Poursuivant is the French for pursuer. It refers to a rider who joins or forms a group and pursues the front part of the race. Further, they serve to bridge most of the riders to the front group.
They burn a tremendous amount of energy to catch up, which endangers their safety or group schedule. They may ride individually or in small groups, assisting each other and taking opportunities to join the runners ahead. If the chaser manages to catch up successfully, it may result in a stage victory or valuable points for the group. There are risks involved in the process. Firstly, by failing to catch up, the chasers tire themselves out and are caught up by the main group because their energy was spent prematurely.
