What is a domestique in cycling?
A domestique is a rider whose main job is to help a team leader win, not to win themselves. The word is French for "servant".
Domestiques do the unglamorous work that decides races. They fetch bottles and food from the team car, shelter the leader from the wind, chase down breakaways, set the pace on climbs and give up a wheel or even their bike if the leader has a mechanical problem.
There are levels within the role. A super-domestique is a strong rider, often good enough to lead a smaller team, who stays with the leader deep into the hardest mountain stages. A road captain is an experienced domestique who makes tactical decisions on the road. Others specialise in work on the flat, in crosswinds or in the lead-out for a sprinter.
Domestiques are the largest group in the peloton and, on average, the lowest paid within a WorldTeam. Many earn close to the minimum salary, while elite super-domestiques can earn far more than some team leaders on smaller teams.
On howtoturnpro.com riders are grouped into roles in our salary model, and domestique roles sit in the lower pay bands. Our salary pages show how wide the range inside a single team can be.