The race roles we play
I'm hoping to infuse some organization and enthusiasm into our team this year. I'm distributing a flier asking for a list of personal priority races for the year as well as personal goals. Some guys will take this well whereas others may not. In any case, I've also asked each guy to identfy races that he wants to win and others where he can play domestique for the day. Toward that end, I intend to include a list of responsibilities associated with each role. Here's what I have so far. I'm looking for more info to fill out these descriptions. Please feel free to add to either list.
The role of team leader for the day;
1. Survey the course and/or understand where the best points to attack are.
2. Stay toward the front.
3. Identify the big race threats and be vigilant for breaks involving them.
4. Attack when the time is right, or
5. position yourself for the sprint finish
6. Conserve energy
7. more ...
The role of domestique for the day;
1. Protect the race leader by providing a draft (help him conserve energy)
2. Slow the pace of the peloton if our man is in the break (various techniques)
3. Lead out our man for primes if possible and for the final sprint. Pull off to the left by default, but be aware that it is illegal to change course within 200 yards of the finish line.
4. Watch for mechanicals or crashes that take out our leader (help him to reconnect with the peloton).
5. Chase down breaks when appropriate (need to elaborate)
Mark