Racing Etiquette

peterlip

For all you seasoned riders out there, a question (or two) about bike racing.
Background:
I've been racing since mid Jan, and have seen the same story played out almost every week.
Start race with 10-20 riders.
Through the course of the race, between 3 and 5 of us, will share the work at the front. Everyone else will just sit and wait.
In the last 500m (or less), around come the guys who have sat on the back for the entire race, and the race is usually won by someone who's done no work at all.
Now, I realise that sitting on the back uses 20% less than the poor work horse out front, and it would be good tactics to not work and save yourself for the finish, but isn't there some etiquette that everyone should (if they can) share the work load? Or is this a fantasy?
BTW, I'm one of the losers that will sit out front from time to time. I usually mistime it beautifully to find myself out front as we get a bell lap, which means NO ONE COMES AROUND, until the last 300m (of course).
When I first started, in F grade (they go down to G), I was fit enough to do my fair share of work, and still have enough at the end to win the sprint. Having been put up to E, its just that little bit faster that too much work at the front takes the sting out of my sprint.

Finally, question time:
I suppose the question I have is should I ever have the desire to actually win, should I:
1. Sit up the back for most of the race, or at least the 2nd half until the last 300m. I have no doubt that this will work (because I have calf muscles that scare small children), however, it doesn't feel right.
2. Attempt a breakaway. Since being in E grade, there has been, let me think, zero breakaway attempts in the last 6 weeks. So, the problem I see is if I try, I really would need someone (or two) to go with me and because of the lack of previous breakaways, will anyone else know what to do?
What's the racing etiquette here? Can I check out the form of the riders, and whisper to the guy or girl who seems pretty strong, we should make a break. Or do I just breakaway unannounced, and sit off the front and hope someone will try and come accross before I run out of steam?
I probably should talk to people in the higher grades, as they seem to have breakaways every week.

Thoughts, comments?

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PartisanRanger

There's really no racing etiquette as far as pulling is concerned in the main pack. You really should be on the front as little as possible, unless you have a purpose in doing so (chasing down a break, leading out for a teammate, etc). The ideal race strategy if you want to take the bunch sprint is to move up to the front, maybe 2nd or 3rd wheel back, for the finishing stretch so you can cover any moves or make one of your own. Your idea about talking to fellow riders about starting a breakaway is probably a good one, from your description it sounds like most would be inclined to continue sitting in if you just went.

jerrek

I think this is how it often is in lower grades (where i ride). Sometimes just making a move up the road will make others bridge to you to form a break. The iportant thing is if your on the front and someone makes a break. Don't sacrifice yourself bringing the group back. Thats the main reason i see races always finish this way. Theres always someone willing to sacrifice themselves.
If only 3 - 5 are doing the work

A. Don't work to hard unless you are dropping people.
B. Have an understanding to make small breaks with the other workers but don't chaase them down. Let the non-workers chase them down for you.

peterlip

I think in my first or second race, there was a breakaway (in F grade), and I was one of the people responsible for bringing them back.
So, what should've happened was, let them go and let others work. Then, if feeling good, break from the group and attempt to join the breakaway without dragging the pack with me.

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Road: Felt F70
Commute: Raceline Comp LX

Bigbananabike

Another option - Put in a protest against the winner if they're someone who has just sat in and not worked. Our club takes this very seriously and the protest is likely to be upheld - so the sprinters have to work too.

I used to fall for this in my early 20s. I'd be one of the ones working my butt off and some scumbag(I can still remember them) would burgle a place in the finish sprint . I was too green to protest. Some times I or someone else would give them a word in the bunch while we were riding - that helped.
If you do it and it succeeds then others will hopefully get the idea that they can't just sit in and need to be seen to be doing work and also that you're someone who's not to be messed with.

tonyzackery

I'm sorry, but I have to cry "B/S" on this post. Protesting because someone came around you and took the sprint win?! Give me a break! There's no shame in playing tactics better than someone else. This sounds like a bunch of whining from a racer that can neither sprint nor is strong enough to drop a sprinter. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but that is the reality of your post.

