Video: How to become a better sprinter; crucial for Irish races

Video: How to become a better sprinter; crucial for Irish races

Most races in Ireland are won in a bunch sprint or a sprint from a breakaway or select group. By tweaking your sprint you can win a lot of prizes and take victories (Photo: Dave Coleman – Dc Images)

 

You can train all you like, and read more training manuals and books than you can shake a stick at but know one thing; working on your sprint can be your biggest area of improvement.

In Ireland, where races are shorter and usually without any really big climbs; if you don’t get to the finish in a bunch sprint situation you’ll be sprinting against others in a smaller group.

Races in Ireland – especially in the lower categories – are very rarely won by riders on their own.

So it stands to reason that you can make the most gains – either to win races or to get into the prizes more often – by improving your sprint.

You may not win the biggest races. But you will definitely win prizes more often and covert even half chances into prizes or wins.

If you are not naturally fast, you’re not going to turn yourself into the best sprinter in the country.

But by thinking about how your sprint and especially about your positioning – both on the bike and in the bunch; as well as your timing, you can improve your finishing kick immensely.

In the clip below, Mark Cavendish gives Dan Lloyd of Global Cycling Network a crash course in how to be a better sprinter.

One thing he doesn’t mention is using every opportunity you can to practice. That means sprinting for very minor placings, or even simply for bragging rights, at the end of races.

Don’t worry if others mock you. If you’re trying to improve as a rider, you need to embrace every race situation you can get your hands on to improve your timing and positioning.

And that means sprinting at the end of races even if the prizes have been mopped up by the many riders ahead of your group.

Obviously make sure the road ahead to the finish line is clear of spectators, traffic and those who have already finished.

And getting better at galloping also means sprinting as competitively as you can in club races.

Some of the areas covered in the clip below include:

  • Judge the distance; don’t go too early.
  • Know how long you can hold your high sprint wattage rather than focus on achieving your maximum wattage; which will only last for a moment.
  • Choose the right gear; you need to pick a gear you can get on top of and accelerate on rather than be battling against.
  • You don’t want to change gear when the sprint has started.
  • Don’t wind up your sprint; pick your time and just go, no pacing.
  • Bring the bike to your feet – use your arms to roll your bike to suit your feet rotation (you’ll need to watch Cavendish demonstrate this point in the clip below).
  • Keep as low as you can on the bike, it’s more aerodynamic and therefore faster.

 

Cav’s tips for sprinting