Originally Posted by galen_52657
With all do respect to Voodoo, everybody in the race wants to 'stay at the front' and that is what makes it hard to do! The pack is always ebbing and flowing. You could be in a prime spot, one or two places back from the front when someone attacks. If you are boxed in and the guys in front dont respond untill half the pack has passed, then your prime spot turned to poo and you have to work your way back up. On the last couple laps if the pack is all together, everybody gets antsy and that is when all the crashes happen - riders trying to stuff their bike in a spot where it won't fit.
Appreciate the respect, and agree that position is a very dynamic thing. But my take on this is very different. I had a coach once who had an annoying habit of asking me simple but tough questions. His response to the above would be "why did you let yourself get boxed in?". This simple question is very empowering. The point is it's your choice how long you stay in one place, it's your choice who's wheel you are on, ect. You can not make progress as long as you simply respond to what the pack gives you, as you are not learning to make the correct decisions (or even realizing what decisions you made). Take control mentally & make others respond. Sometime you put yourself in the right position, sometimes you don't, but at least you begin to understand the process.