Bottomline is that if you don't want someone to outsprint you, you need to drop them first. If you can't drop 'em, then you (no sprint AND not enough strength) shouldn't win anyway. The fact is the truth hurts sometimes...

Eden

I'm wondering if we don't understand something about the dynamic of the NZ/Auzzie clubs? From the original poster it sounds like they only race against their own club mates???? I thought the same thing as you when I read Bannana's post. Really sheesh, if you are working good team tactics then you try to protect your sprinter, not make them work and its up to the other teams to break it up. If everyone is expected to go it alone..... (in the other thread on the same subject by this guy someone else from the area mentions collusion between racers is against the rules in his club??????????). Here we race as teams not individuals and heck sometimes it even works!

sogood

That's true. A lot of the weekly local criterium races are club organized events. Although it's invitational, attended by members of other clubs, but mostly they are every man for themselves. Open events are rarer and these are the ones that involves team tactics etc. So you are right, when everyone is for themselves, many choose to hide and bludge until the sprint.

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peterlip

Correct, we race as individuals here.
And, I'm almost certain that if I said, "protest, he didn't contribute", I'd be laughed at. This is a veterans league, so its full of cunning old, um, cyclists.

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Road: Felt F70
Commute: Raceline Comp LX

sogood

I know exactly what you mean. Makes the race rather boring in the sense that everyone just take their time in looping the circuit and jump at the final 200 or so metres. We are still plotting to see how we can break this up and make the racing more interesting. Otherwise it's just like a higher paced training ride on a bendy circuit.

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dm69

If its a club race then keep working up the front and get a good workout, club races dont count anyway so the bludgers ae only hurting themselves by not getting a good effort in. Just make sure you dont go to opens and be the dumb workhorse unless your team needs you to be.

If someone sits in all day then sprints past you at an open then he was the better cyclist...it would be a sad day when only the strongest cyclist could win the race! My advice for races that count: Drop the sprinters first! Or sit in yourself and use those "scary" calves of yours in the sprint .

The size of your calf muscle probably has very little to do with your sprinting ability...if they were that "scary" you wouldn't be an E-grader.
If you dont have a desire to win then your just getting in the way of everyone else. Wanting to win is a fairly major requirement in winning bike races...you start bike races to try and win bike races dont you?

peterlip

I probably should clarify. The "scary" term is kind of a in joke in our house hold. They're really only big and scary compared to everyone else in our family (no other cyclists). Probably, just average in the cycling world.
As for desire to win, yes it's there, but there's also the desire to have a good workout and the desire to having contributed to the pack. I suppose a few years of social pack riding where everyone helps has me in the habit of wanting to contribute. A habit which I probably have to unlearn if I want to be a ruthless winner. I'm only in 8th week. Give me a few more months before I get the take no prisoners attitude.

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Road: Felt F70
Commute: Raceline Comp LX

tonyzackery

I surely don't understand a "racing" dynamic where you don't use all your legal resources to win the race. But as has been mentioned by subsequent posters, it appears these "races" are glorified training sessions. Be that as it may, but if I want to train by doing some tempo work within a group setting I'll do that, but if I'm in a RACE - I'm racing to win using every legal tactic I can.

There are no moral victories in losing, IMO. If you lost a race to a legal winner because you burned more energy by take longer pulls than him/her - fact of the matter is you lost. If you outsmarted someone by doing less work until the time that it really mattered and won - you're the winner. Simple...

JAPANic

Sprinters normaly burn off their power a lot easier than the all rounders.
To get rid of them you need to be able to vary the pace of the race.

Sprinters hate to go fast early in the race, so try and drop them from the start. If they come back, burn them off again.

If you let them sit on your tail it's your own fault. Lots of interval training and lots of attacks.

I'm a sprinter, and I love it when the race pace is very slow. I hate it when there are lots of spurts and the pace is hard for the whole race. I hate it when everybody is forced to the front because the rotations are fast. I hate it when I see guys attacking from anywhere as I want to be on their wheels but sometimes I'm not in position to jump on their energy.

I don't think it's fair to change the rules so that sprinters are disadvantaged.
Racing is a game of chess and sprinters are the Knights. They can jump out of nowhere and pounce on the finish line.

Don't be PaWNED! (owned).

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