Yes, in a standard time trial race. In the tour de france this year there is only 1 individual time trial of 21 stages. Otherwise most of the riders will rotat

Yes, in a standard time trial race. In the tour de france this year there is only 1 individual time trial of 21 stages. Otherwise most of the riders will rotate through the peloton (group). Don't get me wrong aerodynamics is important and yes it is of most importance during a time trial, but that's about it. Otherwise they wouldn't shave their legs all year round. There are many other reasons why professional cyclists shave their legs that are just as important. I don't think the increase is surprising at all, it's been known for a long time. Cycling teams have been using wind tunnels for over a decade to improve aerodynamics, all the way down to the difference between tucking and untucking their jersey on warmer stages, head tilt, compression socks, wheels, elbow angle. Shaving legs only seems to be talked about so much because its a main talking point between cyclists and non-cyclists.