Originally Posted by
ovoleg
if you're OTF, it doesn't matter if you're smooth in a race. In fact, it's better if you can sustain the effort and be sketchy so that no one tries to bridge up and wheelsuck.
And how exactly do you get OTF? Just like not crashing is critical to doing well in a race, getting OTF requires being able to accelerate sharply, and being in sufficient control of your bike to move through, and past, the peloton. Being smoother means being able to squeeze through smaller spaces, which is a huge advantage.
And beyond that, I dunno, I would rather be someone who has a reputation for being a good partner in a breakaway than someone who has a reputation for being squirrelly. Have a feeling I will get better results that way.