Road Bike Racing - Not-contesting the sprint

How far out from the line can you sit up and still claim that you are not-contesting the sprint (as opposed to being dropped)? This is assuming that you have enough energy to hang but poor positioning.

What difference does it make. If you finish 45th, you finish 45th.

Only circumstances I can think it matters would be in a stage race, whether you remain in contact and get same time as the pack.

And whether for a 4-3 uppgrade it counts as a pack finish.

Otherwise who cares what you tell yourself? But be careful with the coulda woulda shoulda, its a slippery slope.

I think you'd probably need to demonstrate the ability to win some sprints before people are going to believe you just weren't contesting them. Of course, if you do a monster lead-out for a teammate, it would be pretty obvious that you sat up too.

"What difference does it make?" is a good question too though.

I think you'd probably need to demonstrate the ability to win some sprints before people are going to believe you just weren't contesting them. Of course, if you do a monster lead-out for a teammate, it would be pretty obvious that you sat up too.

"What difference does it make?" is a good question too though.

My team manager didn't complain when she saw me blown and fading out the back with a lap to go Sunday. When I rolled in the next time around, she told us nice job over the radio and leaned out to give me a high five.

Swamping another team's leadout train will always be an acceptable reason for not contesting a sprint.

If you don't place in the podium spots, claim you weren't contesting :D

How far out from the line can you sit up and still claim that you are not-contesting the sprint (as opposed to being dropped)? This is assuming that you have enough energy to hang but poor positioning.

Do you mean how far from the line can you sit up w/o getting in someones way?

Do you mean how far from the line can you sit up w/o getting in someones way?
If that's the case, anyone who doesn't plan on contending for the win by 500m to go should be way off to one side or should not have been in the front 20 to begin with. My opinion. If you think you're going to contend and then run out of gas, slowly and steadily drift to the nearest side to stay out of the way, but it shouldn't really matter by then.

i dont know how but i always find a way to squeeze out an extra couple hundred watts for the sprint even when im feeling like hell. if theres someone you can get ahead of, id contest it. if theres nobody you can beat with your hardest effort, then you can sit up (as you wouldnt be hazard to those behind you because you should have beat them if they run into you)

How far out from the line can I sit up and still claim that I am not a wussy?

Fixed.

Bob