Team Tactics
We've had some good results in the last couple of races. But, they were likely not as successful as they could have been had we been more organized. No doubt everyone involved would have been willing to do anything for any teammate if they knew what to do going in. If we had some mutual understanding about Team Tactics, we might have had even MORE fun and would have certainly experienced less frustration about finishing position. Because the purpose of these races is to have fun, test our endurance, and achieve what we can, aligning our efforts should produce a killer good time.
This thread will be aimed at aligning some basic principles that we can adhere to make these.
Possible team goals (for every race)
• Get a rider (or more) on the podium. Having a guy represented in the top 3 in every race is a real point of pride for a team.
• Get folks in the top ten. This gives guys a chance to earn upgrade points if they are interested.
• Let people try different roles. This just makes it fun.
Feel free to chime in on these and lend your support or suggestions. We'll make each of the basic ideas their own response. Add more if you like.
Roles
There are typically a handful of roles employed in team tactics. This is from a daily peloton artical. http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10694
"The most valuable thing your team can do is to have a meeting and discuss roles for the event. Your team should meet prior to warming up to discuss tactics for the race. Once your team gets into the habit of having these meetings, these pre-race meetings will not take much time at all.
One of the key aspects of the pre race meeting needs to be, to establish each racers role for the event. Each team member should have a specific and detailed role for the race. Although these roles need to be clearly outlined and defined they can still be flexible. When each rider leaves the team meeting he/she should very clearly understand their role as well as other team member’s role for the day within the context of the team’s objective.
By assigning roles you can address each rider’s strengths and weaknesses and factor them into the game plan for the day. By dispersing roles your team will increase their chances of winning! Be sure to factor in that the team needs to cover important moves in the race and work to have a “man up the road” if the group up the road looks like it could stick to the finish. Factor in attacking, counter attacking, climbs, wind direction and speed, as well as other elements that can affect the race’s outcome."
Roles include:
Sprinters/Attackers: These are usually some pretty strong guys. They are always animating a race. Whether in a getting in break or counter-attacking when the break is caught, they are always trying to get off the front and on the podium. They are NOT responsible for bringing back a break.
Domestique: These guys are the ones who make it possible for the sprinters to do their thing. They pull back breaks (NOT containing a teammate) by getting on the front and hammering it. They BLOCK the field (riding just fast enough to stay on the front but not gain ground) to prevent breaks with a teammate in it from getting pulled back. They pull teammates, save them from the wind, drag them from the back of the group to the front, and provide a lead out.
Well organized teams win races and have more fun.
Rules
From http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10694
• Know your role: Each rider should have a clear understanding of the team’s goals and how he/she fits into these goals
• Always have a rider in noteworthy breakaways: Do not put your team behind the 8 ball. Place a rider or riders in key breakaways.
• One team member in the wind at a time: No more than one team rider should be working in the wind at any given time. Share the work and be aware of what is going on around you. Do not push the pace in the breakaway if you have a rider bridging and trying to make contact with the break.
• Work benefits you or your team: Never do any work that benefits someone else or another team more than it benefits you or your team. Do not ride in the wind or pull for no reason.
• Know when to attack the breakaway or peloton: Is everyone tired or feeling fresh? If you attack is it to win? What is the purpose of the attack?
• To chase or not to chase: Know when and why to chase. Is it better to bridge or to chase?
• Practice Lead Outs: Know how to effectively lead out and take charge of field sprints.
• Communicate clearly: Be sure to communicate with your team members as the race changes and changes to your team’s strategy are made. Don’t whisper. Talk clearly and loudly enough for your team to hear you. Even if others hear you they still have to stop you and your plan.
• Do not get clumped up: As a team, do not ride all together. Spreading out will increase your chances of following attacks and decrease the odds of more than one team member being involved in the same crash should that occur.
• Organize your leadout to maintain control at the end.
The Lead Out Train
Since the goal is to get your team on the podium, organizing a lead out to protect and propel your sprinter to the line is key. The team should assemble at the front with 4 laps to go and drive the pace. It should be quick enough to prevent anyone else from trying to move up. They should all be hanging on. The team becomes stages of a rocket, each rider using up all their remaining fuel and falling off. If done correctly, the sprinter is protected from the wind and placed 200m before the line with all contenders behind him.
If the pace is quick enough and steady enough, the rest of the field will string out, elastic will stretch and only a couple of folks will be left. Usually the last 2-3 team riders will finish pretty high. 4 total riders can do this pretty well.
