"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Your Best Strategy?

Does anyone here have a memorable race strategy that really paid off that they'd be willing to share? I've got some of my own that I haven't been able to try yet, but I'd love to have a place where everyone can share a page from their playbooks.

In my past, I sat in the top 10, but out of the top 5, and camped. Wait til 75m, and go on my own...

Recently, I timed and initiated a 2 man break (plus a bridger) that was successful -- went on the last hill on the last lap, planed with break partner 7 days before the race. We attacked from the very back so it didn't take much of an acceleration to create huge speed differential by the time we hit the front.

similar story,
I have a habit of increasing crit pace for the first 10-15 minutes then hanging around 10th to recover and cover serious breaks. I missed one and ended up bridging the whole group to the break with 2 to go as the pace quickened I lingered/recovered and when the lead out happened I was in prime position for the sprint. I haven't had a win so take it for what it's worth but I have a decent spring and have taken a couple of 2nd place finishes this year.

WR are you racing the state RR at Copperas Cove? I'll be there.

similar story,
I have a habit of increasing crit pace for the first 10-15 minutes then hanging around 10th to recover and cover serious breaks. I missed one and ended up bridging the whole group to the break with 2 to go as the pace quickened I lingered/recovered and when the lead out happened I was in prime position for the sprint. I haven't had a win so take it for what it's worth but I have a decent spring and have taken a couple of 2nd place finishes this year.

WR are you racing the state RR at Copperas Cove? I'll be there.

No, I'm not racing much on weekends -- to much other stuff to do. I think I'll do the Downtown Crit, and I'm planning on the State TTT and Tour de Gruene, but other than that, mostly the crits and Tuesday Nighter.

During a 9 lap points race with 3 sprints at the track (for those that don't know, a points race involves sprints where the top 4 riders in each sprint get 5,3,2,1 points respectively, the person with the most points at the end of the race wins) my 3 of my friends and used a strategy that worked almost perfectly:

We didn't contest the first sprint, and instead just hung in the pack. As soon as the sprint was over, everyone who sprinted started to slow down and the four of us jumped. One other rider caught us so we had a 5 person break, with 4 of us working together (rotating every 200m). We held the break for the rest of the race, although I ended up getting no points at all (the 4 of us had agreed that it was more important to maintain the paceline to keep the break than fight against each other for the points, and by bad luck I ended up at the back of the paceline for each sprint. The guy that caught us sprinted for the points, leaving me in the 5th position).

So far, I can say that my strategy of "get dropped on the first climb" does not work. However, it seems to be written in very stubborn ink in my playbook :(

Have you looked at Thomas Prehn's Racing Tactics for Cyclists?

attack after the prime.

attack after the prime.

^^^ What he said.

Basically sprint up the back of them, aka "taking a run at them" (LA did this when he passed Ullrich in the opening TT in 2005) and then as they're dying after the prime and blocking the road, you have a free pass for 15 seconds to make or break your move. By "taking a run" up the back of them you get yourself some free draft and a good high speed with relatively low costs to yourself, with regards to the effort needed.


Other than that: Attack. Hard. Hold until you die or it becomes readily apparent that the field is holding you to 50-100m up the road. If that is the case, return to the pack as quickly and smoothly as possible, and open up your book of matches again as soon as you can.

I guess this would belong in track, but in a 3 up Sprint for the District Championships (semi-final) I was designated to lead out. I have always had a nice long sprint but not a good top speed, so I waited until the 2 others looked at each other and took off before they could even react! It made for a 400m sprint, but I had taken them by surprise and had such a great jump that they never caught up.

Sit in for the first 50 miles then do work the last 5 to get up front, then get pushy in the sprint and win.

Attack when the rain starts.

Slap guys saddle with two fingers really hard (makes them think they broke a spoke) and attack.

Slap guys saddle with two fingers really hard (makes them think they broke a spoke) and attack.
It doesn't work with three fingers?

It doesn't work with three fingers?

never tried. I should insert a joke here but I'm not going to.

It doesn't work with three fingers?

Not without chamois creme.

Not without chamois creme.

thanks for doing what I made myself refrain from.

never tried. I should insert a joke here but I'm not going to.

insert, heh heh.. three fingers... heh heh...

Win.

Take the leadout in the final sprint and then pull a 'Poonen', that might throw them right off track so to speak.:)

Ride faster than everyone else.