Racing Tactics: The Block (Video)

[The Domestique]

Some people say that when employing team tactics and you have a teammate up the road you should

1. Never be on the front, let others do ALL the work, OR...
2. BE on the front as much as possible, setting a false tempo, OR...
3. Something else?!

What say you? Here is the quick edit of the race and the tactics and what I did. I'd love to know what you think.

 

[montage]

It is one thing coming through the paceline and then not doing much work on the front, and therefore disrupting the chase. It is another pulling at 26 mph. The benefit of having team mates up the road is that you don't need to do much work, therefore should they get pulled back then hopefully you will have the legs to jump away / follow any counter attacks. Your tactic worked well this time, but I think a lot of that is to do with how strong the 3 who went away appear to be. If they had been pulled back, and you had no legs left for the final few laps because you had been working on the front all race then you'd be feeling a bit gutted! Glad it worked out for you.

 

[oldroadman]

Disrupting the chase - go through but just soft pedal a little, drop the speed by 2-3 km/hr, then pull over slowly. Next rider through had to up the pace again and afew seconds are lost. Or just sit 2nd/3rd wheel, when the front man pulls over go with him. Then the next rider has a bigger effort to get to the front and so the pace will drop a fraction. If someone attacks, just cover it and do no work, they will either take you up or surrender, so nothing lost either way. None of this will make you popular! The object of the exercise is to get into the final as fresh as possible just in case the break is caught, so you may be able to do something, maybe a longer effort or lead out for your sprinter.
As it worked out, a very good decision not to bother with sprinting for lower places - if only some of the GB 3rd and 4th cats would learn that, there would be much safer last laps in a lot of criteriums. People only remember winners!
Ask yourself, is it worth crashing to get one or two ranking points? I think not.

 

[Herzog]

I'm surprised that the other riders did not counter your disrupting tactics...

 

[The Domestique]

As it worked out, a very good decision not to bother with sprinting for lower places - if only some of the GB 3rd and 4th cats would learn that, there would be much safer last laps in a lot of criteriums. People only remember winners!
Ask yourself, is it worth crashing to get one or two ranking points? I think not.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[oldroadman]

I'm surprised that the other riders did not counter your disrupting tactics...

They will try and then you have to be persistant, counering their tactics. One way is by sliding back a little and then attacking, which might make others respond and disrupt the chase. when they get to you then just sit up, and disrupt as before or simply sit on the back. Either way, if their little chase succeeds you get a free ride to the leaders, and if (more likely) it does not, then nothing lost and a chase messed about with. It then takes time to sort itself out. Again, not a way to be popular, but it's all legitamate tactics.