Race Tactics 2010



DancenMacabre

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Jul 17, 2009
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Something other than pedal technique, *cranks, etc?

How about a bit of a race tactics talk?

I've read as many of the old threads here as possible concerning tactics. There's a few especially good ones related a given power profile and those have been insightful.

Lets say you are with a field of riders you are unfamiliar with (e,g, in a non-local event), so you don't have the benefit of knowing who is a great sprinter or TT'er. You on the other hand, have a nice (or is it boring? :rolleyes: ) all-arounder profile with your column values within 5-6 rows of each other. The field is 20-30 deep and this is your typical 2-3 hour RR with a longish but shallow climb to the finish. With that in mind....what might play into your decision to:

1 - wait for a group or bunch sprint (granted, one may not happen as the field may shatter but let's assume it is a possibility)

2 - sit in with the pack for as long as possible and attack before a bunch sprint but still near the end (say, 1-5 minutes from the finish)

3 - attack the field from a very long way out (> 30 minutes from the finish)

Obviously the race course may play a factor as well as what the others in the pack do.

Most experienced racers I've spoken to tend to mention a sort of a new/low-cat (4-5) racer syndrome of most participants just watching/waiting/reacting and not initiating much.

So using that approach for a race would seem to be very much the group/herd mentality.

Hearing of personal examples/anecdotes would be useful as well.
 
DancenMacabre said:
1 - wait for a group or bunch sprint (granted, one may not happen as the field may shatter but let's assume it is a possibility)

2 - sit in with the pack for as long as possible and attack before a bunch sprint but still near the end (say, 1-5 minutes from the finish)

3 - attack the field from a very long way out (> 30 minutes from the finish)

#1 - I would never assume the field will shatter unless there is a very challenging feature on the course like a very difficult climb or a strong crosswind. You might lose small groups off the back or perhaps off the front, but there will typically still be a main group and a bunch sprint of some kind and for some placing. For this option you don't need to be a sprinter per se if the race has been hard -- a higher FTP will mean you've got more kick left relative to the weaker sprinters who've been working harder during the race. This can still be the right option for a strong rider of any power profile, and I think the results people get generally fit their relative fitness level even in a bunch sprint. It's not like the Cat 4/5 sprinters all have big leadout trains to swamp the other riders.

#2 - I think an all-rounder is doomed here unless there are a series of attacks in the last few km and you happen to launch yours just as everyone else has given up on chasing. A hard effort is going to put you ~50m off the front to dangle to the finish, and someone will usually take that bait. Cat 4/5s will usually chase anytime, but especially near the finish it's going to be hard to get away.

#3 - If you're going to try to get away, try it early. You'll typically know right away whether they're going to let you go or not. If not, you can either try again later, or sit around and wait for the bunch sprint.

Other things to consider for a relatively featureless course:
1) Teams - are there 2-4 teams that together make up a significant portion (>1/3) of the pack? Do appear organized? Are they on friendly terms with each other :)eek:)? If so, look for moves involving those teams and especially combinations thereof.

2) last year's results - do some homework here and you might learn something useful like whether there were time gaps at the finish, who won it and how many teammates did they have, etc. If you make some notes of the top finishers from last year, you might recognize some names/teams during registration or warm up.

3) experiment - don't be afraid to try something and fail.
 
It all depends on how that "boring" power profile is in relation to the class you're entering... :p

... the only thing that shouldn't change is the requirement to stay in the first 10 nearly all the time.

If you stay up the front most of the time then you can not only familiarize yourself better with the final climb upto the finish, if you're doing a few laps, but you can also put the hammer down just as you're going over the top of hills to give the riders further back lots of grief who are back in line still going up the hill.

As for the finish - what kind of climb is it? You said long and shallow but are we talking like 2% or 5%? If you're a stong all-rounder I'd have a dig before you get to the bottom of the hill and give it a good "heads down, breakfast up" effort, especially if it's 4% and up.

Most new folk tend to think that uphills are the place to attack but if there's a little downhill section, doesn't have to be long, 10 to 20 yards, you can get a nice bit of speed up if you drop it in a big gear and give it 110% and you were 5 or 10 back you could take the riders up front by surprise. Same with technical descents or narrow twisty lanes - anywhere that presents a physical (uphill) or mental (downhill/narrow/rough roads) is a prime opportunity to have a go.