We have enough to
It takes an unselfish group of guys to make this happen but it is glorious when it is done right.
This video shows the last two stages of such a train. Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCUD0CPKJSM
Excellent!
Excellent information. We should have a planning meeting before the next race and assign jobs. I'm ready to be Mark Renshaw for anybody who's game. Let's go!
Agreed.
I am happy to be any stage in that rocket. Eric, you are perfect for that role because you're a great sprinter.
Team Roles
I am game. Thank you for osting this as I am a visual learner. This will help me to know how the strategy works. I am wlling to be any stage of the rocket as well. I really like the whole team work to get Eric the number one spot. I am up for meeting. Had I known more about this I could have contributed and positioned better at the last race to have it happen. Let me know where I would fit in the best. The first race I would have been worthless but the way the last race went I could have put out more to get Eric out to the front. Thanks for all the info and the videos. You can't help to not get pumped after watching that.
Totally!
Its a thing of beauty to watch. As we ALL get more experience in racing together, we'll be able to work together more seamlessly. We'll be able to recognize when a break needs pulled back and just say, "lets go get it" and get on the front and pull it back. The key is elevating beyond pure survival instincts. When we know that we'll use our energy through out, we'll be willing to move up and take control. You, Steve, are a strong rider. You'll have no problem doing whatever you want in these races.
Team tactics
Great job Chris,
With a little help we can reduce the comments on "what not to do by team Blue" in the pack :). One comment I would add, when anyone does do an attack, you need to create a gap by attacking hard enough and/or off to the side of the group to create a split in the group. If you don't manage a split, you aren't really attacking you are just forcing the pace.
Anymore I don't feel like suffering much. Might get more into hurting as time goes on though and I will play games with you all more then. It was a lot of fun having a group of people in the race though, that is for sure.
Where'd everybody go?
Man... I was getting excited for this week after all this tactic talk, but then just Chris and I showed up. It was another awesome race though. After a beauty of a bridge by Chris early in the race, the pack reeled his group back only for more attacks to go and then the definitive break was formed. I got into the break group while Chris stayed back to block and conserve in the field. Since there were riders from most teams up there, the field was on a pleasure cruise and we ended up lapping them right at 5 laps to go. Chris jumped in front of me and led me back up front, where he started to ramp the pace... but it wasn't quite moving fast enough and I could tell the others were swarming in. It was time to get this thing moving, so I told him to "release the Kraken" and just unload the tank now with 3 to go and I'd go for broke whenever he pealed off. I knew it was rolling the dice, but I felt strong. He threw down a furious pace which totally strung the field out single file... it worked great, but the wind killed him and he died earlier than he wanted with a lap and third to go. This is where we needed another man for more speed! I launched the very second his elbow flicked and laid down an immediate gap on the contenders. There were some strong chasers, but with 3/4's lap to go they actually started to fall back and the gap was widening. I kept on the gas but started to fade big-time right in the same spot Chris had earlier. Lost River was organized and working to pull their sprinter close enough to launch him... which had him barreling down on me with the final two corners still to go. I could see him gaining, but still thought I could hold it. I'd give it everything I had, then slight rest to try to recover for a second, then go again, and again... my legs were on FIRE. If the finish line was 20ft sooner I would've had it, but he caught me perfectly right at the line and won by a wheel. We really needed another guy to help with the rocket booster and it could've been a done deal. Another super fun night!! (Sad it's my last crit of the season probably.)
Sweet!
There's a man who knows how to tell his legs to "SHUT UP!"
And by that
I'm referring to BOTH hardmen who threw down yesterday!
Race
Sorry, too much to try to get accomplished before the trip for me. Sounds like you both had a great night though!
Come race next week
If you're here of course! Rob and Don also!
Race
I feel so bad that I couldn't be there to help. I planned on it and at the last second went to Utah. You guys were awesome. Sorry we let you down. Hope to be there next week. I know a few are going to be gone. Great job out there representing the team.
Let's do it!
I'd love to race with you any time Steve. I'll be there and I don't really want to be alone. :)
Tues Crit. 7/10/12
I plan on being there tonight. Hope we can get a good group out there this time. Who all is coming?
I was!
Believe it or not, I almost won! 2nd wheel on the bell lap and sprinted a fraction too late and got swallowed up. Still finished in the tip of the sword!