Originally Posted by
steven.burkard
Alright all, need to settle an argument between teammates.
In a Road Race, 90k or so, with 40 riders and 3 teams with 6 or more riders, what is the best tactic for a smaller team with 3 or 4 riders? Some specifics:
- My team has a rider who is a breakaway guy, one sprinter, and a couple of guys happy to hang in the pack
- 2 of the large teams really only share a jersey and don't ride as a team
- 1 team rides with a plan, and usually wants to keep everything together until the final hill with 2k to go
- This race will split on the second lap (big hill at the turnaround) and the final group is usually about 20 or so riders
I am the breakaway guy, and want to go up the road 1/2 way through the first lap (20k in), hopefully with another rider or two and commit to sticking it. My teammates want to sit in the pack, never see the front, and sprint at the end.
What is the better tactic?
I'm from Edmonton... I know exactly the race you are referring to. I generally got popped at the top of the KOM each lap but almost always was able to rejoin by around the feed zone. The selective hill is too far from the finish to make it a climbers course.
I'd say the best chance for a small team is for your sprinter to stay close to the front and dig deep on the lap 2 KOM and then you keep him out of the wind until the last corner. The sprint is one of the safer courses IMO.