I was not very motivated to train last night, temps being in the low 50′s and not being fully recovered from the weekend training rides, I thought it was time to go visit the Tuesday night ride. My intention was to see old team mates and sit in at there pace, more of a social recovery ride. Most of these guys are focused on CX  so the tempo should be perfect. After an hour riding alone and doing some short wake up the body efforts, I met up with Hank and June. Being ex-team mates we talked until spotting the ride coming the other way and flipped. The ride was small only 6 people and none of the old team mates were there. This seemed to be fine, as the three of us rolled onto the back. The pace was mid 20′s on rolling terrain so I was happy with this.

A quick back story about the town we are riding in, Barrington Hills, Illinois. This high income little town is full of specialness attitudes, people that feel they are entitled to more because they make large cash. It was 4 years ago when the village board passed a single file only rule for cyclists, never talking to any resident cyclist tax payers, like myself, before railroading this bullshit ordinance through. This was like pouring gasoline on a small fire, seemingly exploding the feud between the cyclists and drivers in the area. Now the quite 30 mph back roads of Barrington became a place where drivers started yelling single file, get off the road, or just the display of the little bird with the abrupt cut off the cyclist with their car. Since this change in attitude, the Enzo’s riders started stoping for every sign, singling up quickly when hearing cars. The thought, lead by example with a display of respect for the resident drivers living in this town.

Back to the point, while sitting on the back the first stop sign seems non existent to the group, as they roll through at 20 mph, with me slowing, a strong yield. This was the first warning sign I should have left.

Second stop sign, third stop sign, no yield what so ever. I look to see who is at the front, the main culprit happens to be a resident of the town, one of my tax paying neighbors who is not a kid, a 50+ guy. At the bottom of the carousel, a downhill that is 8%, he has a gap going about 35 mph. We are going to make a right turn at the bottom and after the weekend storms, this corner will have some gravel or debris in it, which is normal.  This guy does not yield and almost goes down. He never looked ahead to see the on coming car as he crossed into the other lane. I was second wheel and had slowed quite a bit yelling gravel and careful to the rest of the group. I am guessing the inspiration for this guy is this. After the right turn we are at the base of the longest climb in the training loop and has now established a gap of  20-25 bike lengths. He looks back, upon seeing the gap and he puts his head down, this was the straw that ignited my fire. My gray matter is firing signals like, WTF, why you are risking you own well being and ours? Is this what you think an attack looks like?  Is this the only way you can gain an advantage on the group? Do you not see that you almost made the car go off the road back there? So I stand on the pedals closing the gap quickly, as I catch him I can see his pedal stroke is already laboring, laughter. I look at him and say come on lets go. Yes, I am in full pit bull mode, and stay big ring to the top of the climb. This was complete overkill gaining at least 30 seconds on TCO, ( the clueless one). I roll the rest of the way solo to the next stop sign, and wait for the group.

When we are all back together and as politely as I can, I ask TCO if he realizes the impact he is having on the drivers in the area or the risk to the group by running stop signs. He responds, “there were no cops!”.

It is at this moment I realize my arrogance, thinking a few words will wake TCO. I laugh at myself and we start riding again. Hank, Nick and I drop off the back and roll for a few miles before I say good night.
So here is a guy that can make his bike go relatively fast but is over riding his brains capacity. His fb post this morning shows his power file (like anyone cares) and a comment how he almost crashed on the ride last night!

Here is my plea, if you know any riders like this, send them the blog link. These are supposed to be training rides, not races. There is a time to go fast and  time not to. Stopping for stop signs is more difficult than rolling through them, it is better training for everyone. If you want to attack the group great, do it on a straight road or when it can be done safely. Maybe one of TCO’s will read this and make sense, maybe not.

Thank you and safe riding everyone. See you at a race soon.

