So you want to win a race? Well, the great news is you don't need to be strongest. You don't even need to be almost the strongest. You need to be smart, calm and sometimes brave.
With the racing season just a few weeks away, Paddy Doran of Peak Endurance Coaching talks us through how riders - even those who are not the strongest - can get clear in a breakaway and win a race.
But even if you haven’t reached the racing stage in your cycling development, this piece should prove useful.
Because the early season domestic races are short, it’s hard to drop people as happens in the longer elite A1 and A2 events a little later in the year.
In those races, weaker riders become fatigued from the increased distance and speed and the stronger ones can take advantage of that to split the race.
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But in the early season - with the shorter races and handicapped events common - or in the A3 and A4 categories for the full season; being race smart is just as important as being among the very strongest.
In fact, smart riders who might not be the most physically talented are often far more successful than those with the biggest engines but who think ability alone will carry them to victory.
What will make the difference in a lot of races is tactical awareness and good planning of strategy and tactics.
Tactics consist of three main possibilities
- Attack: The strongest riders should mostly take this option and aim to get to the finish in as small a group as possible.
- Defend: This way of racing is for the not-so-strong riders or for sprinters who want to get to the finish in the lead group, while conserving as much energy as possible for the race-deciding sprint.
- Wait and see: For riders who are unsure of their own, or other competitors’, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. This will change to attack or defend as the athlete riders more events and becomes more experienced.
1 About attacking
The first thing that you must accept is that attacking is going to hurt you as well as the riders who might be chasing.
This is particularly so in the first few kilometres when trying to open a gap on the bunch means that the breakaway group must maintain a faster pace than the chasers until the chasers either crack and ease off or catch the breakaway.
2 How to attack
Successful attacks usually begin from a number of places back from the front of the bunch. This creates an element of surprise and the rider is moving very fast by the time he is exiting the front of the bunch and gets a gap quickly.
3 Persistence
The attack must be persisted with. I always differentiate between the rider who really attacks and never eases off until caught and the rider who sprints away and then starts to say a prayer that they will be caught because they are suffering.
So when you go; you really go. And keep going until caught or open the gap.
4 Team up with other strong riders
Before the race or during it, communicate with other strong aggressive riders to plan some good attacks together.
This will be based on trust, so honesty and fairness is required when dealing with each other on how a finish will be fought out if the breakaway is successful
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5 The best time to attack
- Counter-attack just as other breakaways are caught by the bunch.
- Attack on hills of sidewinds, tailwinds, the final kilometre.
- Attack in the last few kilometres if there is a tailwind and the bunch stall. This is also a good tactic if in a small group that contains a few sprinters who are faster than you.
6 Organise a breakaway group quickly
Get organised quickly if you get clear with a gap on the bunch. Get a fast rhythm going with the stronger riders doing longer turns if required in the early stages.
Keep the speed constant; the worse things to do is to go through to take your place at the front too quickly and open gaps in the group.
If you are feeling strong, just do longer turns on the front. By sprinting through too enthusiastically you will simply destroy the unity of the group, slowing it down and causing other riders to miss their turn at the front because you are going too hard for them.
7 Riders not contributing to the breakaway?
If there are some riders not contributing to the breakaway in the early stages of the attempt they should be ignored by the stronger riders, and encouraged to work when they are able to.
Often riders who are sitting on in the early stages of breaks are just about hanging on to the group at that stage rather than deliberately holding back.
Most riders will contribute when they have recovered or when the speed of the breakaway group steadies down.
However, if a winning gap is opened, then they should work or at least have the decency not to sprint at the finish
8 Defending
The best thing I have read on this tactic was found in a French training manual which stated: “It’s always easier to close a 100 metre gap than a two minute gap”.
So maintain vigilance and stay in contact with the front part of the group at all times.
9 The sprint
- Before the race begins, identify and be aware of the run in to the finishing line; at least the final kilometre.
- Uphill finish: leave your final sprint as late as possible.
- Headwind finish: Get shelter as long as possible before your final sprint.
- Tailwind finish. It’s possible to lead this out and hold on to the line.
- Side-wind finish: Sprint on the sheltered side of the road and pass riders on the side where their bodies are offering you shelter, rather than out in the breeze.
10 Surprise attack before finish
In order to win a race in the sprint you will need to be the fastest or get your timing and positioning better than everyone else. Very often you'll need to get all three of those factors right.
So don't be afraid to take your life - or at least you chances of winning - in your hands and go for a brave last minute attack just before the sprint starts or earlier inside the last few kilometres.
Very often if riders really want to win they'll cover a lot of attacking; so wait until the perfect moment when you think your companions are gasping and have a good go.
If you get your timing right and/or those with you stall; an insurmountable gap can open in no time.
So be brave; don't be afraid to give it a go especially if you think some of the other riders you're with are faster in the sprint. Think how you'll feel if you actually win!
11 To Improve
Study tactics and practise tactical moves during training sessions and races. Train with experienced riders. Listen to Sean Kelly and other ex professional riders speaking about tactics on television coverage of the big races.