Sometimes the cheekiest way to attack is just to start riding upto the front, slightly off the side of the bunch and if there's noone on your wheel and in the draft when you get up the front, give it some welly. Consider that little ride up front in the wind a good warm up.

Good luck. :)
 
Frenchyge:

Outstanding and informative post. Gets a rec from me for sure ;).

# 1 - Certainly I've experienced what you alluded to by conserving a great deal of energy and then being able to outsprint those who had been working hard. No need to discuss from where I started those sprints :p

# 2 - Good to know. I've been told much the same as you suggest - in the lower cats, people will chase everything/everyone, even if those trying to escape have little chance of staying away. That leads me to predict that attacking 60 seconds from the finish only gives an all too eager bunch, an easy excuse to chase. The idea of launching a counterattack though, after an initial attack by someone else gets chased down and everyone slows, sounds like a useful tactic in spots.

# 3 - Hmm, comes across as fairly sensible. If you can't get away an hour from the finish, then perhaps it is best to conserve energy, follow moves as needed, and save yourself for the inevitable bunch final.

About the other considerations...

Teams: might be a blessing or a curse, but generally speaking I don't see much representation, much less organization among local teams in races. No doubt you'll see a few smatterings of identical jersey's but oftentimes riding & racing in isolation than cooperation. Impossible to say whether it is due to a lack of planning or communication or if it is as simple as the fitness levels being too different that keeps more cooperation from happening. I know in a race with many people being unfamiliar with each other that getting individuals to work together might be more challenging. That could favor an escapee perhaps?

Past results: My venerable breakfast! I've gone through as many of those as I can though the information is largely thin. Unfortunately only final placings are listed with no mention of gaps or actual finish times.

Swampy:

This would be for a typical W4 race with a smattering of first-timers, returning riders, and a few in between. The boring all arounder profile in question has all values in the cat 3 range with one in the cat 2 range (sorry, it isn't FTP by the way...).

As far as the climb, it looks to be in the 3-4% range and definitely under 5%.

Staying up front is a good tip and a must. Sliding up in anticipation of attacks at obvious points is probably another thing I'll need to manage.
 
DancenMacabre said:
....Staying up front is a good tip ...
A very good one, especially for riders without a lot of mass start racing experience that often linger near the back and make things a lot harder. Here's some more general tips that a lot of newer riders miss:

- Even when you're real attentive it's easy to lose positions during surges and find yourself deeper than you'd like to be. If the group is big and moving slow it's tough to move up since it's hard to find safe holes in the field and if the group is strung out and moving fast you'll burn a lot of energy going even faster to advance. If you're nearing the finish and deeper than you'd like to be you might need to burn a match or two to pass at speed but during most of the race that isn't necessary. When the lead riders slow after a surge or chasing down a break there's a short period of just a few seconds when it's really easy to advance without a lot of extra work. You'll see riders actually feathering their brakes to hold their position in the pack with plenty of room to move up all around them. These opportunities only last a few seconds before everything bunches up again but if you're expecting them you can usually keep pedaling the same pace for another dozen pedal strokes and quickly advance a handful of positions without a big effort. Expect these opportunities and pounce on them if you need to advance.

- On flatter races with a lot of attacks and surges you can make things a lot easier by practicing 'gap management'. Always keep an eye on the front and sides of the group, in addition to seeing road hazards, approaching corners, climbs and the like sooner you can also see the attacks winding up at the front or folks taking flyers up the right and left. Many riders either don't see or don't react to these soon enough and wait till the rider in front of them jumps, typically with a big out of the saddle effort, and then jumps likewise with a big effort. The further back you are in the pack the bigger the effort you have to make to accelerate if you wait till the wheel in front of you accelerates. If you ride a bit off to one side or the other of the wheel in front of you and see the attacks happening you can begin winding up a modest gear in the saddle while advancing off to one side or the other and basically get a free ride up to speed when the riders finally do react. If they never jump then you've got to be ready to pass them and close the gap on your own but it's still better to be proactive and that only happens if you always keep an eye on the front of the group.

