Pacelines

Pacelines

Pacelines are a basic element of bicycle riding and racing. It’s been said that you gain about 30% more efficiency/energy savings (give or take depending on wind conditions) by drafting. With that much energy savings it’s easy to see why riders tend to travel in packs rather than by themselves. Just a few weeks ago at the Giro D’Itialia we were treated with watching one of the most beautiful elements of bicycle racing, the Team Time Trial. We can view the Team Time Trial and a group ride pace line or a break away with many of the same angles.

The goal of an efficient pace line is to ride as “allies” and share the work load at the front (into the wind) of the group. The more people helping, the less energy everybody has to expend. The smoother the group, the easier it is to maintain a higher pace. If a group’s pace is choppy, it’s not likely to hold together for much longer. Sometimes those who are stronger may cause too much of a rapid increase in the pace line’s speed. Or weaker riders may slow the group down causing riders to pull their brakes (which is very dangerous in any pace line). In either scenario, group frustration increases and the likely hood of the groups success diminishes.

A long time ago I was reminded of what rider in a good pace line looks like. They look relaxed, even at high speeds. They are smooth holding a relatively straight line. They are aware that everything they do also affects the riders behind them. They stay off the brakes. They don’t make sudden moves.

Which direction should a rider pull off? To the right or to the left? The rider at the front of the pace line should always pull off into the wind. For example, if the wind is coming from the left, you need to pull off the front of the pace line to the left also. Be aware that if you have a brisk wind coming from the left, riders may be crossing the right side of your rear wheel. Although an acceptable riding position to closely follow along the side the rear wheel in front of you. If the rider in front of you does not know what they are doing nor do they pull off into the wind, you may be in trouble.

Team Time Trials are beautiful to watch. The top Pro teams make it look so easy. They are all riding the best technology and aero equipment available. Their speeds are incredible. However, inside their pace line they must be very attentive to their smooth riding style, wind direction and riders different strengths and/or weaknesses. For example, bigger riders should take a larger load of the pace during the down hills, hill climbing riders should do more work on the front during inclines.

During your next break away, team time trial or group ride pay close attention to the elements around you. Become as smooth of a rider as possible. Help your pace line “allies” maintain a strong smooth pace.

Keep your head up and RACE SMART!

Cameron Hoffman
Three Time LOTOJA winner, Two Time State Criterium Champion and TRAIN SMART Coach

Tour of California Stage 1, HTC Holds it Together!

I was eagerly watching the last few laps of Stage 1 of the Amgen Tour of California. The riders were screaming around a criterium style course which included short fast turns for the crowd to see the big guns drilling the pace all the way to the finish. There were some wild game changing crashes that plagued the last few laps.

I was thoroughly impressed by the Columbia HTC riders as they lead super star Mark Cavendish to the finish line. Some individual riders tried to launch attacks to thwart the HTC train. Other teams, such as the Saxo Bank briefly grouped at the front of the peloton to take over the front of the race. The impressive part of that short effort by Saxo Bank is that the HTC riders did not lose their focus. They continued in team formation, stayed focused, then kicked into another gear to re-take the front of the race. It is so very difficult for riders to keep focused and stay in formation, trusting each other all the way to the finish line, even though it looks like a faster team may have just taken control. You just don’t get to see that kind of focus, precision and determination by teams very often.

Good teamwork work HTC! Looks like the decision to skip the Giro and bring the A team to California was a good decision. You guys sure know how to Win a Bike Race!

I've included a small clip (above) of the race which shows a small glimpse where Saxo Bank took over the front of the race.

Cameron Hoffman

Giro Stage 3 Blown Apart!

It’s Stage 3 and it seems like the race has already been blown apart. Although riders crashing, crashing and crashing again are stealing the headlines, the real Stage 3 headline should be about the WIND. Let’s take a look at the tactical errors that I saw. Obviously I wasn’t there in the moment, but let’s take a stab at this from an arm chair perspective.

Strung Out!