-Enzo

Again I will remind everyone that Enzo is no journalist, and will do his best. I have an idea what I want to ask Jim, before I know it we are talking about the big boys that race for Great Britain. They are practicing at the track everyday for 2-3 hours, doing four man team pursuit practice, Jim makes comment how impressive they are. Guys like Chris Hoy, and David Millar flying around the track at 40 mph. Jim says they keep this pace lap after lap after lap, that his camera could not capture a shot that was not blurry. I can feel Jim’s excitement, the buzz from this trip was still running high. I decide it is time to ask a few questions.

Enzo, When did you start racing on the track?

JH, 2003 I was talked into racing the ABR Grand Nationals. They allowed you to use a road bike as long as you did not shift any gears. That was my first individual pursuit doing the 3k in 3:59. I did not have any idea this was good, and asked my friend what’s next? The answer was a full track season in the Midwest followed by USA Cycling Masters Nationals. I did have a problem, I was only able to go hard for 1k which was not correct. After winning a bronze at Nationals in the kilo, and being schooled by Kent Bostick in the IP finishing 10th, I went to the doctor. I was diagnosed with celiac disease, which disrupts the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. This forced me to address my diet, eliminating gluten completely. Things started to improve after that.

2005 Nationals was held in Indianapolis which did not go very well for me.

2006 3rd in the National Points race.

2007 This was the first win in the individual pursuit at Nationals.

2008 2nd in the IP

2009 2nd in the IP, 1st Team Pursuit.

2010, Broken Collar bone, still went to Portugal for worlds.

2011, Best Nationals to date, 3 gold, 1 Bronze.

Jim does not mention this but I know he has had a problem and I ask about his collar bone. He says he has a gap where it did not heal correctly from the 2010 crash.

I will have surgery next week to fix this, finally.

Enzo, I comment about how I have never been drug tested, that this seems crazy to me. How was the drug testing at Nationals?

JH, They increased the testing quite a bit. I am happy they are testing more people. Every time I am tested I have this feeling and thoughts, I hope the manufacturers of my supplements are truthful with their ingredients, that their labels are accurate. I am very careful with this. A masters racer was busted the other day for a supplement that had a very small amount of a banned substance, that is on him, you have to know what you are eating at all times. No exceptions!

Enzo, Did the UCI test you at worlds?

JH, Yes they did. Of course I was not able to pee, so the UCI tester and I hung out while I drank bottles of water. 45 minutes later I was able to take care of business.

Enzo, Nice Freudian slip, hung out together, laughter. What or who prompted you to start going to master’s track worlds?

JH, It was Reid Schwartz during 2007 Nationals, he told me if I wanted to be the best, here is what you do: You have to go to the Master’s world championships in order to race against the fastest guys. If you do this and can find a way to win, you will become world champion, the top dog in that event in that year. So my first Master’s worlds was in Sidney Australia 2007. My goal was to make the podium. I went early in the qualifying round and did not feel great, though my time was holding up. I made it to the final 4 then realized what was happening, then the nerves started to have a negative effect. I was able to go fast enough for a silver medal and understand this new level of pressure. Next time I will be better prepared.

Enzo, How about a quick history of your world championships.

JH, That is easy, the next 3 years 08,09,10, I finished 2nd in the IP. That made 4 years in the gold medal round finishing 2nd.

Enzo, Did you change your preparation from previous years for Manchester?

JH, Yes, though it was not completely by choice. I was working down south and crashed while out on a training ride. I cracked a few ribs and punctured a lung only 8 weeks before the 2011 championships. I was forced to have a number of days completely off the bike while my lung repaired itself. While lying in the hospital I had plenty of time to think, can I still do this? Then adjusting my thought process only thinking how I would adjust my training to fit the now reduced preparation time. Maybe the forced rest was the difference, call it a blessing, though an expensive one I do not recommend.

Enzo, Were the conditions in Manchester a factor.

JH, Yes, the rain made for heavy damp air, what we call slow conditions, though the track itself is fast.

Enzo, What was the length and banking of the track in Manchester.

JH, Somewhere between 43-45 degrees at 250m.

Enzo, what about tire pressures?

JH, 200psi.

Enzo, Are you kidding?

