MDcatV

I ride in some form of breakaway in just about every race I enter, but if a winning move goes, I frequently miss it.

My biggest errors are that I typically am either one of the early aggressors (and I dont have the juice to go it alone) or I just get into everything, and end up missing out when the decisive move happens.

So, how do YOU identify what will be the decisive breakaway and make sure you're in it? I know there is watching the racers you know are contenders for the win/podium and following suit, but what else?

Please discuss .....

YMCA

Fitness helps overcome, but if you are of avg fitness, then let breaks develop and bridge last minute.
Lower cats jump on everything that moves, don't be that guy

waterrockets 

I've only been in one successful break, but I picked out one or two guys to really watch, and I didn't let them get away. When I was off with the guy who should win the race, I was extremely aggressive, making sure he knew I was committed, while at the same time putting some real estate between us and the pack.

queerpunk

There's something to be said for knowing who else is in the field and their strengths. One of the things I really liked about spending a season focused on track racing is that I got to know most of the other regulars in the field pretty well. Knowing somebody's strengths and habits, and the format of the race, you've got a lot more information to go on when people make moves.

I'm looking forward to being a regular at some weekly crits for the same reason.

For longer road races I plan to compensate by knowing the terrain and the course as well as I can - lets me make better decisions about what might turn into a successful break.

YMCA

ALWAYS know your competition.
Strengths, weaknesses, team strategies, etc...
Many riders are so focused on their own race, they don't even know their rivals.
Spend enough weeks with the same crowd, it becomes a whole lot easier to base tactics.

MDcatV

just to keep this thread going ...

let's say you're out of district or racing a different race than normal (i.e. racing an age-graded vs. a sr. category race where you typically race), what then?

Bob Dopolina 

+1.

It also helps if you know the course and can identify 1 or 2 places where a break is most likely to go. Then be in the right position before hand to go with your marked riders at those spots.

I also look to see which teams are represented in a move. If one or more of the dominant teams isn't there I sit tight.

One of my favs is to have a team mate attack and take a few riders with him. I then wait and watch which teams chase. This tells me they most likely are or were preparing to make a move themselves soon. Once the break is reeled in I then go with the counter if a strong rider from one of the chasing teams goes.

bitingduck

doesn't mean you can't find out who's going to be there and who to watch.

waterrockets 

Yeah, look at the confirmed rider list, then look up usac results. At the reg table, ask for the bib #s of the fast guys, and write them on your wrist.

merlinextraligh

In our races, you can always check the Florida Points Series standings.

Racer Ex 

You do know I'm racing out of state this year, don't you?



You do know I like the solo break, don't you?

Duke of Kent

I'm always amazed at how people either "forget" or don't know who the big guns are in their own race.

My team rolled up to one of the first races of the year last spring with the current state TT champ and another guy who got 2nd in the Elite Crit at Downers Grove in 2007. TT dude, who had been absolutely killing it that spring (won 2 or 3 collegiate races, top 10 collegiate omnium), is in front of me at the front row, talking to some other people. Then, he announces, as a joke, "I'm going to attack from the gun, boys." Everyone laughs; I smirk but know he might actually do just that. I'd seen him do it before.

When the whistle blows, he KILLS it off the line and has 50m before the first corner. Looks back, drops it down a cog, and gets down to business. People either don't know him or simply don't realize that yes, he is THAT strong.

Eventually, he's a quarter lap up, and a semi-serious bridging move goes off. Five or six strong looking dudes. My sprinter teammate and I latch on. He sits firmly at the back (not because he can't work; because he's not obligated to do so), I'm a rider or two in front of him in case someone decides to go it alone in no man's land, and might stand a chance of catching TT dude. Eventually, people DO decide to attempt to catch him, and I drag the rest of the chase up to them.

The chase eventually makes its way up to TT dude, who is hurting but nothing spectacular. We get to work...and everyone else in the break stops working. Not only that, but the field is now coming to life, and there is a serious effort to pull the break back into the fold. So, TT dude, who is now semi-recovered, jumps away again. Some idiot says "Don't worry about him, it won't stick!". I giggle.

Long story short, our team goes 1-2, with TT dude finishing 30 seconds up on the field. Because a bunch of guys who had been Cat3s the year before hadn't bothered to stick around and watch the Pro/1/2 races the year before, and didn't know anything about anyone.

Lithuania

it depresses me to realize ive never been in a race that had a break

MDcatV

your wrist, teeth, thumb might disagree.

Lithuania

heh that was the only race I was ever in that had any break but i guess i meant a winning break.

bdcheung

I think that's because, as YMCA pointed out, in the lower categories everyone jumps on everything. which means nothing ever sticks.

Lithuania

well yeah duh... depressing in so many ways

Racer Ex 

Not quite true. Occasionally a lower cat break will stick but they are usually driven by guys who'll be catting up soon, at which point it's back to the same old...

