Originally Posted by
canklecat
LeMond had a similar tactic, but more aggressive. He'd sprint to pass or open a gap, then ease up and let the other guy pass. Then pass him again. And again. Gradually breaking them down psychologically.
That would work, as long as the "other guy" isn't actually doing the same thing, simply a half-cycle out of phase. Maybe every time you're passing the other guy, it's because he's letting you, and planning on sprinting past you just to let you pass him again. So it becomes an even-handed psychological exchange, and may just boil down to timing, who is in which phase approaching the finish. I wonder if any of his competitors actually considered that.
One thing I like about keeping my Ironman stock is the clicky index shifting. I like to imagine the guy ahead hears my on an old school steel bike, clicking away on the downtube shifters, wondering why I'm still there.
Okay good, I'm not the only one who gets a kick out of the "tink" of an indexed downtube shifter on a steel frame. Sounds a bit flat on my IM, actually. I just picked up an '89 Schwinn Circuit with that goofy Sante gruppo, and it's a little more resonant. And for some reason, my '89 Fuji Del Rey, with rather middling Suntour bits, really belts it out; my wife can hear it from half a block away.