What does pulling mean in road cycling?

Answer 1

Pulling is when a rider takes a turn at the front of a "paceline," or group of riders in a row. While the rider at the front will experience full wind resistance, the drag of the riders behind is reduced by up to 40%. Maintaining high speed while pulling is an extremely exhausting activity, so each rider will "pull" for 30 seconds to a minute, signal the rider behind, and then move to the side and coast to the back of the paceline. The rider behind then "pulls," and rotating through the group in this manner keeps everyone fresh and maintains high speed.