Stage 3 blew the race apart for a number of riders. The pack was stretched out along the coastline causing large pack splits and making the big teams put in some hard efforts to chase. It was incredible seeing the pack stretched out so far, then one by one, the splits started to happen. The front group was about 25 riders strong, the second group was 45 seconds back and about the same size. So far the two main Giro GC contenders (Cadel Evans & Bradley Wiggins) were in the second group trying to get themselves back into the race. However, they were left wasting their energy.

Cadel Chasing?

About 15k to go I see Cadel with three other riders going as hard as they can to bridge the gap to the front group. CADEL! It’s only Stage 3! Save your energy! He should have been able to recruit help from other teams to bridge the gap, or at least get close enough to limit his losses. For some reason he was committing a huge amount of energy chasing guys who, for the most part, would be dropped in the mountains. Before he launched himself into the chase group, he was with Wiggins, who shares the same goals as Cadel. Wiggins had teammates with him, Cadel did not.

Conclusion

Whenever you are racing along a coast line, winds are likely and cross winds are a given. The race leaders should have planned ahead and moved up towards the front of the group, anticipating the crosswind carnage. Lastly, Cadel should NOT have chased. Instead, he should have encouraged Wiggins and other teams to help limit their losses. Cadel was without teammates, it’s still early in the tour and he gave a bunch of energy for a minimal gain.

Bummer for the crashes, especially for Christian Vande Velde. I really wanted to see him throw down a great Giro.

Teamwork!

Teamwork:  Have a Plan AND Be Flexible

Working as a team in cycling can be a difficult thing to do. We are always in awe at the precision and pure grit that riders from Grand Tours demonstrate to deliver their leader to the line, to the bottom of a climb or through a technical part of the course. The domestiques of pro teams are often hired for a specific purpose, whether it be for team time trials, hill climbs or as a member of the sprinter’s leadout train. As local club teams, we are not paid (well, if you are, let us know!) for specific strengths or skills.  Therefore we all need to optimize the collective skills and talents that everyone on the team brings to the table.

Have a Plan…

This is easier said than done, but every team should go into a race with specific objectives based on individual riders’ fitness levels. That could be to get certain riders into promising breakaways, keep the pack together for a sprint finish, or help a teammate defend GC – i.e. overall leadership of an omnium or stage race. With input from all teammates, come up with a set plan that will accomplish your goal(s). Factor in variables, but do everything you can to stick with the plan as it should leverage your strengths. 

…Yet Be Prepared to Make Changes

Plans change because circumstances change. Survival of the fittest is often about the ability to adapt. Perhaps one of the major contenders just got themselves into the key breakaway but none of your teammates did. Now your squad must chase, though you had hoped it would come down to a bunch sprint. Or perhaps your team leader flatted and is no longer in contention. When circumstances change, you should immediately consider what is now the best thing to do as a squad then communicate that as best you can to your teammates. If you can’t get to them, you may need to take the initiative, such as chasing down a break, moving to the front to cover moves or getting a teammate up to the front in the final laps to contend the sprint.

Get Ready for the Finish

If you are in a position to help your teammate(s), you should do everything you can to make a difference – it could be the decisive factor in a high speed finish. Being a team means that there’s power in numbers.  Join the rest of your teammates for the final push to the finish. Do everything you can to help, even if it’s only a little bit. In the end, every little bit helps.  Any energy saved is something you’ve chosen to withhold from the team and its overall success.

Behind Every Successful Team

As we gear up to watch the Giro & Tour of California, we look forward to the great acts of generosity and sacrifice of some of the world’s best domestiques. They will put everything on the line for their team leaders. Watching domestiques execute their duties with absolute precision can be as fun as watching our favorite champions win.

Keep your head up and RACE SMART!

Cameron Hoffman

Three-time LOTOJA winner, two-time State Criterium Champion and TRAIN SMART coach

Mark Deterline
Cycling Journalist & super-domestique on Wells Fargo Racing Team

Baking soda to improve performance!