- A lot of newer riders who aren't particularly confident in the sprints know just enough about sprinting to know it's a bad idea for a sprinter to lead things out and get passed by another sprinter. While that's in general true, for folks still finding their sprint form or those lacking the team mates and lead out necessary to guarantee a clean shot at the line it often pays to stick your nose out in the wind, spend a match to be at the front at the finish and either hop from wheel to wheel as folks eventually pass you or sprint for what you're worth and take a well earned top five or ten spot. Sure it sounds like tactical suicide, but it will keep you up in front of the mayhem, let you figure out how sprinting works in real world races, often ends up with a pretty decent placing and keeps things really safe for you and everyone else which can buy you some leeway and support in future races. An awful lot of newer racers try so hard to be cagey at the end of the race they never get clear sight of the finish line, never get a chance to unleash their mythical sprint and roll in for 20th for a bunch of races before getting lucky or learning to pay some dues at the finish. Intentionally leading out the field a few times can earn you better placings and set you up better for more tactical sprinting in the future and 5th beats 30th anyday. I've won a couple of sprints using that technique when I started a moderate leadout around a kilometer out, someone jumped early at say 400 meters and I was able to glue up on their wheel and pass them to the line. You never know, but sitting back in 20th hoping luck shines on you almost never works.

- Don't be afraid to do some work to maintain your top ten spot. Don't do any hero work and don't tow the peloton around for nothing but taking your pulls when you find yourself at the front can help you maintain that front pack spot and is worth some efforts. But don't let the lower category riders with the club ride mentality beat you up for not taking enough pulls. It's a race after all and any pull should have your best interests in mind even if those interests are as simple as keeping the pace high enough to discourage attacks or doing some work to maintain your good positioning.

- If you do find yourself in a break and want it to succeed then definitely be ready to work, but try not to work harder than your breakaway companions. If they're doggin' it then lose them. If you tow them to the line and they sprint past you then it's your fault for handing it to them on a silver platter. Watch the speed as various folks go to the front, encourage as necessary, do your share and try to lose them if they're clearly playing with you and letting you do all the work.

Good luck,
-Dave
 
Dave:

Very concise and helpful. Thanks for sharing that information, especially all the small details which make a big difference in making it more clear.

I was at a talk with some VB's in the bay area and one of the big topics was how to move up in the pack, stay near the front, and why both are vital. They covered a lot but you added some scenarios that were not mentioned and that I hadn't considered either.

I know you addressed the issue of how to handle the bunch sprint (iow, be sensible and safe and save the heroics and/or Tom Boonen impersonations for the pros.....or those more wanting to take a flyer on an ambulance...).

Can you comment on any of the other scenarios as far as when to attack in a race given an all-around type profile? What makes you (or the other long-time racers reading this) think, ok, now (be it 1 minute, 5 minutes........60 minutes from the finish) is the time to go for it?

As Frenchyge observed, it is unlikely to expect the pack will shatter and let you solo away in "Zabriskie" style...and if it does then one should consider themselves quite fortunate. Unless perhaps you are so much stronger than everyone else (somehow I doubt that applies to me) or the rest of the bunch is incredibly disorganized (possible, but hardly something to bet on...).
 
DancenMacabre said:
....Can you comment on any of the other scenarios as far as when to attack in a race given an all-around type profile? What makes you (or the other long-time racers reading this) think, ok, now (be it 1 minute, 5 minutes........60 minutes from the finish) is the time to go for it?...
Well I wish I could offer some formula for success when attacking but every race is different and it's pretty rare that a pre-race plan built around attacking at a certain point (excepting perhaps big terrain features like the obvious make or break climb) actually comes off as planned.

IME, mass start races, even with team mates at the low to mid levels of the sport is a matter of seizing opportunities, ideally opportunities that play to your strengths. So the profiling and your accumulated race experience can help you identify the good vs. mediocre or bad opportunities but it's really hard to pre-plan exactly what you'll do on course.

I've gotten away with small groups too many times to count, but only a handful of those breaks have successfully stayed away to the finish. Of those that worked most were the third, fourth, or maybe seventh serious looking move of the day but for whatever reasons it was the one that succeeded where the others got reeled back in. Several of my best races have happened on days when I had already been in a couple of ill fated moves and then suddenly one goes, it doesn't even feel hard but no one was in the mood to chase us and our gap grew to the point where we could get out of sight and out of mind.

Last summer in the state masters omnium championship road race I'd been in a few good looking early moves and then on the third or fourth time up a fairly minor climb we somehow got a gap, no attack, no big power numbers, nothing intentional just a hundred yards and since we hadn't done anything special we started nailing the flats and nobody seemed motivated to come after us. The officials actually neutralized our break on the following lap so that we didn't run down the Cat 4's during their sprint and we loafed along for nearly fifteen minutes with a full lap remaining but at that point we had nearly six minutes on the field. The point is that I never would have picked that particular foursome in a break, nor that hill to attack, nor expected to get six minutes on the field without absolutely dying but sometimes if you keep going after them they finally stick.

