Racers, critique my tactics (video)

[The Domestique]

I'm interested to know what the members of the forum have to say about this race video. I have been using a different forum and have found that I am getting trolled more than would be reasonable to expect. So, I put it here in hopes of starting a dialogue about racing, cycling video production, tactics, fitness, etc. If your criticism is constructive, I look forward to it.

This is a race I did with a six camera shoot. I had three cameras on the bike and three off. It was actually quite easy to set up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPthzVHB5e4

 

[DirtyWorks]

What are your goals? More specifically, are you "practicing racing" the training ride, or "training" for some other goal?

Some simple advice if you are practicing racing. You know who the 2-3 fastest guys are. Stick like glue to their wheels and hold on tight when they launch the inevitable attacks. If you have the power to stay with them, then help the attack succeed.

It looks to me like you need to relax your upper body and perhaps make some adjustments to the fit to get relaxed. IMHO, some time in the gym for upper body is essential to ride crits well.

How many hours does it take to turn all that video into the finished product?

 

[fatsprintking]

Hi Mate,

Like your efforts with the video. You are showing a high level of attention to the cause!!! Gives a really good base for some discussion.

From a tactics point of view, I would say a few things. By being in first or second wheel so much at the start you are using a lot more energy than you need to. You are alays going to be the next guy coming into the wind if you just drop back one wheel. in a situation where there is a lot of side wind you are not getting a lot of shelter being in second wheel.

Also you are not getting to survey the rest of the field to work out who is looking strong etc. The strongest guys will be in maybe 5-7 wheel at this stage of the race. Getting plenty of shelter but close enough to the front that they are not cocertinaring at every turn.

The biggest issue for me though with being so far up the front is that you are responding to any attack when the attacking rider is going at full speed, you are also going to get used up by riders behind as they let you make the effort to cover the attack.

By being a little further back but not to far you give yourself many more options while using the minimum level of energy.

The best attack in a crit like the one you are riding is to counter attack off a strong attack in the last part of the race. up until then cover the strong moves but keep your powder dry. As peple start to tire at the end there will be a really strong attack that creates a good selection, counterattacking off this with a view to riding to the line is your best tacktic unless you trust your sprint in which case you just want to cover the moves, or even better be on the wheel of someone else who is willing to do this hard work

I like your efforts and willingness to put yourself in the mix rather than to just be a passenger though.

 

[Parrot23]

Enjoyed this. Thanks! Lot of work gone into it.

Don't race, so I can't advise you.

But one thought: you're probably moving around in the race more than you normally do just to get the camera angles, etc.

 

[laziali]

Nice video and production. I've raced a lot over 20+ years including as my job many moons ago. Here's some observations that hopefully are of some benefit (times are as per the youtube video). I am being fairly direct here with my critique - please don't take it as flaming, it's meant to help you improve.

Key message - based on the vid, you physically have what it takes to win that race. No question. You just need the right mindset and tactics.

1:27 - yup, you don't want to be on the front. Just keep spinning 90-100rpm in an easier gear and soft pedal it until someone comes over you. That way you don't fry your legs and you get a nice warmup.

1:32 - you push the pace a little. Too early in the race for that - as someone said "you have to lick your opponents plate clean before starting on your own".

2:02 - general observation that some riders in the race seem to have their seats a little too low and then stems a little too high. See 2:02 and 2:44 for example. They are losing out on power big time.

2:50 - I would like to see you a little closer to the back wheel in front. Not much, you are pretty tight, but you could go tighter. Experiment by 1cm increments until you get comfortable with each tighter increment.

3:00 - Initiating the Attack. Good bits first: you were decisive went hard and went smoothly without too much rockin and rollin. Out of the S-Bend was a good spot but not the best.

How to improve the initial phase of the attack:

(1) Attack goal. You didn't have the right goal for an attack that early in the race. You spooked yourself fearing another attack and just went without the correct plan. For an attack that early in a crit, your goal of getting away and then hoping a group bridges is too unlikely to make a consistent return on investment. You goal for an attack that early should be to split the group - ie whittle it down. If you want to get away solo or get away and be joined by a bridge, you need to wait until later in the race to increase the odds of success.

