cmyke

Being a CAT5er myself, I feel like I've witnessed quite a few different attack styles already:

1) Time Trial. He slowly solos off the front at 20-30 watts higher higher than the field. Next thing you know, it's the last lap and he has a 45 second gap.

2) Strong jump. A 5-second long attack that is almost immediately shut down by the field.

3) Strong VO2 system. Attacks strong for 30 seconds, then runs out of steam. Gets caught by the field. Repeat x 10.

4) Good cornering skill. He goes to the front right before the super technical section of a criterium, and coasts through the turns faster than the field. A natural gap forms behind him.

5) Good all-out sprint. Sitting in the top ten for most of the race, then busts out a monster sprint at the last corner, developing a massive gap on the field.

As I cat up, I have a feeling instances #4 will become more scarce, as everyone's cornering skill will be pretty solid. Is that a good assumption?

wens

You mean a sprinter?

mobike_moexcite

I have seen at least one example of each of these but I have been in numbers 4 and 5.

fly:yes/land:no

one time i was in a really fast group ride. we were waiting at a stop sign for the field to regroup. as soon as we were all together (i was the last person to make it to the stop sign), i attacked through the sign! i barely slowed down, and totally blew by everybody. i was so fast that day. i stayed away by myself for at least 5 minutes.

cmyke

Yes, that would be the technical name for it. I was trying to have fun with the name since sprinters need to stay in the pack as long as possible.

cmyke

Good one, dude! Way to read the field. Tried that move once and got run over by a car. After I got out of the hospital, I explained to the driver that I was launching an attack, and that he should have yielded. He concurred.

umd

As you cat up you may find that not all attacks are intended to stay away. There are tactical reasons to attack, for example, to set up a counter-attack.

botto 

looks like it's time to create a cat 5 sticky thread.

Sixty Fiver

You forgot the Coppi maneuver... this is where you pull away and never get caught.

gsteinb

Pack fodder never see the top ten. They are middle of the pack guys who never do anything.

Any way to get the fours and fives to stop writing in absolutes and explaining cycling?

botto 

this?

gsteinb

I doubt it, but it would be a good try. There's some pretty good collective wisdom here but it often gets lost below the surface. I guess the tour is starting so the armchair DS in most guys will come out and occupy a lot of that board energy.

swimmer88

That's not really an attacking style. It's more of a...proven winning strategy.

timster

6) The prime attack. Tag along on the wheel of someone going for a prime. Let them do the work of getting away from the field. After they win the prime, they will probably drop back. That's when you attack.

MDcatV

^get yo ass upgraded

timster

I would love to, but I don't think my resume is quite strong enough yet?

cmyke

Wow, you guys are unbelievable. Look at the title of the thread. It's a question. I'm not trying to explain cycling. I'm interested in learning about what attacks you experienced riders have seen and kicked things off with listing out ones I've witnessed.

What CAT do I need to be before I have your permission to post a racing-related thread in a racing-related forum, sir?

MDcatV

you're winning every week down at greenbelt, no?

cmyke

If you launch off the front with 250m to go and nobody can answer, it can be qualified as a style of attack

timster

3 in a row now. Didn't think Greenbelt counted for much though.

MDcatV

that's awesome. they count for something when they're Ws.

cmyke

Wow, nice! I'm sure the upgrade coordinator would give that some weight!

gsteinb

It's really more of a general comment than specifically related to you.

Posting a race related thread is fine. It's the answers and advice that gets bandied about the forum that are dripping in absolutes, lacking doubt, and with little humility by guys who haven't really raced very much that I refer to.

As mentioned you're a five and a lot of what you write about is mislabeled, or silly, and are apt to change forms if you should race in higher categories.

Ice skater? If he can get through the turn five miles faster than everyone else they're going too slow. Pity they can't handle their bikes.

Bob Dopolina 

I wouldn't dismiss the 'ice skater' comment out of hand (although I'd like a different term for it).

This is one of my favourite attacking styles.

I always look for technical sections on a course where a field may naturally slow but a single rider or small group can hold more speed. These are good points on a course to note and I use them whenever I can.

As an example:

I did a race in April that had a 4km climb 20km into the race. This thing always gives me fits.

I got gaped out of the front bunch and chased back close on the descent and up to the second 2km climb that followed but couldn't hold it there. A small group formed and I watched them slowly reel in the front group. I knew that there was a small town with a few sharp bends in it coming up and were were only a few hundred meters from the back of the race caravan.

I moved to the front, jumped as the caravan slowed to negotiate the town and was in the caravan before we were out of the town. I worked through the caravan and jumped to the back of the bunch along with 2 other riders who had the same idea.

I finished 8th on the day instead of OTB because I used the course to my advantage.

I will also look for rough pavement, dirt, gravel or some chewed up road and occasionally will attack through there if it fits my plan.

This is how I read the 'ice skater' kind of attack.

gsteinb

The problem is the thread title doesn't mesh with the intent and tone of the examples. Ice Skater is used in a derogatory manner, not really as using a strength to succeed.