Anyway, I think the best thing to do is try to objectively think about situations you'd like to be in and then ride in ways that might make that happen. IOW, if you think you're good for a full minute effort think about a flyer inside the final km, if you think you can hit the final 200m harder than the folks you're riding with then neutralize everything you can and make sure you're up front at the end. If you think you can do a better 20 minute Threshold effort than those around you then try to get away inside the final 8 miles. If your L4/L5 climbing is good then hit long hills pretty hard or hit the flats leading up to shorter hills hard to try to push folks that are hanging on with AWC over the edge or alternatively hit the hills pretty hard but then kill it over the top and onto the flats where a lot of folks will back off to recover.

I guess the point is to catalog your strengths and weaknesses, know the course for obvious terrain or wind features that you either need to watch out for or can use to your advantage and then look for and jump on opportunities as they present themselves including opportunities you help create. I just don't think you can in general say something like "I'll attack at mile 22" and have it play out like that. You can say you'll attack the short hills or set goals like you'll respond to any attack that involves three or more riders but let the solo attacks dangle or ride the hills near the front ready to dig deeper if gaps start opening up, etc. It's opportunistic riding but hopefully done in such a way that you're looking for your own best opportunities and not letting them slip away because you weren't ready to take advantage of them.

Probably not the answer you were looking for, but it's the best I can come up with as I have yet to execute a pre-race strategy exactly as I'd imagined it yet have ended up in a lot of situations that worked well for me (and of course many that haven't).

Good luck,
-Dave
 
DancenMacabre said:
As Frenchyge observed, it is unlikely to expect the pack will shatter and let you solo away in "Zabriskie" style...

Dave Z is a great rider - but if you're going to take a flyer off the front do it Cancellara style.

One tip I haven't seen thus far - get a great warm up and get to the start line early. Nothing sucks as much as being at the back and thinking 'oh ####, I'm at the back' and then not being able to get your foot in the pedal if you panic a little. Road races in England started at either Warp 10 or something akin to a sunday morning club run after a night on the beers. You never know until the race starts.

3 to 4% - sounds like big ring fun. Great finish for a strong rider who isn't too heavy. Make like Cadel at the worlds last year - big gear, out of the saddle. The speed should be reduced enough that there won't be a massive gain from drafting unless there's a headwind too. The only thing is certain - that finish is going to hurt. Lots. :D

"There are no tactics you can apply systematically. It's always unpredictable." - Bernard Hinault.

Even silly stuff like someone up front having a puncture and people looking around to see whose tire is going 'pssssssssssssst' is an opportunity waiting to happen. Although, it's not too good when you think it's an opportunity and the next thing you know you're riding on the rim... :mad: LOL
 
Indeed, every race is different. You can only be so prepared. Some things you can do before the race:

-Look at the course. Are there any other features that could help things open up aside from that shallow climb? Look for parts where you could get out of sight quickly?

-What's the wind like?
Headwind? Don't attack unless your in a break and are clearly stronger than the other 2 or 3 riders with you. Big break or the peloton? It's gonna be hard.
Tailwind? If you've got that and some decent course features ahead, try an attack.

During the race:
-Watch your competition. If you don't know who the strong people are, look at who's animating the race. They aren't making moves for nothing.

-Cover big moves. Never let a strong rider get away expecting someone else to pull them back. It's much easier to sprint up and jump in their draft right away than to chase them for 45 min. by yourself later on.

-Soloing is HARD. It's really good if you can share some of the work with a few people. If they're not sharing the work, then either attack and break things up or stop working.

-Races are rarely one attack. If I'm told to break away, I just don't ride away. It usually takes 3, 4, or 5 attacks/counterattacks. It's hard enough to just establish a breakaway, much less make it stick.
 
First, what a great post!