(2) Attack location. The best tactic, particularly for a bunch where the guys further back appear to lack some confidence and/or skill is: 80% attack into the S-Bend then 100% attack out of it. You should practice it in training so you are confident going into the bend REALLY fast. Others won't be so confident and will brake or soft pedal leaving gaps. That means you will not only get away but also split the group.

3:19 - you need to be way tighter on the cones.

3:30. Attack mentality. You let yourself go a number of laps off the front without a winning plan. You were hoping for a bridge but it didn't come, which was always the likelihood that early in the race. Meanwhile you burned your legs which ultimately cost you when the winning move went later in the race. You needed to make a call after only 1 lap away on your own. Either you commit 100% to staying away until the end or you sit up recover and look for another opportunity. If you are committing then you need to have the mindset that either you stay away and win or you don't finish the race. Go 100% to get as big a gap as possible early. That's hard on a parking-lot course where you are always within sight. Then you need to suffer like never before. That's a hard hard road with that much of the race remaining. Me? I would have sat up and regrouped.

4:02 - Justin pulls the group back to you and you wish instead that he had come along. Next race, have a chat with Justin beforehand and convince him to attack as a pair.

4:09 - Your reintegration plan is correct.

4:37 - You move up on your own. Be patient and let someone else tow you up to the front.

4:57 - "Quite a line up". Maybe, but you are talking yourself out of the win. You need to believe you can beat these guys.

5:04 - The winning attack goes. You let the gap grow too big. Have a binary mentality at this point - ie 1:0, total win or total loss. Either you hold the wheel or you are out of the race. Focus 100% of your physical and mental energy on holding the wheel. The moment you hesitate you are placing your fate in the hands of others. Sure, someone else might tow you back up, but you just lost control of your race destiny.

5.13 - Last chance saloon. You NEED rider 711's wheel. Employ previous comment.

Good luck and remember that you are there physically, you just need to race a little smarter. Let us know how you go.

 

[fatsprintking]

Laziali has given you some really good advice I think.

There are certainly some golden rules to keep in mind.

- Don't be on the front without a clear reason to do so.
- Be patient. Until the second half of the race your goal should be to save energy.
- If you are bridging a gap, then the only thing to worry about is getting onto the wheel you are chasing as quick as you can. Pacing yourself up is a false economy and you are better to give a 100% effort for 30 sec and then to sit in the wheel to recover than to spend 3 min trying to get to the wheel at 90%. (you seem to have a handy sprint, but you didn't sprint to get on the wheel when the key attack came)
- As soon as you realise you can't make it, put your focus onto getting onto the next wheel that comes past and hold that. (you wasted too much time stuck in no mans land and then did not have the power to get the next wheel that came past.)
- Defending a position at 5th wheel of so is never a stupid strategy.
- Never just ride on the front for more than a couple of hundred meters. as laziali has said, soft pedal and encourage others to get through. Talk to people and tell them what to do - sometimes someone needs to take a bit of charge.
- If you are strong enough to ride from the back to the front, you should never be right at the back. (you seemed to loose concentration and found yourself at the back)
- Scout out the good wheels to follow and stay on then. You were on the right wheel when the attack came but you had spent to many chips to be able to respond in the way that you are clearly capable of.

Good luck for your next race.


-

 

[The Domestique]

Wow!

Nice video and production. I've raced a lot over 20+ years including as my job many moons ago. Here's some observations that hopefully are of some benefit (times are as per the youtube video). I am being fairly direct here with my critique - please don't take it as flaming, it's meant to help you improve.

Key message - based on the vid, you physically have what it takes to win that race. No question. You just need the right mindset and tactics.

1:27 - yup, you don't want to be on the front. Just keep spinning 90-100rpm in an easier gear and soft pedal it until someone comes over you. That way you don't fry your legs and you get a nice warmup.

