If you know you will be dropped in a race
08-08-14, 06:46 AM
#26
Must Go Faster
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I'm gonna be the guy against the grain.
But as a sucker at crits I know a bit about getting dropped early in a race. If you know...like KNOW you will get dropped in 5 minutes, you need to think about what you have to give up for those 5 minutes. Do you need race experience? Can you gain something in those 5 minutes? If not, it can be depressing as hell to get dropped after 5 minutes and may be worth it to skip and get in a solid ride by yourself.
With that said, if you think you have a possibility to survive you should probably go. Because there have been races where I don't think suit me and I end up on the podium. But I also know in a 8 corner .5 mile crit, there is a 1% chance I'll last more than 5 minutes.
But as a sucker at crits I know a bit about getting dropped early in a race. If you know...like KNOW you will get dropped in 5 minutes, you need to think about what you have to give up for those 5 minutes. Do you need race experience? Can you gain something in those 5 minutes? If not, it can be depressing as hell to get dropped after 5 minutes and may be worth it to skip and get in a solid ride by yourself.
With that said, if you think you have a possibility to survive you should probably go. Because there have been races where I don't think suit me and I end up on the podium. But I also know in a 8 corner .5 mile crit, there is a 1% chance I'll last more than 5 minutes.
if you do go and think you will just be surviving, use it as an opportunity to work on seeing how much of the race that you can ride without pedaling/conserving energy
08-09-14, 09:23 AM
#27
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Pack finish baby! This was the best race I've had in my short career. The pace was intense right off the start as the Foundation team had a dozen guys in the 50 or 60 person field. They drilled it at the front until they got a break going which resulted in pretty much a team time trial. I hung in the back third of the pack for most of the race sitting in and sheltering from all angles, when possible. I usually like to be on the edges so I can move up when I want but to conserve energy I tried to be surrounded on both sides and try something new, and to increase my comfort zone.
I definitely worked on my aero form, trying to keep my elbows bent and my back flat. Before the small hills I would try and move up and then drift backwards as I was taking the hill slightly slower than everyone else, and then would latch back on at the top of the hill. To keep potential cramps from coming, during the few second lulls when people coasted, I tried stretching my calves every few minutes in the second half of the race. I usually take this time to move up, and I did in certain points today, but I also coasted to catch my breath, recover, and drop my heart rate.
I was expecting to do 2 laps (6 miles each) then bow out but i was still in it, so another lap came and went, then another, and in a lull with 12 miles to go I actually had the energy to move up easily and was in the front of the pack for a couple of miles which felt amazing. With a mile or two to go the pack was spread out so there was no room to move up easily, and I was pretty much stuck in the middle. I picked and chose my spots but the leadout and sprint finish was super fast so there was no way I was able to contest anything but was perfectly content that i finished with the field.
All in all a great race. 35 miles at 25.7mph average.
I definitely worked on my aero form, trying to keep my elbows bent and my back flat. Before the small hills I would try and move up and then drift backwards as I was taking the hill slightly slower than everyone else, and then would latch back on at the top of the hill. To keep potential cramps from coming, during the few second lulls when people coasted, I tried stretching my calves every few minutes in the second half of the race. I usually take this time to move up, and I did in certain points today, but I also coasted to catch my breath, recover, and drop my heart rate.
I was expecting to do 2 laps (6 miles each) then bow out but i was still in it, so another lap came and went, then another, and in a lull with 12 miles to go I actually had the energy to move up easily and was in the front of the pack for a couple of miles which felt amazing. With a mile or two to go the pack was spread out so there was no room to move up easily, and I was pretty much stuck in the middle. I picked and chose my spots but the leadout and sprint finish was super fast so there was no way I was able to contest anything but was perfectly content that i finished with the field.
All in all a great race. 35 miles at 25.7mph average.
08-09-14, 09:30 AM
#28
starting pistol means war
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Good, we were correct again; imagine that
I say avoid overanalyzing your choices in his sport, just get on it and experience
I say avoid overanalyzing your choices in his sport, just get on it and experience
08-09-14, 10:11 AM
#29
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Great job, Gramercy!
You may have learned more racecraft in one race with subpar fitness than the previous dozen races with good fitness. Sort of ironic, isn't it?
You may have learned more racecraft in one race with subpar fitness than the previous dozen races with good fitness. Sort of ironic, isn't it?
08-10-14, 12:48 PM
#31
Making a kilometer blurry
Thanks for reporting back. Sounds like you learned a lot. Good work!
08-10-14, 02:06 PM
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Good race strategy when you know a climb is going to be the difficulty is to stay front 20% of pack on the flats(do not attack, do no work)and try and work toward the front at the beginning of the climb. As the road rises you will drift back in the pack and hopefully will land mid-packish by the time the climb is over. Save what you have until the end and then see what you got. With injury and all, and with the fear of getting dropped, finishing with the field or better should seem like a positive result.
localroute
localroute
08-10-14, 02:13 PM
#34
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Way to go, Gramercy!
__________________
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!
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