Race Tactics: The Block

[The Domestique]

In a recent race, my teammate immediate made the break. I have always been told it's a good strategy to block, i.e. set a false tempo on the front that helps them get away. Others believe the exact opposite. This short video shows what I did (with the help of another rider who had a teammate in the break) to help them stay away. Even though it worked, another experienced racer chastised me saying, "NEVER sit on the front if your teammate is up the road."

In my own defense, I watched the position of the break around corners, glanced at my elapsed time on my Garmin, and made sure the gap was going up while doing it. 25sec, 30sec, 45sec etc while maintaining a pace that kept most of the field convinced they were coming back. Yet, I still got chewed out.

Watch and see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6quL5xneAjs

So, with a teammate up the road. Is it a good tactic to...

A) Get on the front to regulate the pace...
B) Stay off the front and let teams or individuals organize a chase...
C) None of the above (enlighten me)

I'd love to know what you think.

 

[ElChingon]

Yea, you pretty much tricked those guys so a plus. On a more awake/knowledgeable field you'll have a tougher time if not a few elbows. Blocking works but can also cause you to be labeled badly if you race the same guys again.

It works even better if you wear a different jersey than your friend(s)/teammate(s), best con job in amateur racing. (Not that I've ever done that )

 

[Scott SoCal]

So, with a teammate up the road. Is it a good tactic to...

A) Get on the front to regulate the pace...
B) Stay off the front and let teams or individuals organize a chase...
C) None of the above (enlighten me)

I'd love to know what you think.

A) Get on the front to regulate the pace...

No. It's immediately obvious what you are doing. Everyone will know you aren't going to chase your team mate (although I've seen it happen more times than I can count). You will not make any friends whatsoever with this tactic.

B) Stay off the front and let teams or individuals organize a chase...

Stay near the front, not at the front. Go with anything that moves (unless your team has a different game-plan). Let somebody tow you to your mate, sit on, don't interrupt their rotation, don't take any pulls (as you don't want to chase your mate), and counter attack the instant they drag you to the break (or depending on who is in the break, you may want to use superior numbers in the break to more firmly establish it and attack later).

Later on, you'll want to know who is in the break with your mate and whether they are capable or not. Generally it's smart to know who the stronger guys are... but in the absence of that knowledge, go race your bike. You'll have more fun.

 

[Boeing]

We use, and I have been the victim of, a Block here in big training groups but slightly different timing.

We use a block so to speak to break the pack and its not a race . usually on a Saturday through Pendelton or on PCH in the SD area where big groups from different rides tend to mesh and cause a little chaos. Although think I learned it the hard way in crits years ago

IT takes some knowing each other as you said above. Send a few guys feeling good to surge the tempo high and low and then about the third or fourth surge (surge as in 18 to 30 and back down) a few of us mid pac have started to drift guys out just and the next surge hits. I dont want to say push because there is no un safe intentions. But usually they get stuck out in the wind redlined and they arent around to bug us any more.

there is a risk you yourself will get caught out as I have many times but then I just call it false tempo

on another note Scott is a major kokblocker here in so cal

 

[DirtyWorks]

No. It's immediately obvious what you are doing. Everyone will know you aren't going to chase your team mate

Agreed.

You will not make any friends whatsoever with this tactic.

Huh? You just got through telling the racer everyone knows what he's doing up there. To use an analogy, Let's play chess and you'll get mad at me for not giving up my queen. Fiddling with the pace is part of the game.

It's one thing to sit up on the front as described. It's another to be more physical about blocking at the front. That most of us have seen the latter and I think we all agree that's definitely not going to win any friends. The former as described I have no problem with.

Let somebody tow you to your mate, sit on, don't interrupt their rotation, don't take any pulls (as you don't want to chase your mate), and counter attack the instant they drag you to the break.

I totally agree with this tactic too. It's different than what the OP described though.

 

[Scott SoCal]

Agreed.

Huh? You just got through telling the racer everyone knows what he's doing up there. To use an analogy, Let's play chess and you'll get mad at me for not giving up my queen. Fiddling with the pace is part of the game.