JH, No, the track is a super smooth wood surface, so 200 psi is perfect.

The Manchester Velodrome

Enzo, So you break the world record in the IP, posting a 2:23.879. Beating the old mark set in 2006 by Woody Cox @ 2:24.370. Clearly this is an exciting moment for you, is it the highlight of the week?

JH, Yes and no. It is hard to say winning my first world championship was not an awesome moment in time, but winning the points race was incredible as well.

Enzo, Jim has written the points race story for us. Here it is first hand from Jim.

Thought you might like to read my report from the Points Race. I neglected to mention the shredded skinsuit and blood but you’ll get the picture.

Points Race Race Report

Hello Everyone,

Took me a while to get on line today. This will be lengthy so bear with me or just go to the end if you already don’t know the results. First of all, this is a Points Race, some of you may not be familiar. A points race is a mass start event with up to 24 riders on a 250 meter track. We had 17 starters last night. Our race was 15k or 60 laps. Points are scored on sprint laps, in this case every 10 laps for a total of 6 sprints. Points are awarded to the first four riders over the line, 5-3-2-1. 10 points are awarded for riders lapping the field.

There were 10 Brits in the race so it figured that they would try to dictate the pace, etc. I was the lone American. At the start, one of the Brits attacked on the first lap and got a 1/4 lap lead while everyone just sat and watched him ride away. I wasn’t here to let that happen so I closed it up most of the way and the Dane in the race finished it up. Coming into the bell lap for the first sprint, 8.75 laps into the race, I was on the Dane’s wheel and looking to score some points in the first sprint. I was camped out on the upper half of the sprinters lane so if felt anyone trying to come over top of me, I would have room to move over top of the Dane. What I didn’t expect was to have another Brit come underneath me in the sprinters lane, a no no. The next thing I knew I was on the deck and into the infield area. The announcer said track clear and the race continued. I’m not a happy camper. The photog there caught my expression just as I was sitting there and it looked like a combination of deer in the headlights and WTF! After assessing the damage, just abrasions, the official asked if I wanted back in the race. I checked the bike and said yes although I wasn’t sure what I would be racing for.

I got back in with 5 laps to go to the next sprint. I scored nothing on the first one and two riders took advantage of the crash and broke away and were well on their way to taking a lap on the field. This kind of pissed me off a bit. I knew I had to score this next time around but was only able to get one point while the two lead riders took 5 and 3. I kept it going after the sprint, looked back and had one rider with me and a good sized gap. I had to get that lap back. The two lead riders integrated with the field and took their 10 points which meant I was in a big hole. I pulled up to exchange with the rider who was with me and was disappointed to see that it was Dider Ramet from France. I had been in a 3 man break with him in 2008 in Sydney and he either wouldn’t or couldn’t pull and we ended up getting caught with 4 laps to go then.

He did a good 1/2 lap pull and I decided that in order to give him maximum rest, I woud do a full lap. This also meant that we didn’t give up a bike length each exchange. This kept going, my 1 lap to his 1/2 lap and we were making good progress on the field. The third sprint was coming up and we were the head of the race which meant we were going for max points. I took the last 1.5 laps as I figured I had done the majority of the work. He was OK with that apparently because he did try to come around, probably thankful for the extra rest.We took our lap shortly after and I was back in the mix. Four riders all bunched up on the leader board. I couldn’t read the board that well but knew I was still down but in striking distance. However, I was very deep into the pain cave. Didn’t know how dark and deep that can be. I honestly didn’t see how I was going to manage another 30 laps as I had expended so much energy to get into the position I was. I then took minor points on the fourth (2) and fifth (1) sprints. I was 2 points down going into the last sprint. There was only one way I was going to win this thing, I had to win the last sprint. The top four riders were on the front for the last 5 laps or so with the Brit Rutherford, the race leader glued to my wheel and wanting nothing to do with doing anything other than that.

Jame's torn up jersey from his crash at Worlds. In spite of the crash, he would come back to win the race!

