Elite athletes competing in the Tour de France could gain more than eight seconds in the individual time trial depending solely on the type of team car following them, a new study has revealed.

The research, the third in a pioneering series by the world’s leading experts on cycling aerodynamics, shows that a car driving behind a cyclist gives the rider a measurable aerodynamic push and that the size and shape of that car could be the difference between winning and losing.

Led by Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, in partnership with Ansys, part of Synopsys, the study comes ahead of the Tour de France individual time trial on Tuesday, July 21, a 26.1 km (16.2-mile) stage from Évian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains.