Rene and I are registered.

Anybody else getting down?

Rene is a good sprinter and I'm feeling good for a breakaway.

As I see it, the two strongest riders already preregistered in our field are Lance Sniadowski (Organic Athlete) and Ben Woodbury (G.S. Mengoni).

The former is a Sprinter, the latter a breakaway artist.

My provisional plan is to get in a break and stay away. If there is no break by 5 laps to go, I will start one.

If that doesn't work out, I will try to deliver Rene to the front with 200meters to go.

I hope more people sign up (Joauquin!) - this is a great race and the weather's looking good.

Posted By: WilliamDCRene and I are registered.

As I see it, the two strongest riders already preregistered in our field are Lance Sniadowski (Organic Athlete) and Ben Woodbury (G.S. Mengoni).

The former is a Sprinter, the latter a breakaway artist.

my strategy for the 4s last year was to follow Lance. he rides breaks well (maybe too hard) but almost always won the sprint at the end. he can also sprint from the bunch. I ran into him in the park a few weeks ago, he was on a track bike and I was struggling to hold his wheel. He told me he has lost 20 lbs since November. He attacks a lot and tends to telegraph his moves a bit but in the 4s his strength was often enough to pull it off. A sweet spot might be counterattacking one of his moves after the field chases.

counterattacking lance is a good idea

michael: are you going to sign up?

Club:

Last year, we got together and rode the course, figured out our sprints and practiced leadouts the day before the race.

Let's do it again.

I'm going to ride with JP at 11 in CP this Friday, then head over to the course. I assume JP will come along and share his thoughts/experience, but if he doesn't, I can "lead" to the extent that this needs leading.

I've raced Grant's 3-4 times and I think I have the finish pretty well figured out.

Best,

-Wm

I'll be there.

Posted By: WilliamDCcounterattacking lance is a good idea

michael: are you going to sign up?

Maybe.... never done a crit and not sure if that is the best one to start with. If I do, I will probably hang out around the back to get the feel for the cornering etc. and not get too active.

I would really like to come Friday to the pre-ride but I have that whole work thing.

Mike

I highly recommend that Michael, and anyone else that hasn't done a crit before, start with Grant's Tomb.

The road is iiiiiincredibly wide, as are the turns, and the pavement is pretty good as well.

This is somewhere between a crit and a circuit race.

Grant's was also the second race I ever did (back in college) and i immediately liked/felt it was safe.

I know I say this all the time, but if you have the engine to stay at the front, do so at all costs.

There is simply nowhere safer to be if you're concerned about crashing/being crashed out.

In a criterium, specifically, the experience of cornering at the front is very different from cornering in the middle of the pack (which in turn is different from cornering in the back of the pack).

When you're near the front, you get to choose your lines far more freely and don't have to worry much about braking a lot as people's grandmothers squeeze their levers.

In the middle, you have to take whatever line the pack allows, and you bet you're going to have to do some herky-jerky braking.

In the back of the pack . . . you're kind of screwed, especially in a criterium. You will be gapped with every turn and have to chase like the dickens to get back on.

The front is better all around.

Oh, dear lord...Micheal and all: If I ever hear you talking about hanging out at the back of the pack of a criterium to get a feel for cornering or some other bat-shit crazy illogic, I will personally come to your place of work (on your lunch hour, naturally), and give you a big dope slap.

Clearly, I have to do my crit talk & skills session soon.

Yikes...hanging out at the back of the pack...it's like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. Seriously, I think I see blood dripping from them.

lol

what mark said

michael: quick! edit your comment so you sound like you know what's up!

Posted By: WilliamDClol

what mark said

michael: quick! edit your comment so you sound like you know what's up!

haha. whatevs.... I don't know what I'm doing and I won't pretend I know what I'm doing, I think that would be worse.

Marc. looking forward to the clinic.

Mike

William,
You beat me to it. Thanks for thinking the hard stuff for me.