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda). During high intensity exercise, acid (H+) and

carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulate in the muscle and blood. One of the ways you get rid of the

acidity and CO2 is to buffer the acid and CO2 with bicarbonate ions. The acid and CO2 are then

removed in the lungs. Bicarbonate loading (e.g., 0.3 grams per kg taken 60-90 minutes prior to

exercise or 5 grams taken 2 times per day for 5-days) has been shown to be an effective way to

buffer acidity during high intensity exercise lasting 1-3 minutes in duration [405-408]. This can

improve exercise capacity in events like the 400 - 800 m run or 100 – 200 m swim [409]. In

elite male swimmers sodium bicarbonate supplementation significantly improved 200m

freestyle performance [410]. A 2009 study found similar improvements in performance in youth

swimmers at distances of 50 to 200m. Although bicarbonate loading can improve exercise,

some people have difficulty with their stomach tolerating bicarbonate as it may cause

gastrointestinal distress.

Joe Friel Says...

Joe Friel recently said...

"I consider specificity the most important principle of training. And I tie specificity in with periodization to create training plans for the athletes I coach. So what is it? Basically, the specificity principle says that if you want to become good at something you need to do that thing. Sounds pretty simple, huh?

According to the specificity principle to ultimately become good at bicycle racing you should ride a bike – not run. That seems fairly obvious, but it’s remarkable how many cyclists, when short of time, will resort to a run workout. That may be ok early in the Base period. But in the Build period (3-11 weeks before the A race) there is very limited value."

Beta-Alanine! Endurance Athletes New Friend

β-alanine

In recent years research has begun investigating the effects of β-alanine supplementation on performance. β-alanine has ergogenic potential based on its relationship with carnosine. Carnosine is a dipeptide comprised of the amino acids, histidine and β-alanine naturally occurring in large amounts in skeletal muscles. Carnosine is believed to be one of the primary muscle-buffering substances available in skeletal muscle. Studies have demonstrated that taking β-alanine orally over a 28-day period was effective in increasing carnosine levels [420,421]. This proposed benefit would increase work capacity and decrease time to fatigue. Researchers have found that β-alanine supplementation decreases rate of fatigue [422]. This could translate into definite strength gains and improved performance. A recent study [423] supplemented men with β-alanine for 10 weeks and showed that muscle carnosine levels were significantly increased after 4 and 10 weeks of β-alanine supplementation.

Stout et al. [422] conducted a study that examined the effects of β-alanine supplementation on physical working capacity at fatigue threshold. The results showed decreased fatigue in the subjects tested. Other studies have shown that β-alanine supplementation can increase the number of repetitions one can do [424], increased lean body mass [425], increase knee extension torque [426] and training volume [427]. In fact, one study also showed that adding β-alanine supplementation with creatine improves performance over creatine alone [428]. While it appears that β-alanine supplementation can decrease fatigue rate, raise carnosine levels, and improve performance all of the research is not as favorable. There are other studies that show no performance benefits [425,429]

Richard B Kreider1 , Colin D Wilborn2 , Lem Taylor2 , Bill Campbell3 , Anthony L Almada4 , Rick Collins5 , Mathew Cooke6 , Conrad P Earnest7 , Mike Greenwood8 , Douglas S Kalman9 , Chad M Kerksick10 , Susan M Kleiner11 , Brian Leutholtz8 , Hector Lopez12 , Lonnie M Lowery13 , Ron Mendel14 , Abbie Smith10 , Marie Spano15 , Robert Wildman16 , Darryn S Willoughby8 , Tim N Ziegenfuss17 and Jose Antonio18,
"ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations" Feb 2010

April Cycling Utah Article 2010

Break Away!

In bike racing, breaking away from the main group can be an effective tactical maneuver for many riders.  When the Tour De France airs on television, we are usually able to watch the last couple of hours live.  But by then the breakaway group has generally been established and they are charging hard in the hope of keeping their lead to the finish for a stage win.  So, unfortunately, we rarely see the early and often constant attacks or surges by various riders and teams that eventually result in a group getting away.

In big pro events, breakaways are consistently similar: they don’t include riders with a chance at the overall classification or any of the prominent sprinters.  Conversely, they do tend to contain riders from several different teams – i.e. a good mix or “representation”.  Sometimes riders are simply serving as decoys or are trying to set up teammates, but often they’re making an all-out bid for glory.  Every year, we are treated to TV coverage of prestigious Classics and Grand Tour stages where a breakaway group stays away and fights it out amongst themselves for what could be a career-defining victory or a day or more in the leader’s jersey.