This was the hardest I have ever had to work in any race before. Although my win in the Pursuit will always be memorable, this one was particularly special in the manner is which it came about. I have had numerous riders and spectators come up to me and comment on the race. Most had never seen someone crash like that and come back to win. One told me it was a once in a lifetime race. I don’t know. I wasn’t really thinking about doing anything but trying to get back into the race and finishing as high as I could. Never thought I could win after going down but once I saw I had a shot, I went for it.I am a bit banged up. I skinned up just about everything from my ankle to my knee, hip and major stuff on my back. I will bring the skinsuit back for evidence. The photo wanted a shot of me from the back so we’ll have that photo. Just abrasion though and probably some bruising in another few hours. I have decided to withdraw from the Scratch Race tonight, my motivation isn’t there and I wouldn’t be 100%. I have had a good week and am content to leave it where it is.

So, no more reports from Manchester. I arrive in Chicago tomorrow afternoon and my wife informs me that the grass needs cutting. Nothing like coming back to reality! I appreciate all your support and kind thoughts throughout this week. They really mean a lot to me and I have tried to answer all. If I missed some, I apologize but know that I did read them all.

Thanks! Jim

Enzo, Jim that is such a great race story, thank you for sharing it with all of us. After this experience, do you have any advice for us, the mortal racer?

JH, there are 3 things.

One – How many times do we hear more rest is better, the end result kind of sums this up. Most important is attitude, life is always going to challenge us with the unexpected, keeping a flexible state of mind is huge. Seeing these tests as positive, not negative, seems to bring a better result, even if it is not the exact result we are hoping for.

Two – Find a good training partner, someone very close to your ability that will push you when needed. It will work both ways and you will both improve. I am extremely fortunate being able to ride with Tom Doughty all the time. This is a great partnership since I can actually draft while sitting on Tom. You would not be a good training partner. *laughter*.

Three – Giving back to the sport anyway you can, answer any simple questions someone may have, make yourself approachable and most important, look for ways to help the kids of our sport.

Enzo, Jim thank you again for talking with me today. I hope your collarbone surgery later this month goes well. I did not go into detail that you have been racing with a collarbone that did not heal correctly. This makes you even more of a tough guy in my book. Congratulations again, you will probably get sick of me saying this though I cannot help myself; Two rainbow jerseys is just awesome.

Mike Sherer

First year Pro with Kelley Benefits Strategies

With the road season nearing its end, I finally have a window to write the next race school entry. As promised, the Mike Sherer interview (Kelly Benefit Strategies 1st year Pro racer). As many of you, know Mike is a homegrown racer from the Midwest and has been kicking our asses for a number of years in cyclocross and the road.

Mike was caught in a crash that forced KBS to put him on injured reserve status, which gave Enzo the opportunity to speak with Mike a few days before the Glencoe Grand Prix. When describing the Enzo’s race school concept to Mike, here is what he had to say. Bear with my inexperience doing an interview, I am no Luke Seeman.

Mike Sherer: I like the idea, sharing a side of racing that is not spoken about often, especially to the younger/lower categories. This information could shorten, or in some cases, lengthen the difficult process of becoming or improving as a bike racer.

Enzo: In your opinion, when should someone upgrade?

MS: I think many people upgrade before they learn how to win. Each category has a different way of racing and it is very important riders learn these differences. Learning how to win builds confidence, you stand a better chance of having fun in the next level while not being overwhelmed. It is helpful knowing you can win a bike race or make the podium consistently before making an upgrade. Confidence is really important.

Enzo: Tell us how it was when you first rode in the Pro-1-2 races, bike handling, things like that.

MS: It was the larger events where I was forced to learn about efficiency in cornering and pedal cadence.

It was in the Downers Grove criterium that a Navigator rider said to me, use a smaller gear out of the corners kid. I was lucky to receive this info and that I listened. It was after that comment I figured out that 8 corners per lap x 50 is a lot of wasted energy, that could be used later in a sprint or bridge effort, so I worked at improving this skill. Less lactic in the legs makes for more power when you really need it, increasing my chance of winning.

