recneps

I know youve got them, be it kissing an egg you keep in your cycling shorts at the start line, or not showering for 3 days before the race, or a specific breakfest you must eat.

Ill start, before every race If im leaving from my town, 3 eggs 6 piexes of bacon 2 pieces of toast and an OJ.

Anyone else?

Snuffleupagus

The bike and I have a nice long bonding session. Cleaning, lubing, inspecting etc.

patentcad

My races are often early in the AM. Accordingly, a healthy bowel movement is not only a must, but often the biggest impediment to making it to the starting line in a timely fashion. Ritual Shimtual. As long as I clear that requisite dump, everything else will work out. Unfortunately the percolation schedule of Mother Nature is beyond the control of the pathetic Pcad.

Everything else is utter static.

YMCA

Hot cream and/or oil on the legs even if it's 95 degrees. A hold out from my kermesse days.

bigskymacadam

i'm more about the post-race rituals ... pre-race has been a nightmare for me.

ed073

Embrocation and pot Belge.

EdZ

Yo, Sanka, lemme kiss yo' egg, man

Stallionforce

Several hookers, champagne, cocaine...the usual, you know.

recneps

Thats what I was thinking. I saw a guy cross himself on the run-in to a field sprint once, that counts as a ritual i guess.

EdZ

Hahaha wow, I think I would bust out laughing and forget to sprint if I saw that.

ed073

I had a sprint ritual...waving to the 10 blokes in front of me as they disappear up the road.

recneps

Not if you saw the three crashes earlier in the race that all took place above 30mph and whittled down the pack from 60ish to 35, I was really nervous about sprinting with those guys.

Snuffleupagus

I think that's one of those races where you hope your VO2 is in order, and go at 2-3 miles out...

dan.lavelle

i'm convinced that if i don't listen to "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol before I race that it just isn't worth showing up for.

Duke of Kent

^^^ At a Kilo to go, I'm revving it up and hoping that God loves me more than usual that day.

bassplayinbiker

I eat oatmeal.

I also cant start a race with out my "magic" sunglasses.

grebletie

Coffee. Black. And lots of it. Of course, that is also my everyday ritual, but it is essential on race day. Oatmeal or cereal for breakfast. Nothing unfamiliar, though since race day usually starts at a motel's continental breakfast, beggars can't always be choosers.

And then of course, waste a bunch of time and rush the warm up, arriving at the start line with 30 seconds to spare.

patentcad

Where can I get "magic" sunglasses? Performance?

recneps

Most races Ive been in in run-in was 28mph or higher, my V02 isnt bad but I cant hold 30+ for a kilo. Can you guys?

Duke of Kent

On the flat, no wind...30-31ish for a little over a minute.

Not at this point in the year though. Haven't started doing the shorter intervals just yet.

Snuffleupagus

I'm not too strong in the 1 minuteish area. Thats why I said VO2 (3-8 minutes), races are sometimes a little slower about 3 miles out, and if you're fresh you can get out of sight before the field figures out whats up, and you can get away clean.

I've had bad experiences trying to do kilo finishes. I usually peter out about 300m from the line, and watch first turn into 23rd

Duke of Kent

The last time I did that, a couple of guys bridged across, then a couple more, and soon I was towing like 10 guys. We broke away though, and I kept on trucking. Most of them came around me with about 500m to go, but then died in the wind, and I kept on moving at the same speed and ended up taking third. It was a frustrating yet satisfying experience; I got robbed in a way (but, that's what I get for not jumping hard enough, eh?) but it was nice to see that sort of thing work out moderately well.

The only problem with doing this, for me, is the yellow line rule. I want to jump to the far side of the road and not give anyone any hope of a draft when I start my move.

LowCel 

How many races have you done again?

LowCel 

My pre-race ritual usually involves eating oatmeal before I leave the house, getting in a car for two to four hours to drive to the race, stopping a few times to use the restroom, eating three scrambled eggs 1.5 hours before the start, eating half a powerbar 30 minutes before the start. Oh, and using the bathroom as close to the start as I can.

Having IBS sucks!

DrPete 

Your group rides are NOT races. Had you ever participated in a race you would know this.