Lots of good insight here. However, somehow alot of this doesnt apply to me yet :)

So far there have been a lot of nice views on how to go for the win. But is there also some sort of tactics involved with mere surviving? Its probably because the races in my area still are a good bit above my level, but I keep getting dropped EARLY in the RR`s/crits! (I`m the boring all-rounder the op is talking about - all my levels fall within mid/low cat 3)

Not surprisingly my problem seems to be the hills. I always find the field surges HARD on short climbs of 2-3 minutes, and after a couple of those I`m toast! Last race i did last season was a race of 20 x 6 km laps, with only one climb (about 6 % and 600m long - took 1 min to climb). First lap I had to put out 450 for 1 min. Next lap 400w for the 1 min. Third lap i again put out 450w for the minute, but I was still dropped on this climb, on the third lap :(

Also, I find it challenging to follow the surges on the flats without burning all my matches. I always believed that following the field on the flats should be easy, but I find myself wrong time after time! It should be noted that the fields in my races are pretty small, 20-30 riders. Does the amount of riders make it harder og easier compared to a larger field of say 60-70 riders?

Anyone have any great tactics for surviving? For now, I would be content just finishing with the bunch not even contesting the sprint :)
 
daveryanwyoming said:
-
An awful lot of newer racers try so hard to be cagey at the end of the race they never get clear sight of the finish line, never get a chance to unleash their mythical sprint and roll in for 20th for a bunch of races before getting lucky or learning to pay some dues at the finish. Intentionally leading out the field a few times can earn you better placings and set you up better for more tactical sprinting in the future and 5th beats 30th anyday. I've won a couple of sprints using that technique when I started a moderate leadout around a kilometer out, someone jumped early at say 400 meters and I was able to glue up on their wheel and pass them to the line. You never know, but sitting back in 20th hoping luck shines on you almost never works.

Excellent points. I have a few 20ish place finishes in bunch sprints, and after every one of them, I felt like I could have worked harder and schemed less.
 
Lovegoat said:
Anyone have any great tactics for surviving? For now, I would be content just finishing with the bunch not even contesting the sprint :)

Yeah, stay up the front of the bunch. Sure, you'll probably have to take some pulls on the front but it's easier than playing constant 'elastic band' catchup coming out of the corners if you're near the back.

Also, if you do end up losing a wheel and you're close to the back of the bunch, don't panic. No need for a 1000watt sprint - take 15 seconds rather than 2 to get back on a wheel... Keep looking up the road too. If you're 15 to 20 back then make sure you can see the guys at the front and if you're that far back then be ready to hustle asap.
 
Dave:

The more I consider your response, the more I see that you answered in the only realistic way and that is an open-ended fashion since it was that type of question. No doubt if there was some simple formula or catch-all approach to racing, then it would be far easier and the same people would always win.

I know Dr. Coggan speaks of the nature of racing as being stochastic and your anecdotes about certain breaks sticking (while others did not) suggests that in terms of escaping and tactics, it works much the same way: highly variable and unpredictable. As you yourself said, many of those better moves failed while other inconspicuous ones succeeded. Something about 'even the best laid plans failing...'

The overall gist of your post as I understood is to be highly opportunistic, persistent, and take your chances if and/or when they present themselves.

Bailsibub:

Excellent point about doing some course recon. I plan to as I've never been to/near the race location.

The forecast shows low winds, but that's very general and you could end up with a wind in a certain spot that can be useful.

Without knowing in advance who the heavyweights are, it is going to pay to heed your advice to watch people very closely. Especially those that are doing as you said, animating and making moves or sitting up front for extended periods. I know when I'm at or near my limits how my form gets a bit ragged, pedal stroke changes, posture, etc, and I suspect other people's form similarly breaks down as they dig deeper.

Soloing, at least for anything beyond 15-20 minutes, sounds incredibly difficult, both mentally and physically. I suppose if you are the class of the field it can work but I cannot begin to imagine that this tactic is successful at any level beyond the very lowest racing categories with the exception of the occasional Vuelta stage :cool:. Sounds like you and Dave agree though about being persistent and not expecting a move to magically work the first time.

Swampy:

Definitely I want to not be late to the line and start off 9 rows deep in the pack, so I'll get myself there early. Incredibly enough I've laid off the beer completely in 2010 and even backed off the wine a bit. Being 64kg & 12% BF sure makes such a shallow climb quite possibly big ring fun ;)

Setting a 20m PB today on what was an ordinary 2 x 20 session doesn't hurt either in the confidence department.
 
Bailsibub said:
Indeed, every race is different. You can only be so prepared. Some things you can do before the race:

-Look at the course. Are there any other features that could help things open up aside from that shallow climb? Look for parts where you could get out of sight quickly?

-What's the wind like?
Headwind? Don't attack unless your in a break and are clearly stronger than the other 2 or 3 riders with you. Big break or the peloton? It's gonna be hard.
Tailwind? If you've got that and some decent course features ahead, try an attack.