Enzo: What is a main difference between a racer that wins and a racer that does not?

MS: Two things, confidence and risk. In order to win a big race you have to be willing to risk everything, this takes confidence when exposing yourself, knowing a particular move is risky. These risky moves sometimes become the winning move.

Mike Sherer speeds through a corner | Tour de Bretagne Cycliste | Stage 2 | Rennes to Guerandes

Enzo: Please give an example.

MS: Being first out of the last corner, many times, will give you a better chance for the win. It rarely happens that you advance in a sprint during a big race. If I am sixth out of the last corner, I will most likely finish sixth. Maybe I advance 2 or 3 places, but will most likely not find the W from this position.

I have a better chance of a podium finish from the front. You see why I like to be first out of the last corner?

Enzo: Yes I understand, like the Cat 1 race you won here in Glencoe 2010. You were first out of the final corner with Andy Crater second, that was the finishing order that day. Nice, since we know Andy can sprint.

How about the difference between a big race and a local race?

MS: When in a local race, the confident racer knows they belong in the front of the pack, and will hold any position they want. This may not happen as easily in big races, but the confident racer will advance to the front when they think the time is correct. As their experience grows, everything seems to betims easier.

Enzo: What advices do you have for Cat.3′s before they upgrade?

MS: Make sure you can finish on the podium in races. Also your confident level needs to be high enough that you can ride anywhere in the pack, being able to hold that position safely. These things will help make the jump to the 1-2 fields easier. If you can win a Superweek Cat. 3 race, you are ready to upgrade.

Enzo: What tire pressures do you like for racing?

MS: I weigh 160 lbs. and never use more than 100 psi. This goes for tubulars and clinchers. In the rain or wet races I will lower to about 80 psi.

Enzo: One piece of advise that you think younger racers need to hear?

MS: Rest more than you think. This is a common mistake many riders/racers make. Resting correctly has the same value as a hard interval session, do not skip this part of your training. I am resting more than I every have and the results have been very positive.

Enzo: Did Cyclocross help you with you bike handling skills?

MS: Yes, mountain biking and Cyclocross help develop handling skills, besides they are really fun bikes to play on.

Enzo: Who has helped you the most help this year? Any one veteran taken you under their wing?

MS: Everyone has been really helpful, which is really great. There are many things I needed help with, things I did not know.

Enzo: What kind of things?

MS: Mainly the etiquette of the pro peleton, it is very impressive. Help me learn my responsibility and do them correctly. What side of the caravan you ride on when going back to the team car. Which hands you raise when you have a rear or front flat. How to carry and distribute bottles to the team. The respect the pack has, allowing domestics to advance easily in order to take care of the veterans. How to set tempo, chase, close gaps correctly, do whatever it takes whenever I am needed. Help get 1-2 guys in the early break, always help our GC leader get to the base of climbs in the front, whoever that is. At the end of the day or stage, help with the lead out train.

Enzo: How are the riders in Asia, specifically the Tour of Taiwan?

MS:Those boys will attack relentlessly for a 100 miles. Crazy hard, over and over, even if they have team mates up the road.

Mike pushing it in the P/1/2 race of this year's Evanston Grand Prix

Enzo: How about the racers in France?

MS: More like you see on television. The teams are very calculating and the races are run extremely well.

These guys will kill themselves to bring breaks back. It seems they will race to the death, and the speeds are really high all the time, except when descending. They will jump curbs and ride the sidewalks but are quite careful when going downhill, kind of different.

Enzo: What was your favorite race overseas?

MS: Tro Bro Leon, it is like a mini Paris-Roubaix, with 26 sections of dirt. My CX background really helped with bike handling. Coolest race ever.

Enzo: How about the Tour de Bretange?

MS: First 2 stages were flat and as the race went on the hills increased. The race bible did not really tell us this. The finish circuits were about 20k’s very hard and fast. Extremely narrow road, hard braking for the turns, bad bike handlers, though no one would ever dive bomb corners, no corner chopping. I made it until 5 and then it was lights out.

