"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - How do you deal with a wheel sucker?

I had a race yesterday where our category consisted of about 12 racers.

Myself and another were notably stronger than the rest. During the first 1/3rd of the race, the pack stayed together and it became very apparent that there was an individual who refused to pull his weight with leading the pack. As soon as he ended up at the front of the pace line, he'd pull off after only 3 or 4 half-a$$ed pedal strokes. Everyone was noticing this and there was a lot of head shaking in the group.

About half way thru, myself and the other stronger guy attacked off the front and we dropped the rest of the group. Of course, Mr. Wheelsucker tagged along. He was behind me in a pace line sequence. Every time I pulled off the front, he'd stay on my wheel, despite me sitting up, grabbing a bottle. And the odd time he would choose to pull, a quick 5 sec half-a$$ed pace is all he had to offer.

We tried to drop him on a few occasions, but just couldn't pull it off.

We ended up sprinting for the finish where I took the victory....but it was obvious this guy was just riding the draft to save himself for a possible sprint.

How do you deal with a guy like this? It was soooo frustrating.

You already did a couple things. He was playing off the fact that you wouldn't let the other guy go up the road alone. To lose him, you have to be willing to let somebody else win. This is where teammates come in real handy.

Here's some suggestions:

When alone with you & the other guy, trade attacks. Make him cover them.
Gap him off the back of the line (he was following your wheel?). Slow down, make him come around.
Give up on any breakaway with him in it. Sit up, let the pack get back to you.

Frame pump

How do you deal with a guy like this? It was soooo frustrating.

Do time trials and triathlons only. Problem solved

Do time trials and triathlons only. Problem solved

Just not Olympic Distance tri's...You can draft in those :p

How do you deal with a guy like this?
You are too nice, if you have to ask.

Gap him off or shake him off.

You already did a couple things. He was playing off the fact that you wouldn't let the other guy go up the road alone. To lose him, you have to be willing to let somebody else win. This is where teammates come in real handy.

Here's some suggestions:

When alone with you & the other guy, trade attacks. Make him cover them.
Gap him off the back of the line (he was following your wheel?). Slow down, make him come around.
Give up on any breakaway with him in it. Sit up, let the pack get back to you.




Gap him off or shake him off.

Yep and yep.

One caveat: I've been burned because I took care of the sprinter instead of making the known strong guy in the group do it (state TT champ, in my case). I did the work gapping the guy off, but ended up w/out the energy to hang with the break for much longer after I bridged back up to it. I should have just backed off a bit and let the TT guy take care of it.

Sometimes you just have to accept it. Race yesterday had a guy solo then I was in a break of 4. One guy was a teammate of the solo break. He just sat in the back and surfed wheels while the 3 of us got the gap and kept going. He stayed out of the way and we couldn't blame him for what he was doing. He did it the "right" way. Luckily he wasn't able to come around me at the end.

in my case, yesterday, you let him box you in and cost you the race while he and another guy beat you.

Sucks to be marked, eh?

it's fun crossing the line and being asked 1/2 dozen times "how'd you lose that?"

Most guys seem to think yelling at people and calling them names is the answer.

I've yet to see this work.

Random thoughts..

Attack to see if you can shake him.

While the wheel sucker is in your draft you can let a gap open up between you and the other guy(s) that are working. He then has to work to close the gap, grab his wheel and if he starts to blow jump and finish the bridge back up yourself. If he manages to bridge back up, do it again.

If you can't get rid of him, and you're not happy with the combination of people in the mix, you can let the break get caught and reshuffle to see what happens.

Drafting is part of mass start racing. If it weren't for drafting I wouldn't be an effective bike racer.

If you still won the race then the wheel sucker was just doing the best he could under the circumstances. The fact that he didn't win means that he was absolutely and completely redlined, or he had no sprint either, or both. Or he knew he didn't pull so didn't "sprint" (even if he looked like he was sprinting) because he knew it wouldn't be good form. I did the latter when I was in a race long break at the state crit championships, I think in 2004 or so. Big group, maybe 15 riders, and I bridged up with 2 other guys, we were the last three to get on the train. I couldn't pull for a while, guys yelled at me to pull, I tried to pull, didn't pull fast enough (I was going 22 mph), guys yelled at me. In the sprint I decided not to jump until most of the group was already in front of me. I think I was 15th when I jumped about 100m from the line, I got 8th, and 1st was probably 50 feet in front of me. I did the best sprint I could but I intentionally didn't follow any moves in the last lap, didn't surf the front, stayed at the back, and sprinted only when the others were all done launching their sprints. (I got 3rd in the state, basically by accident).