So, yes, there will be the traditional 11am Central Park ride on Friday. We'll do three laps instead of the traditional four, and will cut out at 110th to go up to the course for a few laps a few sprints and lots of fun.

Mike,
William knows the course. Keith knows the course, too. Follow guys you know and trust. After a few laps, get ahead of them, don't be afraid to have them yell at you. Speak with them during the race.

JP

I took a pretty bad fall today on my way home I'm hoping my arm and legs heals in time.

uhoh

keep us posted and heal up fast

I think those of us who have done hundreds of bicycle races take the ol' "stay at the front" adage a little for granted sometimes. For those less experienced, it isn't always as easy.

I know for me it was easy in the 5s, cause in the 5s just having the legs is usually enough. In the 4s it took me longer than I expected to find the front in road races. I had to learn how aggressive to be, gain the confidence to shoot through small spaces, and figure out how to fight for wheels and not give away space. When I did, I stopped getting dropped in the last 10 miles and I started getting top 10s. But it took some time to feel for how to get there and stay there.

And while I'm pretty comfortable in road races now, I frankly still struggle with it in crits and at some circuit races like Floyd where giving an inch can mean being back on the back real fast. Getting literally ON front with nose in wind is easy - I find that staying nicely protected, say, 5-10 wheels back for an entire race is trickier, especially if I don't have a few teammates there with me.

R.

the thing to remember about being near the front is to always be moving up. I learned early on in the 4s if you're not actively looking for ways to move up, you're moving back. So focus on finding the holes and taking space when it opens up. I love the coast into holes while others are braking or just slowing down. It's like free moves. You move up without having to expend a single watt.

In a crit it is CRITical (see what I did there) to be in the top 10 places all the time. You don't Yo-yo back and forth like the back or the middle of the pack, and you use much less energy.

So who's in for this one?

Me - this will be my first real crit.

Looks like we might be riding in the rain again, just like last year. :(

Even if it does rain, it'll be nothing compared to last year...............a race I'll never forget as I stood outside in 5+ inches of rain and 40mph winds the whole 11 hour day.

sadly work means i can't make it friday. i will be there pretty early on saturday to pre ride and talk to dudes.

I will be, haven't registered yet though. I did branchbrook last week and feel pretty good. I did grant's last year, but with the conditions, I'm considering this year to be a completely different beast. I'll be looking to create/get in a break. If nothing sticks, I'll be down to string it out, lead it out, sweep, sprint, whatever.

I'm registered.
Mattie, how is your sprint feeling? Maybe we should go for a late attack or I can lead you out...

Gideon, Mattie, et al,

Figure the leadout should start from before the U-turn at the north end of the course. Ideally, you'll have three people and the sprinter. One to string it out before the turn and take the turn hard so that no one can move up, two to keep it strung out, three to launch, and the fourth guy sprints. Having a fifth as a sweeper is even better.

Forgive me for being kind of a dope when it comes to team tactics, but what is this "sweeper" phenomenon I keep hearing mentioned here?

rides behind his team's sprinter

keeps other sprinters from getting on his guy's wheel

ideally, he slows down and lets a gap form when his sprinter opens up

I can sign up if needed. My big butt is good to draft behind. That came off weird...

WDC overstates. You don't even need to slow down. You just don't accelerate when your sprinter goes. If everyone is lined up behind you and redlining and assuming you're the sprinter, it will take them a few seconds to realize what is up.

I will be in the Grants race, if it doesn't look like too much rain, otherwise I will be at Branchbrook. March is about fitness. If I am at Grants, I am riding pretty well for a break, but absent that, I will happily lead it out if rene heals up or someone wants to challenge for the win. Of course, like William, my plan is to not be around with the field at the end.

As for riding at the back of a crit - it can be done without wasting energy, it just takes mastery of the skill.

Mike, you'll do Grants if I do, you'll be fine.

E

awesome

i hope you make it, eric

fyi: mike is in!

Everyone should know that coming out of the 180 degree banked turn, the road tilts up, is wide and windy--always. You are going to need some horses to help your sprinter power pretty close to the finish line.