Enzo: Thank you for spending time talking to me today. I am happy you are back on your bike and you are healing well. We will be cheering for you at Elk Grove.

Since the interview, Mike has been racing well, finding his form nicely. He finished 18th in the US Pro Criterium in Grand Rapids, though he was not very happy with this result. That is one of the attributes that makes Mike Sherer a winner, he hates loosing.

I spoke with Jonas Carney at Elk Grove about Mike, asking how he has been doing this season. I did not ask Jonas if I could print what he said, so I will summarize. He is pleased so far liking Mike’s humble attitude. He still has a lot to learn but I like what I have seen.

Watch for Mike in the local CX races, he is hard to miss being the only KBS racer in the Chicago Cross Cup events.

Until the next post, safe racing everyone.

-Enzo

It was the third race in the Galena omnium, a criterium with a small field of about 14 riders. Half of these riders have gained points toward the overall standings by racing in the TT and the road race. These riders are now going for the General Classification win. Half of these riders were only racing in the crit and are therefore not a threat to the overall GC standings. It was important for me to be aware of the riders who were a threat to my overall standing of fourth place. I do want to move into third place; however, I also don’t want to jeopardize the position of my teammates currently in 1st and 3rd overall. Ideally I would like to help them improve their overall standings and help the Enzo’s team get the stage win. There was obviously a lot to think about during the race, which is why it is important for your bike handling to be second nature. You want to be able to focus on racing your bike not on your bike handling. This is similar to a hockey player; they never think about the technique of skating while playing the game, their skating is second nature. This is the same goal for a bike racer. Racers should rarely have to think about how to ride their bike but should rather be focusing on racing it. This lack of focus, and sometimes knowledge, can lead to poor wheel placement in the pack, which in turn causes crashes and reduces your chance of winning.

Let’s go back to the crit in Galena as an example of bad racing and poor wheel placement. The race had been going for a few minutes and everyone was settled into the pace of the race and the groove of the course. We were on the backstretch riding three abreast, as we were entering the narrower road after curve three, the group needed to go two abreast or single file depending on the pace. We were going low twenties and were two by each. The rider on my left, which was the inside line through the left hand turn was following the wheel in front of him while I was doing the same; this is normal. Then ten feet before the apex of the corner, this rider allowed his bike to drift into my line; which is not normal; this is one way crashes take place. In an effort to prevent a crash, I yielded and then asked him what wheel he wanted to follow. He looked at me in a confused manner. So I expanded and asked why he was switching lines in the apex of a corner. Mind you, there were only 14 guys in the race and moving up or around the field can be done easily. Again he looked confused which told me he was a rider that had no idea what it was like to “race” his bike with experienced racers. He is focusing on his skating versus playing the game. Luckily for this rider I had yielded my position preventing the potential for a crash. If this rider had attempted this move on someone like Brent Emery, his odds of staying upright would have been reduced substantially. Anyone who has tried to take a position from Brent knows he does not yield his position easily. Besides knowing all the tricks of the trade and being really tough, Brent knows he owns that space and that a rider drifting into his line is incorrect.

So what is the correct method in this situation? The rider on the inside has a responsibility to hold his line, which is determined by the wheel in front of him, thus the term following a wheel. I had compassion for this rider and the group by yielding to his error, making sure no crash resulted. This is a choice that I do not allow in big races, like ToAD, Superweek, Glencoe Grand Prix, and so on. Why did I allow it to happen in this race? In a small field it is very easy to move around the group using no extra energy to do so. In large races 75-100 racers, yielding could cause me to loose 10-15 places, having to use extra energy to regain that place, which could take a lap or two. This could be the energy needed later to win the sprint or bridge to the winning break. A calm state of mind and conservation of energy is a large piece of the puzzle, increasing your chances of higher placing.