Our own racing scene can provide similar dynamics if riders are savvy and teammates work together.  As soon as your race starts, attacks probably begin to fly. How can you or your teammates increase your chances of being in the right move?

Here’s a checklist of what a good breakaway looks like:

1.        The right combination of riders.  Most of the bigger squads need to be represented, or the breakaway may be doomed by chasing teams.

2.       Sufficient horsepower. Especially at local races, competitors are known entities.

3.       Leadership.  All riders in the group may be committed, but one rider may need to motivate and organize the group to work together efficiently.

4.       Smooth rotations at the front are key. Don’t pull through too hard or miss turns unless you have reason to do so – you’ll be undermining your allies!

5.       Information.  It helps to have family or friends updating the size of the gap between your breakaway and the chasing pack.

6.       Timing.  Generally, the first few attempts to form a breakaway don’t pan out, but stay alert and well positioned at all times or one could sneak away without your team being represented.

Much of the above depends on how well you know your competition, their strengths and weaknesses.  That may be difficult Category 4’s and 5’s, where many riders are new to the sport.  It’s also common for Cat 4 and 5 riders to race timidly, not knowing if other riders in the group are waiting to pounce; chances are, they are thinking the same thing about you and the others…

Keep your head up and RACE SMART!

Cameron Hoffman

Three Time LOTOJA winner, Two Time State Criterium Champion and RACE SMART Coach

Mark Deterline

Cycling Journalist & Super-Domestique on Wells Fargo Racing Team / C4

Cycling Utah Article Published March 2010

Early Season Racing Tactics

We love watching the early season Pro Tour level races. Some riders have arrived for the Spring Classics with the best form of their season, others are just hoping to stay upright and gain some fitness for a Grand Tour or two.

For many amateur racers, the local springtime events are an opportunity to flex those winter training miles and make a statement. For others, early season races can help improve fitness and lead to a strong summer campaign.

Regardless of your fitness level heading into the first handful of races, your tactics may be dictated in large part by springtime weather conditions.

Spring weather tends to be volatile, so race tactics and strategy must adapt. In most early season races the wind can be strong and cold. If a course is windy, be sure to ride heads-up at all times – even more than usual!

Stronger riders may take advantage of the discouraging conditions to either attack or set a strong pace at the front. Such moves by powerful riders may cause the pack to string out single file. If there is a crosswind and the riders are savvy, they will ride at the very edge of the road or allocated lane to force everyone behind “into the gutter” – i.e. directly behind them where they can’t escape winds from the side. “Guttering” a pack will generally result in gaps opening up between riders or groups, as riders who can’t hold the wheel in front of them drop off. This causes multiple groups and eventually more collaborative echelons form.

Whether or not you are one of the stronger riders based on pure fitness or raw power, you can still ride near the front to help avoid being caught behind riders getting gapped, or stuck with a tattered group chasing the leaders.

Fast-forward to the finish. Sprinting to the line is a factor all year round. Springtime winds may dramatically affect how a sprint finish unfolds and how you must adjust to attain a good result.

When approaching the finish, carefully note the direction of the wind. Are you dealing with a crosswind or headwind? Either way, you will want to stay in the draft until the very last moment; in a headwind you’re directly behind the rider in front of you, in a crosswind you will want to be positioned however far to the side you need to be to get out of the wind.

Unfortunately, everybody else wants to orient themselves in a similar manner behind one of the lead riders, so you need to do your best so as not to get boxed in. One way to do that is not to get greedy: orient yourself partially in the wind and partially in the draft with a good solid exit to make your final push. When you do take off, hold a steady line; no swerving. Wait for the last 25-50 meters then give it all you’ve got.

Whatever your early-season goals, stay attentive and close enough to the front to go with the leaders when things heat up.

Cameron Hoffman
Three Time LOTOJA winner and RACE SMART Coach

Mark Deterline
Cycling Journalist & Super-Domestique