Track training for criterium riders
 

Next season I hope to get back into criterium racing after a very long hiatus and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a track training program so that I can sharpen my sprint. Hopefully something that would involve only one day a week at the track.

Intervals to develop more speed
Pursuit training for the endurance-- road sprinters tend to be more like track pursuiters than sprinters.
Mass start races or practice races for tactics and handling in a bunch sprint.

which track?

Thanks, Brian Piccolo in Ft Lauderdale Fl.

Agree that pursuit skills help in criteriums. If you have the skill to maintain over 30 mph alone for two laps on most criterium courses, you will be strong enough to chase anything down, initiate a break and be able to stay with a break.

Whats a typical training regimen for pursuit?

beats me--I'm a mass start kind of guy...

I'm planning to get some pursuit help over the winter.

I know 'pursuiters' who are great crit riders, but they are also great scratch and points riders. I don't really know anyone who is solely a pursuiter and does well in crits.

While pursuiters tend to be able to ride very strongly off the front of a bunch, they need to generally do it with a constant speed. What kills them are crits with lots of stops and starts and accelerations, which lets face it is just about every single crit.

I think you are better off training like a points or scratch rider.

So depending on the velodrome length, 10 laps at high speed (say 40-45kmh depending on your ability) with a one lap surge / light sprint, 2 lap 'recovery' (35-40kmh), rinse and repeat. Most people do them for a timed period, 30 minutes, or 45 minutes etc.

Paceline work with a small number of riders 2-4 over an agreed set of laps, 20-40, pulling 2 lap turns with a free run over the last 2 laps and a contested sprint. You'd usually do these with a recovery between each set and do a defined number of sets.

The reality is half the success in a crit is tactical anyway, positioning yourself mid to front bunch for as much time as possible, finding the right wheels in a break, finding the right wheels in a sprint etc.