Later in the race, I watched this same rider do this to someone else. This time he altered his line to jam his front wheel in between the two riders in front of him, overlapping both riders’ rear wheels through the corner. This is really a poor choice because any deviation of the riders line in front of him could force his front wheel to be taken out. The odds of this happening are twice what they were before; overlapping two riders at the same time is just kooky. I myself was not exposed because I made it my business to stay away from this rider after my first encounter. I also mentioned this behavior to my teammates as a precaution. They all seemed to agree that this racer rode like a… well you get the picture. This seems like such a simple lesson, but under the stress of a race, a rider with a high heart rate has more blood going to their legs and respiratory system leaving less blood and oxygen for their brain.

Aside from being at risk of crashing himself and others, this rider would not be able to win that race. Not having figured out the basics of pack riding in a race, I suspect he has not figured out how to win a race either. There is a normal progression of learning, and winning races normally comes after correct and safe pack etiquette.

Returning from the race weekend, I looked up the results and name of this particular rider. I also checked his ranking on USA cycling’s database and was not surprised at what I had found. This rider is a Cat 3 that has never won a race. As a coach I found this amusing since it was my initial assessment after only seeing him ride for 2-3 minutes. This does not mean he is incapable of winning races, but it does mean that he will need to learn some basics before this takes place.

Another mistake I see from many riders is what we call dive-bombing the turns. This is an advanced technique and needs to be used by riders with years of experience. The problem is, that many freshly upgraded riders see experienced racers do this and think they should do it too. But by doing this, they expose themselves to a rough ride often causing a crash. Then they usually blame the guy that did not yield to them, saying, “That guy did not hold his line and crashed me.” I will not talk about how to correctly dive into a corner on the inside because it is very difficult to perfect this move safely. However, I do want to caution you not to just assume you have the skills to execute this move. Try to learn how to race relaxed first; moving around the field calmly while slowly increasing your confidence. The more experienced racers will respect this style of racing. Then, eventually, you can start trying some of the more aggressive moves. Using an aggressive technique takes practice, skill, and confidence, assumptions of ones skill level is where problems arise. Do not be over confident, ask any racer that has a real resume, there are a number of local racers that were pros or national team members. It does not hurt to ask, it is free and these guys like to share a story or two.

I am going to use a rider, whom I’ve watched for years, as an example. He has this habit of dive bombing turns in the back of the pack, while rarely advancing his position more than 2-3 places. This is clearly a stupid move because he is exposing the group and himself to a crash for no reason. It is not until you know how to execute this move clearly that you should use this technique to move up to the front. There is a time and a place for this move, and if you watch long enough you will see good racers use it. You will not see them use it often because they realize it increases the risk of a crash for everyone in that area of the field. Remember we are mostly master racers and this is a hobby. Pros are being paid sometimes having to make a choice increasing the risk of crashing, which is part of their job. They are not trying to crash but advanced techniques are dangerous, no matter what level or racing experience you have.

It is important to race safely and realize that it takes years of practice to be a great bike handler and tactician. Do not be shy, go ask the opinion of Brent Emery, Tom Doughty, or Chris Halverson after a race sometime. These guys have all the high level knowledge and will share it with anyone that asks.

Next up, Kelley Benefit Strategies racer Mike Sherer talks with Enzo about being a first year pro.

Safe racing everyone,

Enzo

Everyone needs to self evaluate his or her physical strengths and weaknesses. I break this down into three disciplines of the sport: sprinting or short efforts, bridging or medium length efforts, and the ability to time trial or a longer hard effort. A simple way to evaluate your level is based on power to weight ratio and can be found at http://cozybeehive.blogspot.com/2008/02/power-to-weight-ratio.html.

Remember this is only a guide, although, excluding the handling and tactics, I have found it to be quite accurate. Test yourself with this cozybeehive chart. Then, while racing, pay attention to things like: How do you compare to the rest of the group when sprinting? Are your first five pedal strokes powerful? Do you create a gap quickly or slowly when changing speeds? After you are up to speed, do you feel comfortable sustaining a particular speed? Does your body dislike repeated hard efforts? Do your legs fill with lactic when you have only a few seconds of rest between hard efforts?  These are questions you need to answer honestly in order to adjust your training program.

