Race Tactics

Thanks Steve for the informative lecture on race tactics.   I wish that the whole team could have joined us.  For those that missed it what follows is Steve's lecture outline.....

3 Rules

The rules build on one another to help you ride as efficiently as possible.

Rule #1: Use People

• Draft when you can to save energy
• Make quick decisions to maximize efficiency
• Strategically let others do work

Rule #2: You Can Recover

• Gives you confidence to try new things
• Opens up tactical opportunities
• You won’t be afraid to do some work strategically

Rule #3: Swim Upstream

• The race is at the front and you can’t win from the back
• The current is always moving from front to back
• “Float” and you’ll go backwards
• Move up when the current is slow; hold position when the current is fast
• Less danger at the front
• More steady pace up front
• You can react to tactical situations if you’re at the front

Rule Of 8's

These more advanced concepts help you succeed in almost every competitive situation.

Anticipate

• Knowing what's going to happen before it happens is a serious advantage
• Anticipate changes in course or weather to get in position before everyone wants to do the same thing
• Good racing tactics are predictable, so anticipate others using them as well
• Avoid dangerous situations by evaluating situations and predicting outcomes

Intimidate

• Making other riders do what you want them to do is a powerful skill
• Make things happen for you when you can as safely as possible
• You can gain an advantage over other riders if you convince them that they need to worry
• Know when people are using this rule against you