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Time Trial
A race in which competitors start one-at-a-time, usually at 30-second or one-minute intervals. The winner is the cyclist who completes the course in the shortest time. Since drafting is not allowed in an individual time trial, there are no team tactics; it is just the cyclist against the clock, hence the sobriquet "the race of truth."
The cycling leg of a triathlon is a form of time trial.
There are also team time trials, usually involving teams of 4 or more, taking turns leading and drafting each other. Team time trials require great precision in rotating position within the team.
Time trials are held both on the road and on the track. Bicycles made for time-trial use are designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, even at the expense of degrading handling characteristics and rider comfort. Since riders are on their own, there is no need for fancy maneuvering as there is in a peloton.