1:32 - you push the pace a little. Too early in the race for that - as someone said "you have to lick your opponents plate clean before starting on your own".

2:02 - general observation that some riders in the race seem to have their seats a little too low and then stems a little too high. See 2:02 and 2:44 for example. They are losing out on power big time.

2:50 - I would like to see you a little closer to the back wheel in front. Not much, you are pretty tight, but you could go tighter. Experiment by 1cm increments until you get comfortable with each tighter increment.

3:00 - Initiating the Attack. Good bits first: you were decisive went hard and went smoothly without too much rockin and rollin. Out of the S-Bend was a good spot but not the best.

How to improve the initial phase of the attack:

(1) Attack goal. You didn't have the right goal for an attack that early in the race. You spooked yourself fearing another attack and just went without the correct plan. For an attack that early in a crit, your goal of getting away and then hoping a group bridges is too unlikely to make a consistent return on investment. You goal for an attack that early should be to split the group - ie whittle it down. If you want to get away solo or get away and be joined by a bridge, you need to wait until later in the race to increase the odds of success.

(2) Attack location. The best tactic, particularly for a bunch where the guys further back appear to lack some confidence and/or skill is: 80% attack into the S-Bend then 100% attack out of it. You should practice it in training so you are confident going into the bend REALLY fast. Others won't be so confident and will brake or soft pedal leaving gaps. That means you will not only get away but also split the group.

3:19 - you need to be way tighter on the cones.

3:30. Attack mentality. You let yourself go a number of laps off the front without a winning plan. You were hoping for a bridge but it didn't come, which was always the likelihood that early in the race. Meanwhile you burned your legs which ultimately cost you when the winning move went later in the race. You needed to make a call after only 1 lap away on your own. Either you commit 100% to staying away until the end or you sit up recover and look for another opportunity. If you are committing then you need to have the mindset that either you stay away and win or you don't finish the race. Go 100% to get as big a gap as possible early. That's hard on a parking-lot course where you are always within sight. Then you need to suffer like never before. That's a hard hard road with that much of the race remaining. Me? I would have sat up and regrouped.

4:02 - Justin pulls the group back to you and you wish instead that he had come along. Next race, have a chat with Justin beforehand and convince him to attack as a pair.

4:09 - Your reintegration plan is correct.

4:37 - You move up on your own. Be patient and let someone else tow you up to the front.

4:57 - "Quite a line up". Maybe, but you are talking yourself out of the win. You need to believe you can beat these guys.

5:04 - The winning attack goes. You let the gap grow too big. Have a binary mentality at this point - ie 1:0, total win or total loss. Either you hold the wheel or you are out of the race. Focus 100% of your physical and mental energy on holding the wheel. The moment you hesitate you are placing your fate in the hands of others. Sure, someone else might tow you back up, but you just lost control of your race destiny.

5.13 - Last chance saloon. You NEED rider 711's wheel. Employ previous comment.

Good luck and remember that you are there physically, you just need to race a little smarter. Let us know how you go.

I can honestly say I have never gotten a better and more detailed list of corrections! This is fabulous and really rings true. Thank you, thank you.

 

[Zorotheslacker]

I'm interested to know what the members of the forum have to say about this race video. I have been using a different forum and have found that I am getting trolled more than would be reasonable to expect. So, I put it here in hopes of starting a dialogue about racing, cycling video production, tactics, fitness, etc. If your criticism is constructive, I look forward to it.

This is a race I did with a six camera shoot. I had three cameras on the bike and three off. It was actually quite easy to set up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPthzVHB5e4

Before reading what everyone else says...
Maybe you don't want to be at the back, but you were way close to the front. In this small of a group the back/near the back might not have been so bad. You mentioned 12mph wind. That is a lot to be pushing and one rider will not block as much as a pack.

Were you very warmed up? If not, that lactic acid you get at the start has a way of staying with you. Get real warmed up - 45 min or so before a race like this. Also - you should know the field you should know who is who - and what they did before the race to get prepared. If they didn't warm up - attack early, to get the pace up.