Autobus (cycling)

The autobus forms on mountain stages when non-climbers can't keep up and drop off the back of the peloton during the climb.

These riders are generally sprinters or domestiques unconcerned about their finishing positions in the mountain stages.

Their primary concern is beating the elimination time to ensure their survival in a multi-stage race such as the Tour de France.

However, if a rider is dropped from the autobus in this situation they will almost certainly be eliminated unless they have suffered an accident, in which case they may be exempted.

[2] Due to the common interest in survival, the mood in the autobus often has a greater sense of camaraderie than in the main peloton.