During the race:
-Watch your competition. If you don't know who the strong people are, look at who's animating the race. They aren't making moves for nothing.

-Cover big moves. Never let a strong rider get away expecting someone else to pull them back. It's much easier to sprint up and jump in their draft right away than to chase them for 45 min. by yourself later on.

-Soloing is HARD. It's really good if you can share some of the work with a few people. If they're not sharing the work, then either attack and break things up or stop working.

-Races are rarely one attack. If I'm told to break away, I just don't ride away. It usually takes 3, 4, or 5 attacks/counterattacks. It's hard enough to just establish a breakaway, much less make it stick.

Good stuff.

Regarding breaks/attacks, I would add:
1) You are either initiating or joining. If you look at the current peloton speed and it is as fast or faster than you can ride alone, don't waste your effort trying to initiate.
2) If you do initiate at some point, and no body joins, you have to then consider whether you've got the power:duration to make it stick, or whether it's better to give that one up, go back to the group and then give it another try at the next opportunity. Do not allow yourself to be dangled in front (unless you know there is some feature coming up that might allow you to get away further (or out of sight out of mind).
3) If there is more than one team with multiple riders, and two or more riders from those different teams attack, you better jump on that, because the remaining teammates are not going to chase - who will be chasing that break?
4) Upcoming corners, twists and bends in the road represent better terrain to attack into than dead straight road.
5) Cross winds are more likely to break up a lower category group (which typically never echelon) than a higher group.

Lastly, I have never regretted an aggressive race approach as much as a passive approach.

Dancen - which race are you talking about, or is it a hypothetical?
 
Not sure if women's races (which I assume DM is talking about in this specific case) are that much different from men's, but my experience is that a few things are:

-- the field has less depth, meaning if you can get away with (or bridge to) a couple other good riders and work hard together for 10-15 min, the field will have a hard time catching you. They will chase for a while, then it will be just 2-3 people chasing who will look around and realise nobody else is helping, and just let you go (now that they have killed themselves too much to bridge over themselves!) This means if you see someone getting a gap and that person is strong, then get over there, encourage her to keep it going and work together.

-- we tend to have a flatter power curve, so any jump to get away needs to be that much more decisive and tactical (diving down to an inside corner, gunning it over a slight downhill as a poster mentioned above, etc.).

-- if you have good 5-min power, an attack with a few kms to go might just work if the field doesn't know that. They will assume that you, like 90% of people who attack with 2km to go, will blow up and come back. So you have a shot at staying away just because they won't chase so hard right away. This probably only works once though, then you'll never be able to pull that trick again. ;)

Otherwise, I would watch for when things start to slow a bit about 10-15 min before the finish, once everyone knows it'll be a bunch sprint of sorts (often after what people think the last break has been caught), they gulp their last bit of gatorade and settle in, careful not to work too hard just yet. Pick that time to move up (if you haven't already) and watch wheels, then initiate yourself and hope to get one or two to come with you, people like you who have been waiting for their chance to get away. At worst, if it comes back together you will have burned off a few people not paying attention at the back, at best you'll be away with a few people hopefully to the line -- and if you're a half-decent climber, all the better.

Do report back on how the race went, as this is the kind of thing I want to accomplish this year as well! It's one thing to say "do this and this and this" and entirely another thing to make it work in practise as I've found...:rolleyes:
 
Steve:

Good point taken about technical areas being good places to attack since they disrupt the flow of the pack and favor the escapee I bet. Registration is still open till tonight but so far it looks like 2 teams or so will make up 1/3 to 1/2 the field. This makes me think your (as well as Frenchy's) point about watching attacks from those teams will be extra important. Correct me if I am wrong here but I expect given those numbers, that those two teams will have the luxury of several riders being able to attack at once (or individually in turns) but then have the remaining members of their team sit in the pack and slow things down and/or not chase. Assuming of course that the teams in question are organized and don't engage in some of the oft seen lower category bad tactics like chasing down their own teammates in breaks. It is a real race although not in the Bay Area. I may be doing the Berkeley hills race in a few months there though. Also, I asked it hypothetically for races without obvious features where you know in advance that attacks will come (e.g, a 2 mile 10% climb shortly before the finish).

