td.tony

I just did my second ever criterium today and I need some pointers.
First off, this is what happened this morning.

We start off and there isn't a sprint in the beginning like I thought there would be. So, I just sat in the draft for a while. After about 15 minutes, I got really bored and I wanted my heart rate up a little bit, so I decide to lead, how hard could it be, right? I pulled to the front at a pretty fast pace for a measly 2 laps and I got tired..
I was hoping a paceline would naturally form(do they ever just, happen? or does somebody have to yell at everyone?), but everyone just stayed behind me even when I slowed down considerably, until I was going so slow that everyone just jumps past me. I managed to get back in the draft though.

Then with 3 laps to go, I'm in 4th position, thinking this is right where I want to be. Come the last lap, the 3 guys in front of me slowed down, I had thought they were just tired so I pulled ahead. At this point, I had to either slow down and get back in the draft, or just try and pull away. I attempted to do the latter.
Big mistake.
I was pulling for most of the last lap and with only about 200m left, about 12-15 guys just blow right by me.

My question is, why is everyone seemingly so afraid to pull in the front? There were many times when the pace was at a brutally slow 20mph, and yet the guy with fresh legs right behind the leader just would not get in front to pull. It's pretty discouraging being the guy in front crawling at 20mph waiting for everyone to pass, but instead everyone just sucks my wheel.

Is it different in higher category races, or is that the strategy behind crit racing?

There were a lot of unattached riders so could this have been the reason there weren't any attacks or breakaways forming? Are effective pace lines usually formed by members of the same team?



Cliffnotes: To pull, or not to pull? That is the question.

wanders

attack.

waterrockets 

Everyone thinks they can sprint like Cavendish, so they wait for the finish. TThere are probably only a couple actual sprinters in the pack, everyone else should be attacking earlier. My strength is 1' attacks, so I go hard with 800-1000m left.

Wanders is right, attack. When you're working hard at the front, make sure you have a gap, so you're not doing any work for others (unless you have a teammate in the mix, with a plan).

mollusk

Only be on the front if you have a reason to be there.

td.tony

Ah, thanks. I hadn't thought of that.

HogFan

Where do you like to be in the pack when you do this?

waterrockets 

Top 10 somewhere. By the time I get to the front, I want my speed high enough that the front guys can't just move over into my draft. For the guys behind me, it's usually too violent of a start to go with me without some planning. Plus, it seems way to early for someone to go off that hard (looks like a suicide).

Kai Winters

Nobody wanted to pull at the front because they didn't want to end up like you...
Your description left few options for you to do well...your best bet in that position would have been to attack and go as hard as possible until crossing the line...some may have gotten your wheel and some may have passed you but you probably would not have been jobbed like you were.

We always fully support someone that wants to take the front...

It was your "second ever" crit...better than winning you have learned a very valuable lesson...now review the race in your head and think about what went on, what others did...whether they did it to spark someone into doing something, etc...who placed and where were they during the race and most importantly where were they in the last lap, last 500 meters, last 200 meters...you want to learn from that.

Experience is your best teacher...keep a journal, write these thoughts down...learn from them...apply what you learn in the next race, etc.

Thanks for sharing.
Good luck in the next race.

HogFan

Thanks for the tips!

Kai Winters

[quote=td.tony;9663809]I just did my second ever criterium today and I need some pointers.
First off, this is what happened this morning.

We start off and there isn't a sprint in the beginning like I thought there would be. So, I just sat in the draft for a while.

After about 15 minutes, I got really bored and I wanted my heart rate up a little bit, so I decide to lead, how hard could it be, right?
Mistake one...do you want to win/place or not be bored...being bored with low bpm is GOOD Deciding to lead BAD.

I pulled to the front at a pretty fast pace for a measly 2 laps and I got tired..
Everyone in the race with any brains is loving you right now...you have just lost any possibility of placing.

I was hoping a paceline would naturally form,do they ever just, happen?
Yes but it depends on the race, racers, etc.

or does somebody have to yell at everyone?
No one pays attention to someone yelling to take a pull, etc

but everyone just stayed behind me even when I slowed down considerably, until I was going so slow that everyone just jumps past me. I managed to get back in the draft though.
This is typical, especially in the lower catagories. Being in front is BAD in general.

Then with 3 laps to go, I'm in 4th position, thinking this is right where I want to be.
Better off in around 8 to 10 at this point...the guys in front, generally, are going to get jobbed and spit off the back

Come the last lap, the 3 guys in front of me slowed down, I had thought they were just tired so I pulled ahead.
They realized how screwed they were if they remained at the front and were hoping for someone, like you hehehe, to become the sacrificial goat.

At this point, I had to either slow down and get back in the draft, or just try and pull away. I attempted to do the latter.
Big mistake.
I was pulling for most of the last lap and with only about 200m left, about 12-15 guys just blow right by me.
At this point unless you are very strong you are screwed. You did not have the strength or kick to do anything but what you did.