If I was more fit than I am now then that wheel sucker you described would be me. As it is I can't even hold on, even if I don't pull. Not everyone is racing with the same strength you have. For me a 450 watt minute will end my race (and it did yesterday). I have a hard time sustaining 250 watts for any length of time. That translates to 25 mph in a tailwind and about 20 mph into a headwind, gradually decreasing as the race went on.

I can't average above about 202 watts for a race, and most races, including those where I win, I'm averaging 160-170 watts. The races where I do 190-202 watts I can't sprint because I'm absolutely cooked with half a lap to go.

Here, try this to get a feel for what's going on:

1. Go to a crit (with a hill up to 200m long), reset your power meter at the start, and keep an eye on your average.
2. There's only one rule: If your average wattage goes over 202 then you have to sit up and drop out.
3. You are not allowed to sprint unless you keep your average below 180 watts until the end.
4. You are not allowed to do a good sprint unless you hit the bell averaging 160-170 watts, otherwise you have to sprint staying seated or some other such nonsense (i.e. no high peak power numbers).

With those rules in mind, try to pull. See what happens to your average wattage.

It's really easy to push your average wattage up. It's really hard to keep it down. I carefully sat in the whole M45 race but still had to sit up with one turn to go because I was cramping.

If you can't race following those three rules above then you're not racing as effectively as you might be able to race.

An early power meter adapter (probably Greg Lemond since he'd have been protected, but the pro remained unnamed) averaged 100w for a transition Tour de France stage. Granted it was back in the days where they went easier on the transition stages, but there's still a lot of fast riding at the end of the stage. 100w! Imagine that? I average more than that on almost all my rides (not all of them, most of them). Try doing a group ride, "easy pace" and average just 100w. Oh and do it with no aero wheels etc.

Most guys seem to think yelling at people and calling them names is the answer.

I've yet to see this work.

When guys yell at me it just makes me more determined to do whatever I'm doing that they don't like.

You need more than one guy in the group who is willing to work to get rid of the passenger. If it's just you and him, you're both doing the same efforts. I've done that and then dropped myself from the group. But if a couple guys keep gapping him off the group the effort is spread out. So instead of yelling at the passenger, talk to your breakmates.

you won the race, you must have done it right.

nothing wrong with what the guy you describe as the wheelsucker did. if he didnt win, he must have been pulling his weight. had he won, i'd say he was the smarter racer.

i've gotten myself dropped from breakaways or not had anything left for the finish because i pulled through or did my work when i shouldnt have because it's the "right thing to do". after, people would say good try man, but honestly, it was just stupid racing on my part.

We tried to drop him on a few occasions, but just couldn't pull it off.

Should have kept trying until you succeeded if you really wanted to get rid of him.

Sucks to be a cat 5 in flyover country, eh?

corrected.

it's fun crossing the line and being asked 1/2 dozen times "how'd you lose that?"

My wife went up to a team manager one time and said good job, he asked for what, she said for keeping rkwaki boxed in the entire race. We have a picture and I think there were 4 guys around me...

Sucks to be marked, eh?

Correct grammatical use...

corrected.

kinda confusing

...
How do you deal with a guy like this? It was soooo frustrating.

That's racing; it's called tactics. You'll find yourself using those same tactics one day once you get into a field where you are overmatched. Others in that race were undoubtedly btching about how much stronger you and the other guy were and why you hadn't upgraded yet.

To counter that particular tactic, you either find a way to drop him, or you refuse to work for him.

Most guys seem to think yelling at people and calling them names is the answer.

I've yet to see this work.

May I quote you in my next book "Winning Leadership"?