Smaryka

Good to hear from you :) Thanks for adding your thoughts. I know that while the basics are similar to men's races, that there are some nuances to women's events. It will be as you suggest, a smaller field. The mens 5 race will have 100 competitors, so that's 3x as many as our field will have and it makes for different dynamics. I don't know if that means the pack will be less willing to cooperate or if the teams will actually behave like a team. Perhaps they would not chase for long or have a hard time getting others to help out. If that's the case then it probably favors exactly the kind of attack you are talking about. You've done men's races as well if I recall one of your posts, so believe you speak from experience in comparing the two races and how a women's pack responds to attacks vs. that in a men's competition.

Having an all-around type profile means I could say I have good or mediocre 5 minute power, all depends on how you look at it! None of the columns really stand out and are fairly well distributed from 5s-60min. Though I don't know if that type of profile is indicative of your typical category 4 woman racer.

Since you asked, and for anyone else who wants to know, I'll share a race summary after the event. ;)
 
Yea I am definitely copy/pasting and saving this whole thread into my Microsoft Word. :)

I will be aiming for my first 'newbie' races this year, weather they'll be crits, centuries, or local stage races (that I haven't found much of yet), this is great stuff from all of you, and will help tremendously. {Nice one DM!}

Thanks,
-Greg
 
DancenMacabre said:
Smaryka

Good to hear from you :) Thanks for adding your thoughts. I know that while the basics are similar to men's races, that there are some nuances to women's events. It will be as you suggest, a smaller field.

What I meant by less depth of field is not just fewer riders overall but fewer good riders, i.e., people who are capable of chasing down a strong break of 2-3. There will seriously only be another handful of strong enough riders left in the bunch and they will be dragging everyone else along to catch you til they realise they are the only ones working (if your W4 races are anything like women's 2/3/4 in the UK). So if you do get away, just put your head down and work together for a bit. If it doesn't come back together within 10 min, my guess is the gap will balloon out and you will be away for good. If the course is such that a few hundred yards puts you out of sight from the bunch, all the more likely.

Also, unless the women's teams in your neck of the woods are particularly well-coached/organised, I wouldn't expect them to behave overly team-like. It's a lot harder than it looks to actually gather more than 2-3 riders at the front to chase attacks, lead out sprints, etc. Again, the depth of field thing comes into play -- a team with 8-10 riders is probably not going to have more than 2-3 ones capable of doing real work when the heat is turned up? All the more reason to do a bit of research and find out who those strong riders are so if/when they jump to get away, you can join them.

Only one way to find out whether your 5-min power is good or mediocre! But I can say I've surprised myself with what I was capable of in races compared to how I tested (I'm a classic poorly-motivated tester myself... :D )
 
Call it an ominous start: the weather forecast was calling for high winds and lots of rain. In fact the race organizers apparently gave some consideration to pushing back the start. Given the elements, my mood was somber and I half-heartedly warmed up about 45 minutes before the schedule start for my race. Truthfully I spun for about 5-10 minutes before going back into a 'tent' the promoter had put up. I seriously thought about not even doing the race. Call me a fair weather queen :)

Somehow I convinced myself to go through with the race. The minutes passed and our group made its way to the line. While training and riding solo, it was easy to imagine doing well. Now surrounded by a group of 35 other women (including 2 big teams with 6-8 riders each), all of them looking strong, riding high-end bikes, left me and my frumpy used bike feeling a bit intimidated. The daydreams of easy wins and high placings were replaced with: I hope I finish & don't get dropped!

The official began talking to us, going over the basics. I barely heard what was said, lost in my own thoughts. I kept saying – it is just a bike ride, just a bike ride. I've done a bike ride before, so this is no big deal. Right? Um....And then we were off. I'd never ridden in such a big group (35+). The bunch took up the entire lane and was about 3-4 riders wide, maybe 10-12 rows deep. A light rain fell and the wind was blowing strongly – though it was a cross wind.

Just as I was settling in after the first mile or two, there were some attacks. They were chased down quickly & never got more than 10 meters on the pack. I was surprised at such tactics but figured everyone goes in with a different plan. We rolled down the road for a good 45 more minutes. The pace alternated from easy, moderate riding to quick responses to attacks on the short hills of the course. Those latter moves were always initiated by individual riders (either those w/o a team or those that were the sole members of their team in the race) but the two big teams made sure to chase down the attacks rapidly.

