2nd EDITION!

Professional
Road Race Tactics for
Amateur Cycling Teams

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by David Harrison Contents Excerpt Delivery

$14.95 eBook 17 illustrations 128 pages PDF file size 1.84 MB

"A cycling team should be more than a group of riders wearing similar jerseys"

. . . says author David Harrison, a coach and amateur road racer who has led teams in Colorado, Kansas and New England.

"Training together is fun, but using the skills of each rider on the team to increase the chances of winning is even better.

"The simple tactics outlined in this eBook will show you how to organize your group into a team and how to use team tactics to win bicycle races."

Harrison wrote this eBook because he's seen so many amateur teams struggle with the team concept and waste the talents of their individual riders. This is your primer for team organization, training, racing and winning on the amateur level. The author, a dedicated student of the sport, uses many examples to bring tactics to life.

Often overlooked is that team tactics aren't limited to sanctioned racing. The effective strategies in this eBook work just as well in training races and club events -- anytime you and your friends want to impose your will in group riding situations.

The revised and expanded 2nd edition takes you through every step from organizing a team to executing race winning moves. Harrison makes it entertaining as well as instructional by using many examples from teams he's directed.

New sections include how to give an amateur team a pro look and how to use cell phones and a conference call system to avoid buying expensive race radios. Harrison has also added an appendix describing one of his teams' seasons. He received permission from the riders to reveal deep details. The result is a mix of insights, lessons and useful anecdotes.

In this excerpt from Chapter 3: Building Team Skills, David Harrison begins describing the importance of organized training.

EXCERPT: Building Team Skills

If you are a team captain, point out that there is a specific progression to how the training calendar is organized and that the best time to practice team tactics is a few weeks before the racing season begins. Let everyone know that these types of practices occur for only a few weeks out of the year, leaving plenty of time for different types of training rides later in the season.

Keep the sessions flowing and fun by keeping people riding as much as possible and always explain why the specific exercise will help the team. Having a practice session the day before an early season training race is another particularly effective method of motivating the team to work together. Even if only a few riders show up, always hold a practice session. The riders that do attend will form a base for the team to build upon as the year progresses.

If you are a team member, help out your team captain by committing to attendance at these practice sessions and supporting the team’s outline of skill clinics. Missing a race in the middle of the season means that you were not able to help the team that weekend, while skipping a practice session means that you will be less prepared to help the team the entire year. Do your best to study the background of how team tactics work and go into these sessions ready to practice the skills over and over.

If the team is committed to trying to learn the basic skills of pacelines, leadouts, attacking, blocking, chasing, and small group situations, then putting together a few weekends of practice sessions will not be difficult. Find a good practice spot without much traffic, set up a meeting time, outline the practice online with the email chat group, and get the team together.

Next, Harrison goes into the basic skill necessary for effective road racing tactics -- the paceline -- and lists these . . .

Paceline Rules to Remember

• The only way to start a paceline is to move to the back of the group.

• The second rider never accelerates, but simply accepts the greater load as the front rider moves to the side.

• The front rider moves over first then slows slightly. A common mistake is slowing down before moving over, causing the whole group to slow.

• Group speed changes are accomplished very slowly and smoothly so that riders can stay as close as possible.

• The front rider bears full responsibility for avoiding road hazards and must make every effort to avoid objects without sudden swerving.

• The second rider should rest as much as possible in the slipstream of the lead rider.

• The lead rider should focus on maintaining the group speed and adjusting to hills and turns.

• Each rider needs to be aware of her own speed as well as the speed of each rider around her. Speeds need to be coordinated throughout corners and hills.

TOC:  Professional Road Race Tactics for Amateur Cycling Teams

Chapter 1: Basic Strategy Introduced Chapter 2: Building a Team Joining a Team Leading a Team Yearly Schedule Base Miles and Meeting #1 Team Meeting #2: Building Speed and Learning Tactics Early-Season Races Mid-Season Races Transition Time Fall and Cyclocross The Full-Service Team Chapter 3: Building Team Skills Pacelines How to Paceline Two Riders Adding More Riders Starting the Paceline Maintaining the Paceline Changing Terrain Additional Paceline Techniques The Gatekeeper Paceline Tactics: Applying the Paceline to Race Situations Pacelines Involving other Teams Riding Within the Peloton and Protecting a Team Leader Protecting your Territory Reading the Peloton Changing the Amoeba into the Train The Chase The Leadout The Reality of Teamwork Other Duties of the Domestiques Small Group Strategies Teammates in the Small Group Practicing Track Practice Training Races Chapter 4: Communication Racing With Race Radios Chapter 5: Winning the Race Rider Responsibilities Defensive Tactics Positioning Tactics Offensive Tactics Blocking the Chase Race Progression Understanding and Beating Individual Racers Specific Strategies for Typical Race Courses The Flat Road Race Rolling Hills The Big Hill Technical Criterium Wide and Fast Criterium Chapter 6: Rider Upgrades and Team Success Handling Each Win Choosing the Next Team Leader Rider Upgrades Success Appendix 1:  Team Questionnaire Appendix 2:  Winter Riding Appendix 3:  Glossary Appendix 4:  One Year's Recap Excerpt