Road Bike Racing - Tactics

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flyefisher
04-17-04, 03:34 PM
I recently upgraded to cat 4 and therefore did my first masters race today. I was now with most of my team. I have learned a couple of tactics, but in general this is a new thing to me. When to block, when not to block. Who to help, who not to help. I'm not talking about how to draft and how to train - I mean more specifically, tactics. Is there any decent literature out there about this?

pinky
04-17-04, 04:43 PM
Fisher, google search "Bike racing tactics" theres quite a few books out, and stop by the RoadBikeRider.com site they've got a few more
NZLcyclist
04-18-04, 03:55 AM
Also, just try and race as often as possible.

roadwarrior
04-19-04, 04:48 AM
Try "Bike Racing 101" by Kendra and Rene' Wenzel
Also "Serious Cycling" by the last Dr. Edmund R. Burke...this book has a lot of information, not only on racing, but training, bike setup, nutrition, planning your racign season, warming up before a race...lots of good info that you really only got via word of mouth if somebody liked you and would help you along.
Smoothie104
04-22-04, 09:08 AM
Ask your teamates what they need from you. Even if there is no real strategy, you can be of tremendous help by letting a small gap open in front of you which they can slip into. This is vital to keeping your guys near the front. Those without teamates sometimes find a long, long line to the back to finally get a draft. If your fast finishers are boxed in the group with a few laps to go, pick the pace up enough to stretch it out a bit, and they will have room to move up. If you have no teamates in the break, feel free to help the chase, If you have somone in the break, sit in and maybe counter when they are caught.


My first race in 7 years was last weekend.
We had 6 guy in the jax classic crit last weekend. We rode well as a team, sending a rabbit up the road would stretch everything out and allow us to move up in the last couple of laps. We shut down all the breaks, and had a guy in 3rd going into the last corner, but he only managed 5th.

Here are some photos of the Team in the 3's and 4 races.
roadbuzz
04-27-04, 09:39 AM
You've probably already seen this, but just in case:
http://www.velonews.com/tech/research/articles/5963.0.html