At this point it did start to feel like a leisurely group ride. We'd passed the roundabout and things were still very relaxed. I kept towards the middle of the pack, near the yellow paint, with mixed success. Yes I kept my position but the crosswinds made it hard to be totally sheltered and I began to look for another spot in the peloton with more cover. I couldn't get over towards the right directly with a few riders next to me, but saw some space to their right. So I drifted back a bit with the idea to find a hole and then accelerate up into the opening I'd picked out earlier.

As I drifted to the back ¼ of the pack, then it happened. Suddenly there was carnage right in front of me with a rider going down, probably from overlapping wheels or hooking the bars. Being on the right side now, I swerved and only just avoided her, but ended up in a grassy dip on the side of the road. I almost fell but saved myself by un-clipping at the last instant. I looked up and saw the woman was OK but the pack was now moving away rapidly as an attack was launched. It flashed right before me, the thought that my race was over at that very moment.

I clipped back in and began chasing....very hard. It felt like a definite match and the wko file confirms it given the effort was over 120% of FT for 75-80 seconds. The pack hadn't shattered yet but was beginning to get strung out. I barely caught the tail end of the bunch on what was a false flat in the midst of a short but steepish section of the course. Gasping for air for a few seconds I glanced up and could see that another big attack was happening. I recognized three distinct jersey's, all 3 from the 2 biggest teams, beginning to get a big gap and working together to make their escape stick. Some of the riders in the bunch were clearly too tired to chase and began falling back. Meanwhile some others tried to chase and I decided to latch on behind one of them that had looked quite strong earlier. The many teammates of the escapees then begin jumping on the wheels of those of us who were trying to chase.

The gap was too big and the 3 attackers seemed to have successfully ditched us. I had more in the tank but the other chasers, including the one in front of me who I had thought was quite strong, apparently gave up. I weighed my options quickly: common sense suggested that a chasing 3 riders on a day with bad crosswinds and some rain, while going solo was crazy, at best. Then again, the thought of a slow funeral like procession to the finish with a good 10-12 teammates of the escapees seemed even less appealing.

I made my decision right then and there. As soon as the pace slowed when the other chasers put up the white flag and the teams caught up, during that momentarily lull, I launched a counterattack. I looked back and saw an angry looking bunch of identical jersey's furiously chasing. I wasn't at my limit, though close, and so I put my head down and kept going. Glancing back, heaving for breath, after about 30 seconds I'd opened up a good sized gap.

Clicking into the big ring, I got myself into the mindset of a hard training ride and would think of it as a 15 mile solo TT. The wind was nasty though and my shades were dotted with raindrops, so I focused on trying to keep ahead of the pack and forgot about the leaders, since I couldn't see them anyway. The miles started to fall away and I began passing stragglers from the other race groups. I'd glance back every few minutes, terrified that the pack would suddenly be behind me, but they nowhere in sight. I was in a sort of no-man's land. I kept pushing myself to go harder and harder and stay in a good rhythm. It was more mentally challenging than anything else when you can't see who you are chasing as well as who is chasing you....all you see is road and the faces of cracked riders from other cat's. It is a bit grim actually...

Then about 3 miles from the finish I unexpectedly caught sight of 2 familiar looking jersey's. Apparently two of the three leaders had fallen back or been dropped by their initial breakaway companion. Suddenly there was someone/something tangible to chase. Turning over the gear, I started to close in and realized they were going to be caught. They looked back and saw me when I was about 100 meters back. It didn't seem like their pace increased so I got up to them fairly quickly. One of them was cracking though and she started to go backwards. That left only two of us with about a mile to go.

I knew we'd play a bit of cat-and-mouse from here on out. The other rider launched an attack not longer after I caught up. Probably she figured I'd used up a lot of energy in the chase and that I'd have little left. There was a lot of truth in that but I was able to stay on her wheel and she failed to get away. The pace slowed again. Then I saw the finish line maybe 300-400 meters away and thought, ok we are going to sprint for it. She was up front and I just sat on her wheel. With about 200 meters to go, she launched but I was well prepared and was in her draft readily. At about the 75-100 meter mark I let fly as hard as I could and passed her to take the sprint by about 7-8 bike lengths.

The power file turns out to not be particularly impressive - no PB's or huge numbers, I've done better on most training days. Although I did get a nice 60 minutes @ L4 during my flyer. IF for 2-1/2 hours was in the high L3/low L4 which sounds about right. I was hella pleased with the effort. A few hours earlier I had debated not even racing, then would have been happy just to finish, and now there I was with a nice second-place finish.