In my limited breakaway experience, pulling when you really can't is a great way to lose a race. Ideally, everyone does the most work they can do without blowing up, which is seldom 'equal work'. Equal work is not what maximizes the chances of the breakaway. I've been lectured in team practices for pulling through and blowing up, when I should have skipped the pull, and also for pulling on a break in a practice race and falling off. If I had gone the wheelsucker route I would have gotten my team a podium spot, and also kept them from having to work, thus protecting our sprinter for the pack finish. For me, it is really hard to not 'do my share', even when I know it will be too much. It isn't the most fun way to race, but it's sometimes the most prudent.

How do you deal with a guy like this? It was soooo frustrating.

You outsprinted him for the win. I don't see what the issue is?

May I quote you in my next book "Winning Leadership"?

His royalties are in hookers and blow.
He also wants tiger blood infusions.

If the wheelsucker is truly on the rivet and you really want to get rid of him, you have to work in such a way that he can't sit on the wheel. This means hills or crosswinds or tailwinds. Drill it in any of those situations, while in an appropriate position relative to wind, and everyone has to work equally hard (relatively speaking, based on rider aero profile and weight).

If you're really strong you don't have to wait for anything, you can just drill it. A local Cat 1 drilled it on a flat course (which, to be honest, has a tailwind and crosswind section every week) for 4 laps. I was redlined just trying to sit in the strung out field. He drifted back, saw me and my bright red face, went back to the front, went hard for at least another few laps, and I was off the back. No attack, no break, no nothing, just some steady pace at the front (at something like 28-30 mph). I forget my avg wattage for that race (all 10 minutes of it or whatever) but it was in the 300w range.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee303/ivanhoe_martin/1336413094.jpg

Ideally, everyone does the most work they can do without blowing up, which is seldom 'equal work'.

That's (somewhat) true if you're trying to go fast. May not be true if you're trying to win a bike race, which may not require going fast. If you have good team support and the right mix of riders in the break, then the pack may shut down and you can stay away at much slower speeds.

That's (somewhat) true if you're trying to go fast. May not be true if you're trying to win a bike race, which may not require going fast. If you have good team support and the right mix of riders in the break, then the pack may shut down and you can stay away at much slower speeds.

Point well taken /bow

Is "wheelsucker" another word for "genius"?

1. Attack! Attack! Attack!
2. Sit up.
3. Gutter/potholes/debris/technical section of the course
4. Quick jab to the quad.

I forget my avg wattage for that race (all 10 minutes of it or whatever) but it was in the 300w range.

isn't that, like, 300% of your FTP or something?

Use the course to make the wheelsucker suffer. Turns, accelerating out of corners, short hills, etc. Be smart, and make the course work for you.

248961

"I suddenly remembered my Charlemagne. Let my armies be the rocks and the trees and the birds in the sky…"

Back in the early 90's when I was young, skinny and strong, I had a guy do this in a race. He knew I was the best climber in a very hilly race so he figured he would get a tow to the line from me. About 20k from the finish with just the two of us in a breakaway about 3 minutes up, I sat up, took my hands off the bars on the biggest climb, took a swig of water, looked at him and said "It's your race to win or lose." The next pull I took we were down to one minute after he blinked first. I still won!

Hi, I'm Bostongarden, and I'm a wheelsucker.

Did the wheelsucker look like he was half assing it or did he look like he was hurting?

Hi, I'm Bostongarden, and I'm a wheelsucker.

Hi, I'm shovelhd, and you're a great draft.

I remember earlier this year at a P/1/2/3 race at Bethel, I went to the back after a couple of hard attacks and failed breaks. We were going down the backstretch at 31mph, and I was pushing 150 watts, chatting with another rider.

ROFL. Was that me on your wheels? I have no intentions ever to do a pull on a break, or lead a pack for that matter.

He may have just been tapped out and took everything he had to stay on the pace you guys set.

With that said, did I miss the rule about how you have to pull and go to the front?

You want to win a race and have the power...then go for it..enjoy. I'm a sprinter, I don't do "pulls" or breaks typically. So, if you and one or two guys can ride away with it from the group and stay away, good for you. I commend you for it, because I can't do it.

And lastly..."That's racing!" Get over it and HTFU.

ROFL. Was that me on your wheels? I have no intentions ever to do a pull on a break, or lead a pack for that matter.

He may have just been tapped out and took everything he had to stay on the pace you guys set.

