Racing Tactics
This primer outlines the general tactics any cyclist can use to perform better in a race. Whether you race on the road, off-road, or the track this guide provides fundamental knowledge.
Always be aware
Many riders are not aware of their surroundings. You must be comfortable riding with and around others and aware of where other riders are in relationship to yourself. If you are uncomfortable riding in the group then you will not be as effective in carrying out race tactics. Remember, your actions will affect the riders around you.
The other riders need to know what you are doing. If you move sideways in the group do so gradually so the other riders can respond and move out of the way. Violent movements cause crashes! Being comfortable and relaxed in the pack will make you a more effective racer and will make racing more fun.
Know your competition
This is primary to all forms of competition. You must learn about your opponents, including their strengths, weaknesses, physical appearance, preference for the inside or outside of the group, prime lap strategy, and last-lap strategy. If you can characterize what a strong competitor will do in a certain situation, you can react quickly. This is, of course, not to say that you should always sit around and wait for something to happen, because the person who takes the initiative often wins the day.
Catch your competition off guard
If you know the opponents strengths you can monopolize their weaknesses. However, don’t assume that your opponents are ignorant of your own strengths or weaknesses, because they are not. They know where you are in the field, they know if you are more likely to sprint or time trial in order to win a race, and if you are strong, they know that they can get on your wheel and come around you at the end to win the race.
The trick is to be unpredictable. Initiate an action, which they won’t expect, such as sprinting into a turn or from the middle of the field. This has the net result of increasing their reaction time to your action. They might not be able to get on your wheel if they have to stop to think about what is occurring.
The importance of being a well-rounded rider is significant; the more tricks you have in your bag, the greater your chances of winning. It is not enough to be a good time trialist; in order to bridge a gap to exercise your time-trial ability you have to be able to jump - and this strength comes from sprinting. Being a well-rounded rider is also an obvious advantage in stage races, or omnium events.
Race to your strengths and train to your weaknesses
By following this guideline you will become a well-rounded rider. You should use your strongest attributes in races and capitalize on the fact that you are stronger than most of the other riders in this one area by exerting your skill at the appropriate time. For example, consider a road race that has a long climb and a subsequent descent to a flat finish. Let’s say you are a rider who excels on long climbs but doesn’t have much of a sprint. If you sit in the group on the climb and wait for the sprint, you most likely won’t place because you have taken it easy on the field during the climb and the sprinters are not worn out - they can easily take you at the line. However, if you push the pace on the climb and drop the sprinters, your chances of winning the sprint are much improved (the ideal situation is to drop everyone on the climb and solo the finish).
If you are going to make a big move like this, you will have to conserve your energy and channel everything into the effort, thereby maximizing the chances that you will open a gap or splinter the field.
Don’t do more work than you have to and don’t expend energy without a reason
Unnecessary energy expenditure is probably the single biggest mistake that most racers make. We have seen races where a rider pulls the field for much of the race and completely disappears at the finish. Why does this happen? Usually because the rider is ‘feeling great’ and does not recognize that he or she is wasting energy.
Another common manifestation of energy waste (and more importantly, a tactical error) is when riders in the field chase down their own teammates who are in a break off the front. This often occurs with strong but less experienced riders who either don’t know that their teammate is up the road or has no concept of blocking. In saying, “don’t do more work than you have to” I mean that you should you only expend the very least amount of energy required to reach your objective.
If you are in the field, you want to ride among the front 10 riders without actually pulling at the front. Not only does this put you in a position where you are able to respond to and initiate breaks, but chances are you won’t get caught in a crash if you are toward the front of the field.
Play mind games
Although cycling is a physically demanding sport there are also psychological battles, which can affect the race outcome. There is an age-old saying in road racing that you must put the hurt on them before they put it on you. If you and your team can get the psychological upper hand early in the race your chances of winning the race may have just doubled! However, never play mind games with your own teammates.
Individually these mind games can be very important in breakaways. If you are getting really tired in a break and are close to getting dropped, do your best to convey the image that you are fresh. Often the other riders will not try to drop you if you can do this convincingly. Conversely, if you are feeling great, don’t let them know because they will expect you to do the bulk of the work, and they will be ready if you try to drop them. The mind game is very delicate and requires that you have a good poker face and can bluff well.
Know the course
This is an important determinant in strategy formation. Knowing the course allows you to determine how aggressive you should be and when you should make your move. Whether a time trial, road race, or criterium, ride the course before the race and pay attention to features that will split up the group or facilitate a breakaway. This includes features such as: Steep climbs, headwind sections, tight turns, narrow stretches of road, bad pavement, etc - in short, anything that distracts or stresses the strength of the field.
Even more important is memorizing the finish area. Countless times we have heard riders complaining that they “didn’t know the course” or “didn’t know that the finish was so close or so far away.” This is usually not a problem in most races where most courses are loops, not point-to-point. However, it is still important because you must know where you want to be at the end of the race.
If you cannot ride or drive the course talk to your teammates who have done the race before. They can give you information on what has or has not worked in past years. The point is you should have a predetermined strategy for the race finish.
Be assertive and confident of your abilities
If you are confident in your abilities you will never be a loser. Take pride in your accomplishments and use your mistakes as learning tools. A common reason people cite for not having done well in a field finish is that they could not get to the front at the end or they got boxed in during the sprint. The solution to this problem is simple: Always be among the front three to five riders near the end of the race; If you are any further back than this, chances are you won’t be able to do any better than second in the sprint.
As most of you know, this is not as easy as it sounds, but the main reason why people cannot get to the front is not a lack of strength - it is a lack of confidence and exertion. If you are assertive and even slightly aggressive, your opponents will recognize this and you will be able to get where you want to be in the group. The importance of this psychology in cycling cannot be overstated.
In conclusion, it is not always the strongest rider who wins the bike race. Often the rider who exerts himself or herself and uses tactical prowess will steal the day. The ideas outlined above should act as a general guide, which will lead you to becoming a better racer.