When is The Best Time to Attack?
I have been asked this question a few times lately so i thought it would be a good idea to write up a post that can help answer that question.
Firstly, there is no simple answer that will guarantee a perfect attack each time. Races are always different, the guys you are racing against will be at varying levels of fitness and ability, but if you can work out their weak points and use them to your advantage then you can successfully attack.
there are circumstances that can help an attack be successful and then there are times that all your effort will be a complete waste. I will list both the good and the bad and then you can decide when to use a particular attack based on the race.
ATTACK NOW!
- In a crosswind – This is one of the best times to attack. The crosswind will have everyone scrambling to find a wheel. If you attack hard and fast down the side of the road that is down wind you can quickly splinter the group. The stronger riders will be able to keep up, but the weak will drop like flies.
- Up a Hill – If you are a climber then you will know all too well just how much space you can put on your competitors. up 3kms up hill you can put a good 3 – 5 minutes on weaker climbers. Be careful when attacking up hill, if you don’t get a gap in the first 10 – 20 seconds of your attack then sit back down and let someone else roll round you. make sure you have energy left to jump on any counter attacks. if your attack works, get back in the saddle and ride on your limit keeping an eye on the riders behind you.
- After a Failed Attack – This is one of the best times to try your luck. the riders that chased the attack down will be tired. So if you are feeling strong and the road conditions are favorable why not try hit them again and see if they can bring you back in
- Corners – These can be a good place to attack, if you are close to the front of the pack you can kick hard and tight into the corner and see if you can pull some ground on the pack
- In The Rain – Rain helps breaks, the pack always rides a little more cautiously when the roads are wet, so if you ca get away you have a greater chance of staying away
- When They Look Weak – If you can see that your fellow riders are struggling then try and break them
DONT ATTACK
- In a tail Wind – This will never work, the average speed of the chasers will be too high for you to make any ground on them.
- Downhill – Same reason as above. Most riders who have lost ground going up hill will push their luck a little going down hill and will in most cases rejoin the group. Leading over the top in first place might give you a chance to push very hard downhill and maybe make up a few seconds, but i think that you will eventually be reeled back in when the road flattens out
- Strong Headwind – Again it will be too hard to go it alone into a headwind. A mild head wind might be ok, but anything more than a breeze will have you burning too much energy too quickly
Remember you need to attack as hard as you can, don’t leave anything behind, make sure that if you are going you are going hard. the best way to hit the pack is to come from 5 to 8 wheels back. Trying to attack them when you are on the front wont work. They will all see you attacking and will be able to react. If you come from behind you can make up some good speed before you go passed the front runners. The time you gain before they react could be the difference that leads to a successful attack. select a good gear before you attack, if your attack starts with you clicking up 2 or 3 gears everyone will hear you coming.
Good luck and good attacking
4mka26tzep
