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<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
It was more of a case of didn’t start to sprint rather than out sprinted, but I guess they amount to the same thing.... Thanks for the analysis @CXRAndy 👍😄.
What’s annoying is that I wasn’t actually ‘on the limit’ when we got to the finish.
I got quite an uncomfortable stitch about halfway through the race which nearly made me bail. I even stoped peddling briefly but having @bridgy in the race with me was the only thing that kept me going. Or should I say, the thought of watching him shoot off into the distance without me! Then the pain in my stomach eased off a bit and it got slightly more comfortable. Then the finish came very quickly. First bridgy got dropped. I looked up and suddenly he was 30 seconds behind the front group. I put myself right at the front but now I’m sort of thinking the race is run. It’s a weird spot to be in that I have to work on for sure. I don’t know if it’s the same for lee and Paul and the other guys around me, when they know they’ve won the mini fight but it is hard not to take the foot off a little at that point.
At the end of these races as you guys know there’s a sort of double surge. Firstly the pace ramps up a little, maybe 4-500+w in B cat. Then there’s the sprint proper. Well I guess I just didn’t sprint at that point 😄... I was sat right on the front with about 200 to go, a power up in my back pocket, and still a bit more to give. But I just didn’t give it full gas at that point. Waiting for other people to make their move maybe? Dunno... just indecisive. Lack of confidence I think in part. School report as always says: ‘must try harder!’ 😄
What’s annoying is that I wasn’t actually ‘on the limit’ when we got to the finish.
I got quite an uncomfortable stitch about halfway through the race which nearly made me bail. I even stoped peddling briefly but having @bridgy in the race with me was the only thing that kept me going. Or should I say, the thought of watching him shoot off into the distance without me! Then the pain in my stomach eased off a bit and it got slightly more comfortable. Then the finish came very quickly. First bridgy got dropped. I looked up and suddenly he was 30 seconds behind the front group. I put myself right at the front but now I’m sort of thinking the race is run. It’s a weird spot to be in that I have to work on for sure. I don’t know if it’s the same for lee and Paul and the other guys around me, when they know they’ve won the mini fight but it is hard not to take the foot off a little at that point.
At the end of these races as you guys know there’s a sort of double surge. Firstly the pace ramps up a little, maybe 4-500+w in B cat. Then there’s the sprint proper. Well I guess I just didn’t sprint at that point 😄... I was sat right on the front with about 200 to go, a power up in my back pocket, and still a bit more to give. But I just didn’t give it full gas at that point. Waiting for other people to make their move maybe? Dunno... just indecisive. Lack of confidence I think in part. School report as always says: ‘must try harder!’ 😄
bobinski
Legendary Member
- Location
- Tulse Hill
Yeah, you're probably right Tommy. Looking at your cadence, you didn't really respond to the sprint finish.
At least you live for the next
Nah, he was sprinting...😉
Gravel bike still on the workstand (not had a chance to finish it off) but just needs the gear cable and handlebar tape doing (+ final adjustments).
Plan is to use it over the summer on paths/trails (our house back onto the canal so will be useful to use on the towpath) and use it as a winter/commuter bike when I'll put road tyres on it (probably get a spare set of wheels too so I don't need to swap tyres).
That will also free up my current winter/commuter as a dedicated turbo bike
(apologies for the mess in the garage)
195miles!Rain/cold
From comments of those who have done it. Get an early pen start. The road cutoff points are very strict, if you get delayed at the start you will be on the back foot to stay ahead of roads being cuttoff. You're then sent on the shorter routes
Good luck enjoy a brute of a sportive
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Aleman
Knees are FUBAR but I don't like to mention it
- Location
- Blackpool UK
Also watch yourself for the first 30km, lots of crashes, caused by idiots going to hard in too big a group, and not being used to group riding.
I guess some of them think they are still on Zwift!!
I guess some of them think they are still on Zwift!!
<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
Yeah, you're probably right Tommy. Looking at your cadence, you didn't really respond to the sprint finish.
At least you live for the next
How can you look at cadence? (You have way too much time on your hands! 😄)
C races are the same (although obviously less power!). The last 2km or so the power gradually ramps up, then, just before the sprint, the power drops slightly so if you react slowly to this you end up at the front of the group ... then when the sprint comes you've lost some speed as you're not drafting anymore and everyone just comes around you
I think it's about having the confidence to sit a bit further back in the group leading into the sprint and then you have a chance to get the advantage of the slingshot effect.This is my recent race sprint Cadence ramps upto 117rpm from 85
Larsen Sprint 2nd place 84-112rpm
Tommy Sprint 91rpm, but bizarrely jumps to 149 rpm after effort🤔
<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
C races are the same (although obviously less power!). The last 2km or so the power gradually ramps up, then, just before the sprint, the power drops slightly so if you react slowly to this you end up at the front of the group ... then when the sprint comes you've lost some speed as you're not drafting anymore and everyone just comes around you
Yes definitely. I’m sure it’s the same in C. Maybe tougher relatively speaking because I think C suffers from sandbaggers more than B.For what it’s worth I wasn’t leasing the pack. I was in and around 3rd wheel going into the finale. I just didn’t pull the trigger so to speak...
Every race is different. The toughest part of course is delivering yourself to the line with something left in the tank. For example the other day we raced and I was spent before the line and it (and lee) passed me by. The race wasn’t actually that quick. It went in small burst but a lot of it was 3.0 which is relatively low for a 20 miler on the flat. So a lot of people would of got to the line with fuel left in the tank to sprint. unfortunately no me! Yesterday it was much more taxing but I actually got to the line with a bit more to give. So then it’s a case of just not executing well as you say. Just got to keep putting myself in those spots though and hopefully I can keep moving up.
<Tommy>
Illegitimi non carborundum
- Location
- Camden, London
On a side note I spent the last couple of months not racing but doing longer steady efforts in prep for the summer which is now of course disintegrating. I’m going to stop short of saying zone t... 😄
And it’s fair to say it has done nothing for my racing. If you want to go fast you have to train at it. I know a lot of you do, and we all joke about zone 2 a fair bit. I’m not entirely sure we all understand the theory behind it but anyway... long story short there’s no short cuts to going fast! 😄
And it’s fair to say it has done nothing for my racing. If you want to go fast you have to train at it. I know a lot of you do, and we all joke about zone 2 a fair bit. I’m not entirely sure we all understand the theory behind it but anyway... long story short there’s no short cuts to going fast! 😄