With that said, did I miss the rule about how you have to pull and go to the front?

You want to win a race and have the power...then go for it..enjoy. I'm a sprinter, I don't do "pulls" or breaks typically. So, if you and one or two guys can ride away with it from the group and stay away, good for you. I commend you for it, because I can't do it.

And lastly..."That's racing!" Get over it and HTFU.

You're missing the point. Wheelsucking is a completely valid and successful strategy. This thread is discussing how you deal with someone else using it against you. I've NEVER thought less of someone for sitting on a break.

What I have done is gapped a guy off the back so many times that he cramped so hard he couldn't get off his bike and fell over on the side of the road screaming. I won that race, and his teammate got 2nd from our break of 7.

That's the nice thing about a lot of pure sprinters -- they are significantly weakened by lots of attack responses. Not all sprinters though...

ROFL. Was that me on your wheels? I have no intentions ever to do a pull on a break, or lead a pack for that matter.

He may have just been tapped out and took everything he had to stay on the pace you guys set.

With that said, did I miss the rule about how you have to pull and go to the front?

You want to win a race and have the power...then go for it..enjoy. I'm a sprinter, I don't do "pulls" or breaks typically. So, if you and one or two guys can ride away with it from the group and stay away, good for you. I commend you for it, because I can't do it.

And lastly..."That's racing!" Get over it and HTFU.

I'll be laughing at you from the podium. :D

Thanks for all the interesting responses. I agree that its a valid strategy....The intent of my question was how to overcome the strategy...not how to beat the guy up. That said, our concern was that our gap ahead of the main group was shrinking because only 2 out of the 3 of us were doing the work...and when we tried to force him to the front so we could get a rest, he wouldn't/couldn't maintain the momentum and we'd get all checked up and come to a grinding halt.

The other problem I faced was that the other guy who was contributing wasn't as strong as me....so he couldn't maintain the speed once I pulled off the front. If I was to drop the wheelsucker, it would have to be all me, and I didn't have the legs to do it. If my "partner" had similar speed, I surmise that we would have been able to coordinate a break to drop the 3rd guy.

simonaway - based on that post, i think the real problem here is that it doesn't sound like the smartest break for you to be in. if one guy is noticeably weaker than you and the other isn't working, you should probably either attack and go for it solo or drop back to the field, regroup, and try to get another break going with a better group.

that said, you won, so obviously it worked out just fine this time...

Exactly.

"The Sparticus Syndrome", coming soon to an Italian language only streaming webcast near you. Watch handsome Fabian as he battles slower riders attached to his wheel like Limpets! Watch him surge. Watch him weave. Watch as he attacks repeatedly on hills! See how his angry gesticulations are totally ignored. Watch closely as his championship striped jersey becomes soiled by sweat and fatigue. Share his frustration and horror as he is passed in the final 100 meters of a 150 mile race!

Then smile contendedly as he walks off with the pretty podium girls, who know a real man when they see one.

"The Sparticus Syndrome". A must see for wheelsuckers and breakaway artists everywhere!

In my case I spoke to a couple of guys in the break and we all agreed this is the last break this particular guy gets in again with us this year. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

"The Sparticus Syndrome", coming soon to an Italian language only streaming webcast near you. Watch handsome Fabian as he battles slower riders attached to his wheel like Limpets! Watch him surge. Watch him weave. Watch as he attacks repeatedly on hills! See how his angry gesticulations are totally ignored. Watch closely as his championship striped jersey becomes soiled by sweat and fatigue. Share his frustration and horror as he is passed in the final 100 meters of a 150 mile race!

Then smile contendedly as he walks off with the pretty podium girls, who know a real man when they see one.

"The Sparticus Syndrome". A must see for wheelsuckers and breakaway artists everywhere!


Yes, classic example. Doesn't matter what kind of engine you have, if you can't ride them off your wheel, then get out sprinted at the end, it is your own fault!

In my case I spoke to a couple of guys in the break and we all agreed this is the last break this particular guy gets in again with us this year. There's more than one way to skin a cat.


I have to hear this ingenious plan you and the other riders have all planned.

Did the wheelsucker look like he was half assing it or did he look like he was hurting?

Isn't the wheelsucker creedo to always look like you're hurting unless you have a teammate up the road?