mikearena

So, hypothetically speaking, if you were to be in the middle of a race and launch a somewhat decent attack with the intent of staying away and get a decent gap, at what point do you sit up if no one goes with you?

In other words, let's say you get about 10 seconds out and you really, really don't want to go it alone, but no one seems to be coming with you. Do you sit up immediately? Do you still make them chase but dial it down a notch so as to not torch yourself? Do you just put your head down and hammer through until you inevitably get caught (assuming you can't stay away on your own) and then just hang on for dear life?

Is there any way to encourage somebody to bridge up?

San Rensho 

I wouldn't try to go it alone in the middle of any race without a team. And once you are out there, when you see you are not making any progress and its not going to work, just sit up and rest as much as you can until the pack catches. Why would you want to do anything else if you are going to get caught?

If its a super technical criterium course with a small field, I might try to go towards the end of the race. Not in the last lap because the pack will likely chase you down, but if you are an unknown, you might be able to get away with a few laps left and stay out if you have really good pursuit skills, which means being able to average 30-34 mph for over 7+ minutes.

DrWJODonnell

If you REALLY don't want to go it alone, don't attack. Just bridge to someone else's attack. However, if you have ended up in the situation you describe above, the best thing is to pedal at a speed that keeps the gap about the same and look back and encourage someone to bridge up. Definitely dial it down because you don't want to torch yourself.

kensuf

Grasshopper,

I've tried to win via the solo break numerous times in the lower cats. It never worked, but I got close enough that I could taste it a few times. The problem is the guys in the lower cats don't want to gamble.

My observation, you went too soon. If you had gone with 2 laps to go and really jumped hard for the first minute you might have been able to do something.

But, you should pat yourself on the back. You came out, you played hard, and at the end of the day you were willing to risk everything.

Val23708

dont sit up... you'll get caught faster... just soft pedal in the drops till they catch up (or a chase group gets you) and then latch on

FiveThirteen

By lower cats do you mean 4-5 or 1-3?

Racer Ex 

Los siento. No comprende.

ridethecliche

^^ Haha, nice! ^^

kensuf

4-5.

mikearena

Ha ha! This thought somehow never actually occurred to me.


I didn't really realize there were 10 to go when I went. I thought it was more like 6. Sometimes I forget to keep track of those things. I saw an opportunity and just went for it. I've got to hand out some dice next weekend and see if I can get some guys hooked.

Good times. Now if I could just get my girlfriend to stop reminding me I came in "almost last".

kensuf

Show her how many primes you won and give her a cookie.

merlinextraligh

I think it was more than 10 to go. When no one was chasing you, I decided to bridge up. I got about half way to you. At that point I decided that I was going to be sufficiently cooked by the time I caught you (if I caught you) that the chances we'd stay away weren't good, so I sat up.

Then with 4 to go, and no one chasing I tried to bridge again. Didn't get clear that time so I sat up again.

Given that you almost made it solo, in hindsight I wish I would have committed to the first attempt to bridge.

I think your move showed a lot of balls, and was worth the shot. The only thing you might have considered doing different would have been to set up a lap or 2 sooner, recovered, and got back in to contest the sprint. But you were close enough tomaking it stick it would have been hard to sit up.

DrWJODonnell

EventServices

There's nothing worse than trying something, getting gassed, and then watching helplessly as the real break goes away moments later.

If I try something and no one goes with me, I sit up immediately.
But I'd rather try something and fail than to always wait for others to initiate.

Bantam

Right, because T Phinney en route to winning the Pursuit National Championship averaged 33.8mph for 4 minutes 24 seconds on an indoor velodrome with areo bars.
Maybe your numbers are a bit over estimated?

Stallionforce

Timing is not important. You should have planned to have the engine to hold it if you're attacking early. Once committed, you are committed. You go. If you can hold, even for a while, someone will try to bridge. The idea of an attack, even an early attack, is first to win solo, but if you can't, then to disrupt the sprinters and force them to overwork, to soften them. It's a no-lose scenario for you if you're not a sprinter. Having said all that, it should be part of a pre-planned team strategy, if possible. Once the pack bridges, you should have another teammate to ready to launch, etc. That is, unless you are working for a sprinter.

What have I said? Nothing.

Ignore me. :-)

carpediemracing 

You decide what you want to do in the race.

Are you racing to have fun? Want to do a big solo for a few laps, "fly the colors", then get caught and anything else is a bonus? Then work hard, and when people start screaming at you to pick it up because you're losing ground, then ease a bit and make sure you don't get dropped when they catch you.

If you're experimenting with your racing, i.e. trying to figure out how far out you can launch an attack, then go hard for as long as you can. Figure out how long it takes to blow up while averaging a speed much higher than the field. Next race launch an attack about about that many minutes to go.

If you actually want to win the race, ease a bit and wait for the field. In 4-5s probably the field will catch you but in the higher categories you may entice a group to come after you. If that happens you'll be more fresh when they get you and you can reassess your situation.

cdr

JaRow

So that was you hanging out in front of the field most of the race. Fine job. I will say that you probably should have sat up after a few laps. It didn't seem like you were gaining a whole lot on the pack.

mikearena

No no, I said "hypothetically speaking"....

But yeah, that was me. Say hi next time.