the finish line first.

Age is just a number

In professional cycling, age plays an intriguing role in shaping an athlete’s journey. While peak physical condition is essential, there’s no fixed age for achieving success — champions can emerge both early and late in their careers.

In this section, we examine the age distribution within the World Tour peloton and explore how age relates to performance and victories.

The first graph visualizes the overall age distribution of riders, distinguishing between winners and non-winners. The second graph takes a broader view, showing how the age of winners has evolved over time. Together, these insights shed light on how age impacts success in the high-stakes world of professional cycling.