Originally Posted by
gsteinb
Unless that's you there's nothing to indicate that the rider intentionally slows as a tactic before the turn. One slows in a turn like that anyway. Some more than others, some less. The rider behind can lose the wheel for a variety of cornering inadequacies. I can open a gap in a corner simply by going faster than the rider behind is comfortable. Intentionally brake checking is stupid and dangerous. The gearing equation is irrelevant depending on the speed and length of the sprint. In that case, and from the two hole one doesn't need a massive gear to win what is a relatively short finish straight.
My term was not "brake checking". The post preceding mine were on using brakes. Some more, some less before the corner. My post was about how slowing (brakes or coasting) could be used in a corner to setup an acceleration / counter. Its similar to a double sprint where a sprinter sprints, backs off and sprints harder - except the double sprint is off topic for this thread.