Originally Posted by carpediemracing

Early apex example - just find the video of the Gerolsteiner rider that crashed in a recent Milan San Remo. I can't watch it, it's just horrible, but it's out there.

Also look at videos of Levi Leipheimer, Michael Rasmussen, err one or two others who can't descend to save their lives. I know both of them almost crashed on the same turn in some descent, separated by a minute or so, taking the same horrible line.

The common error is the early apex. Nervous, the rider starts turning in early. It's instinctive and you have to fight it by having confidence in your planned line (or planned attack of the line, if you don't know the corner at all). Go straight longer than you think necessary, brake hard just before you dive into the turn, and then dive into the turn as you release the brakes. I sometimes ride the brakes a bit, but by halfway into the turn (before the apex), unless I've made an error, I'm off the brakes and waiting to accelerate.

Watch videos of the field from the helicopter on switchback descents. They try and do a late apex, generally speaking.

Early apex has its times but it's normally not on a switchback descent. It's more for chasing, leading out, and blocking, i.e. tactical times.

For good cornering, watch Cancellara. He's fearless. Great descents from the past include Frederic Vichot, Lemond, Phil Anderson, Sean Yates. Sammy Sanchez is spectacular but part of his spectacularness is the fact that he's not taking the perfect line. Cancellara is smooth, never seems to correct, but is blazing fast.