My question is, why is everyone seemingly so afraid to pull in the front?
Because they want to win and whoever is pushing wind, unless very strong, is going to lose...badly.

There were many times when the pace was at a brutally slow 20mph, and yet the guy with fresh legs right behind the leader just would not get in front to pull. It's pretty discouraging being the guy in front crawling at 20mph waiting for everyone to pass, but instead everyone just sucks my wheel.
The goal is to win...it is not a training ride.

Is it different in higher category races, or is that the strategy behind crit racing?
Generally yes. The higher the cat the race can be much different. There is usually much more attacking to drop or burn off as many as possible...gets rid of the poor bike handlers, etc. that could cause a crash or other problems.

There were a lot of unattached riders so could this have been the reason there weren't any attacks or breakaways forming? Are effective pace lines usually formed by members of the same team?
Breaks generally form when one strong rider attacks hard at a key time during the race and others that are waiting for this are strong enough and in a position to climb aboard. It only works when those in the break work together but come the last lap the jockying, slowing down, etc. starts...no one wants to be the first lead out unless they can carry it to the line.

td.tony

Thanks for the detailed responses. Looking back, there was a LOT more going on during that short criterium race than I had thought at the time. Lots of decision making that needs to be done at the right time. I can't wait until the next season starts!

Kai Winters

Just remember this...experience, experience, experience...
Join a club and learn how to ride and race in a crit...now is an excellent time to start as the season is winding down.

jtwilson

Excellent info. I am planning to join a club soon and start racing next season. It's becoming clearer the extent to which winning a race takes much more than just being a strong rider.

It seems ironic how much a proper strategy involves 'holding back' when you'd think a race would entail just the opposite.

theextremist04

There's an old analogy one of my coaches liked about how everyone starts out the race with a certain amount of money, depending on how good of shape you're in, natural talent, etc. So you're an okay racer and start with about $5. There's a guy much better than you that starts with $10. He's sitting there being cocky, constantly attacking, pulling, etc. and spending money at a crazy rate. You're sitting in the pack, barely spending money. When the final sprint comes around, you're down to $3, he's down to $1.50. You spent more wisely and won the race.

Moral of the story: spending money may be more exciting, but it's the smart spenders that always win.

grasscutter

WOW! td.tony...you just summarized my 1st race. Guess that's why they make cat5 noobs get @ least 10 races under their belt b4 considering a jump up!

This thread should seriously be bookmarked for all new racers. Im not joking, when I say the way td.tony described his crit, was exactly what happened in my first RR this weekend. And yup..I led for most of it, and ended up mid-pack.

"Experience"...I got handed a full plate of it Saturday!!!

kudude

listen to Kai. He knows what he's talking about.

Kai Winters

The Feds want you to get 10 races under your belt to learn how to handle your bike and yourself in a field of riders...they really don't care if you are last, lead from the gun, etc...none of that is really dangerous...not being able to hold a line through a fast corner, overlapping the guy in front, getting out of the saddle in a climb and "sagging back" into the bike behind you, being the poor guy behind who did not take "sagging back" into consideration, etc. etc. etc.
These are all skills that you start to learn, often the hard way, in a race...ideally you learn this crap in training races but not as often as we'd all like.

Consider the reason for the first few laps of a crit being so crazy fast...it is not people trying to win...it is the more seasoned racers doing their best to "burn off" all the riders that are inexperienced, don't train well enough, etc. By burning them off it makes a safer race, generally, for the rest. In theory only the stronger and hopefully more experienced racers survive making for a better/safer race.

carpediemracing 

Just to cover the bases - you did read the sticky at the top of this forum?

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=380788

I'm still convinced that watching helmet cams will really help new riders get a feel for a normal race.

For example, sitting 4th at 3 to go is, to me, the worst thing in the world. I don't know if you watched any of the pro races that end in sprints, but at 1 k to go (0.6 miles), a team with less than 3 or 4 guys at the front looks weak. If you need 3 guys in front with about half a mile to go, you want a few more with, say, 3 miles to go.

Personally I want to be 20th or 30th at that point, because I know that even between 400 and 500 meters to go I can advance a lot of positions. Only in the last 300-400 meters to the positions get somewhat stagnant. This is because people are sprinting all out, and if you can't go fast enough, you can't move up. I get stuck in that trap, thinking I can go faster than I really can. Then I don't place.

Case in point, although I didn't wait on purpose, I just moved up when I could (and I could move up only when the pace went really high and people started leaving gaps inadvertently):
https://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.co...ate-games.html
I have other clips if you poke around my Youtube account. The earlier ones have much less specific tactical info, the later ones have some decent stuff.

Since helmet cams may be banned in 2010, please email your local rep (find them on usacycling.org under local associations or email shawn farrell (technical director) under "contact us") and let them know how helpful these clips are in teaching you bike racing.

It seems right now they're on track to be banned for 2010.

Otherwise, get psyched for next season!

cdr