Apus^2

Snuffleupagus and I made a break stick once in a cat 4 race.

waterrockets 

Register late?

MDcatV

I was a 4 for approx. 25 races, I can think of 6 that ended in breakaways that stuck. it happens, even in MABRA land, just not that often.

Snuffleupagus

Indeed we did

Looking back, almost every time I've placed in the top ten of a CAT5 through 1/2/3 race, I've been in a break or lapped the field. One slight exception, I pulled 9th because our 4-5ish man break got caught by the field during the last couple hundred meters, and another unremarkable 7thish in a field sprint.

This nonsense about breaks never sticking is just that, nonsense. At least in NC/SC/GA where I've done the predominance of my racing.

cmh

I've been in winning breaks in Cat 5, Cat 3, P123, and 40+ races (although I have never won from one of those breaks - maybe I work too hard). You can make it happen at all levels of racing.

carpediemracing 

I've raced out of my area a few times. A couple times I was totally unsuccessful, a couples times I did okay. I go by the following guidelines, not necessarily in order.

1. Fat guys don't win. Exceptions... One was at the Tour of Michigan, Cat 3s. 2nd overall (I think - he crashed on the last day and I think he lost the lead by not placing high enough at the end) looked "husky" and slayed all with no team. Another exception - Bethlehem crit, Cat 3s, where an obese looking Gibby Hatton (3rd one year in Pro Keirin Worlds) won a race easily. Usually though you let the heavier guys get away. When I say heavy, I mean the ones with bellies, not the track sprinter types.

2. Follow guys who attack all the time when the field starts getting tired of their attacks. If guys go after him quickly you let them chase. If the attacker can get 10-15 seconds before he's reeled back, then he's good enough. When he goes and no one chases for a lap, bridge hard.

3. When the field is all splintery up front. Usually when a break gets caught, maybe a prime sprint, there will be 20-30 guys scattered over 50-100 meters, no one really intent on doing anything except catching their breath. If more than two or three guys goes, go with them. When the field reforms you automatically have 100 meters, maybe 8-10 seconds. If it looks good, work, if not, don't. If your break gets caught you should be ready for a counter attack. I've attacked, been in a break, then gotten caught, and it's *shocking* how hard the chasers are going. You can take advantage of this by going with the next attack since you're relatively fresh.

4. When there is a big team, figure out who the strong guy is. Figure he's NOT the one that chases down the first attack. When he goes, go with him. His team will block.

5. In certain courses the second or third break always wins. Wait for that break, or at least the next one, and don't bridge up to a doomed one. I've waited 10-20 laps for such a break, and although I couldn't hang, the break has gone on to win.

6. If it's windy, hilly, narrow roads, anything that makes working together more difficult, stay near the front. It takes immense strength but you can follow the big moves. Usually if you end up in a break it's more a surprise than intentional - it's more a split than an attack. However this is more a "how strong are you" tactic, not a "use your brains" tactic.

7. I read somewhere that a solo rider can bridge 10 seconds unassisted in a typical crit type race. So if a break looks promising and you want in, bridge before it gets out past 10-12 seconds. I've bridged about that gap but it really hurts. I've seen guys go across 40 seconds solo (in the 3s) but that's unusual.

8. If you bridge, bridge hard. Don't TT for 10 laps, do it in half a lap. Pros take their time, us amateurs need to get the job done before we blow up.

9. When to bridge to a break? When guys are blocking like mad at the front. This means some pack riders have a vested interest in making the break work. Wait for an opening and jump away. If you drag the others with you, go with the next break that has that team in it.

10. Finally, if you see a team with a lot of guys in the race, and one guy is yelling a lot at the others, he's probably the designated leader. Keep an eye on him.

Finally make sure that you don't attract unnecessary attention. One of my former teammates would noodle off the front. He'd either pedal really inefficiently and get maybe 10-20 meters (i.e. looks like a doofus) or he'd roll off the front while looking down at his derailleur and shift it all over the place. He had other tactics too but I use them sometimes but you get the idea

When he had a small gap he'd start working, and he could hang out in front of the field for a long time. Although his attacks lacked drama, they worked because of that. He didn't do "Then I slammed it into the 12, did a HUGE jump, popped it in the 11, and then hammered my brains out for a lap... I have no idea why anyone chased me, but I couldn't get away". He did "Oh, the guy that won? I never saw him go off the front. What? He was out for only 2 laps? How the heck did I miss him? I was at the front from 5 to go. What? That guy won? I thought he was warming up on the backstretch for the next race..."

Heh.

cdr

cmh

It can help a lot to have a strong and deep team. Then if you miss what looks like a promising break, you (or just your teammates) can work together to bring it back, then counter. However, in lower cats (and often in higher cats all the way up to the pros) once a team puts 3 or more guys on the front to bring back a break, nobody else does a lick of work. So you have to be capable of bringing the break back and have someone in reserve to counter.