It's one thing to sit up on the front as described. It's another to be more physical about blocking at the front. That most of us have seen the latter and I think we all agree that's definitely not going to win any friends. The former as described I have no problem with.


I totally agree with this tactic too. It's different than what the OP described though.

Fiddling with the pace is part of the game

If you go through the rotations... staying at/near the front, there's no problem. But fiddling with the pace is a real fine line.

 

[Scott SoCal]

on another note Scott is a major kokblocker here in so cal

A veritable road hog.

 

[silverrocket]

We use, and I have been the victim of, a Block here in big training groups but slightly different timing.

We use a block so to speak to break the pack and its not a race . usually on a Saturday through Pendelton or on PCH in the SD area where big groups from different rides tend to mesh and cause a little chaos. Although think I learned it the hard way in crits years ago
...]

Where I ride we have an unwritten rule against blocking in training rides, but in a real race, it's a fair strategy. It's kind of like wheel-sucking: there is nothing wrong with it, it works, it annoys everybody else, but anyone can do something about it if they don't like it (ride harder, don't let blockers up at the front, etc.)

 

[laziali]

Another nice vid TD - keep them coming!

Some general observations:

1. The Block (or riding a false tempo to allow a declared teammate in the break to get a gap) is a longstanding and entirely legitimate practice.

2. You and the other guy who had a teammate in the break executed the Block fairly - you kept it subtle(ish), held your line and didn't try to muscle aside other riders to reintegrate in the line.

3. The Block appears to be effective in this case - it looks from the vid like the break stayed away.

Now for the tactics:

4. Should you always use a block when a teammate is up road? Only when you can tick all of these boxes:

(a) The break has a realistic chance of success and your teammate of placing highly within it.

(b) You are not the team's sole back-up option and so can afford to be on the front burning your legs (even though not a full pace).

(c) Your team values winning this race more than building friendships with other teams for use in later races. Understandably, while the Block is entirely legitimate, you will still p!ss off some other riders. Put another way, the more important the race, the more you can get away with a Block.

(d) You are able to reintegrate high in the line without having to bump or seriously intimidate another rider off a wheel. (In your race, they let you integrate no problems).

4. If you are the "victim" of a Block, here's how to beat it:

(a) First and foremost, hold a very tight paceline so the blocker(s) can't reintegrate high-up. Immediately their impact is reduced.

(b) Second wheel should roll over the top of the Blocker straight-away, at the same pace as the non-blocking rider on the front immediately before the Blocker.

(c) In the alternative, leave the Blocker on the front for a while and then jump him with an attack and try to bridge up. If caught, repeat as many times as necessary.

5. The guy that had a cry about it and said "NEVER sit on the front if your teammate is up the road" has no basis for complaint. The options at 4 above were open to him. He is just trying to intimidate you and should be ignored.

 

[fatsprintking]

Over here you would only get away with blocking in a lower grade where people did not know why was going on. In higher grades you would get told in no uncertain terms to "f$&@k $&f".

It's a legitimate tactic, but normally you would only expect to be able to do it for a short time. Generally it is a good tactic for a late break where you are trying to hold the bunch up for just long enough for your man to have a chance to get away without someone jumping on their wheel.

As for old mate telling you "never", that sounds like a bloke who thinks he knows what he is talking about but really has no idea. Bike races are complicated and most of the time the "rules" are overated. One of the things I learnt when I was a kid and started racing was that old racers were really happy to give you hell for doing something, but were also pretty happy to break the "rules" themselves when it suited them.

Your tactics are fine if you or your teammate wins and you don't put anyone else in danger or do anything clearly illegal. Whether the blokes you are racing with will "praise" your victory is another matter. You are not there to make friends, but you do have to think about how many enemies you want to make. Too many tricky victories will see people going out of their way down the track to make sure you and your mate don't win. You have to keep the long game in mind.

 

[RidingSeed]

It works even better if you wear a different jersey than your friend(s)/teammate(s), best con job in amateur racing. (Not that I've ever done that )

sure you haven't.

also, I'd personally stay close to the front so that I won't be too obvious.

 

[King Boonen]

Perfectly legitimate tactic. Works even better at the end of a race if another teams sprinter gets on your wheel...