Tactics for the Lakeside Team points race

Following are 7 points to consider for a breakaway at Lakeside, based on readings of cycling books and racing blogs, and talking with A grade racers, two bike coaches, and the Ascot Catering guys.

1.
the whole team should stay towards the front for the first 30 minutes, and go with all breaks. Be mindful of not being boxed in on the inside. Staying on the outside line when not on the front will allow you to respond unimpeded to a break. Work with the other break team to maintain or build the gap for the rest of the race, then battle it out in the last 2 laps. A two team break is more likely to be challenged vigorously by the pack, especially in teams racing.

2.
keep in mind it is a common strategy in teams racing for a team to do one or more false breaks, where they attack for a brief period to find out who is committed to staying with them, or chasing. As part of the art of deception, these false breaks are carried out with overt 'effort' (maybe talking/shouting at team mates, getting out of the saddle, grinding hard at the start, or very high cadence), but the full effort is not sustained, and within 1-2 mins the team expresses signs of red lining, and falls back to the pack. This is all part of deceiving the pack about the true strength of the break team, to lull them into not being as motivated to respond to the 3rd or 4th break, which is the real one. False breaks are used to discover which teams are prepared to chase. When a real break is intended, it should initiated when these other teams are compromised to chase i.e. when they are on the inside line, or have just had a spell at the lead and are recovering.

3.
When should a real break occur?
Generally it is felt to be too hard for a small break to maintain a gap from too early in the race. From my data collection of C grade lap times, I think it reasonable to break at Lakeside with 9-12 minutes to go (3-4 laps).
Reasons:
- enough time to establish a gap
- early enough to have the pack not attack as aggressively out of a sense of urgency.
- short enough to maintain a higher average speed than an ambivalent pack.

4.
Where should it occur?
- As discussed in recent emails, just as A grade are about to pass, and the pack is strung out and slowing to let them through.
This will compromise the a chase by the pack.
- As Tom suggested last night in the shelter, towards the end of the straight, where speed can be built so there is a momentum advantage when the break team hits the first rise. The pack hopefully won't be up to the same speed so will have less momentum on the hill. Further, packs tend to slow on hills as pack speed slows to lowest common denominators, and guys focus on not running into the wheel in front. Another advantage is it should spread the pack more (based on fitness), and maybe break it up.

5.
Creating the gap
The element of surprise and an intense explosive 90 second effort, that avoids redlining, is the most critical component of creating a successful gap. Maintaining the highest break speed for the least energy expenditure will rely on running a very tight drafting paceline.
The initial attack would have short spells on the front, say 5-10 seconds, for the first 90 seconds. From my observations, the break might go like this:

48kph for 20 seconds
47 for 20s
46 for 20 s
45 for 30 s

38 for 30-60s (recovery)

43 for 60s
40 for xx

Naturally, it will be determined on whether the pack is going to attack, and at what speed, and for how long. Insight into their behavior would be gained from earlier false breaks.


6.
Maintaining the gap.
After the first 90 seconds, a tight revolving paceline can be settled into at a speed similar to the pack average (40kph).
If the gap is over 100 metres, then 2 or 3 x 30 second recovery periods can be indulged at a speed of 38kph.
An adequate gap 5 minutes from the finish is considered to be 12-15 seconds. At 40kph, that's 150metres.
For the pack to catch a 40kph break at an average speed 5kph higher (45kph), it will take 1m48s. Based on my recording of c grade lap times, C grade have never sustained 45kph for this long.
As discussed in the emails, the rear rider in a paceline will want to keep an eye on the pack to ensure the break responds quickly to pack efforts.

Depending on the response of the pack, and the gap, placing at the finish may require sacrificing several members of the team as lead outs in the last 1-2 laps. They may need to put in low/mid 40 efforts to maintain the gap. To my mind, it is better to sacrifice several riders to get 2 riders over the line first, then risk the gap being closed and risk getting minor or no placings.


7.
More points
20% of all points are only available to female riders. The women's prime is worth 1 and the finish is 2 points for 1st and 1 pt for 2nd.
This means one female rider, who doesn't finish in the top 5, can gain a max of 3 points. Statistically, this does not warrant a team break compromising speed for the sake of the female rider. Best to let her fall back to the pack and battle it out with the few females there.


I am sure Adam Baker would be a rich source of tactical info.
I'll be taking a keen interest in the race, and hope to see the sprinters outfoxed by endurance guys using superior strategy.

I am also considering getting a gopro vid camera to record finishes, or attach to a bike. Guys are doing this in Sydney and Melbourne races now, and it is a really good tool for refining race strategy.

Keen to hear others' views either here or at the track.

Well done Bruce, I think you've covered most relevant stuff there. The trick now is to rehearse/plan a strategy whilst warming up on Saturday, and in my case, try to REMEMBER it when the heartrate tells me I should be almost DEAD!! :/

Hey Bruce and 180 (sorry, who is 180, please?) Maths was never my strong point. When you talk of doing this or that for 20 or whatever seconds, how do you know when the 20 seconds are up. Is it a guess? Do you count the seconds? I am too blind to check it on my computer. So I suppose I will have to count but in a race everybody's idea of a second could be quite different - in my case I would probably end up counting at the same rate as my breathing! - so in the end we are left with a guess? I have to agree with 180, if I am on the front for the whole race and chasing break after break I'll red-line very quickly.