So what are the secrets that top-level racers utilize? Have you ever listened to an interview of a pro football coach or player, like Peyton Manning? I understand that Peyton runs the offense most of the time based on how the opposing defense lines up. He changes the play called in the huddle or calls the plays on the line because of what he sees. How can he do this with success? He studies game film of the opposing teams for hours and hours. This concept is essential for bike racing as well. It is important to know who you are racing against.

So how do we get to know our competitors since we do not have game film? The answer is simple: USA Cycling results and rankings. This is a tool you need to become familiar with.  When you enter a persons name or license number you will be able to see what races they have raced and their results.

After you race an event, check the results when they are posted. Then look up the people that finished in the top ten places.  If you can see that they are consistent, put them on your watch list.

This list will allow you to be more confident in deciding when to attack and or whether a break is going to stick. This is Step number one. Step two is to keep a race journal. Keep notes about every race: how it played out and who were the riders that beat you. If you did well, record how and why you did well, who worked with you, and most of all, record the strengths and weaknesses of you opponents.

Ask yourself if your opponents were saving themselves in the field for the sprint? Were they aggressive throughout the race and attacking the field multiple times? Were they gun ho or gun shy? Were they active in the race early, later, or the entire time? Did they handle their bikes well? Did they allow gaps to open? Did they themselves close gaps that were formed, or did they allow others to close them? Did they climb well or suffer going uphill? Knowing these things about your opponents is a huge advantage. It is important to do your homework.

Remember, when racing locally, you should learn and know about the competition in great depth. When traveling to other areas to race, it is extremely important to do you homework weeks beforehand. It takes a lot more time to learn about riders whom you do not frequently race against: so remember to allow yourself enough time to do your research. If there are ten guys you need to pay attention to in a race, make a small list of their numbers taping it to your top tube or your stem. Example: I raced in a three-day stage race in Boone NC and I only knew one person, the rest of the racers were strangers. Day one was a tough 4.9 mile uphill TT, day two was a RR with two large climbs, day three was a crit. After day one I was second, so I needed to watch three people. I obviously needed to pay attention to the first and third place riders, but based on the TT times, I also needed to pay attention to the fourth place rider who was within striking distance. The TT was 1500 ft. of climbing in 4.9 miles. This race told me who could climb well and who couldn’t. Since I knew one of the riders, Andy, I only had to remember two bib numbers. I checked the TT results for these numbers and was prepared for the RR.

That is the lesson for today. Remember to do your homework and know whom you are racing against. It will help you know how to attack them and how they will most likely attack you. Until the next post, safe racing.

Enzo

So what do I mean by “racing” your bike? The number that sticks in my head is 10 percent. Look at results and rankings of USA Cycling, you will find that roughly the same racers are in the top 10 percent over and over, while the same names are in the other 90 percent of results. That is the difference between a racer and pack filler. Now the initial response of the pack filler might go like this, “well those guys are faster” or “I do not have those kind of watts”. I see this as denial; a denial of the amount of work and effort put into the training, dieting and the discipline that it takes to race a bike. If you want to be a racer, you must make some sacrifices in order to achieve this goal. I often tell my students that racing is not about power, it is more of a skill set. Who has the ability to think clearly when all the blood is going to your heart, lungs and legs? Lack of blood to the brain is one reason people make stupid moves in races, the others are: not knowing their competition, weaknesses, or how to read a race.
We are going to change all of that with these blog posts.

Are you a bike racer? This is a question that has a gray answer, though I will try to define the many categories and perceptions of riders that make up bike racing fields.
Why is there a gray area? The gray area has to do with an individual’s own perception of their athletic ability, which may not always be accurate. A riders personality often directly relates to their self perceptions as a rider.

Lets talk about training and personalities. As a coach I like to categorize my students into two groups, gun shy or gun ho. The first is gun shy: this rider is always in protection mode, afraid to expose themselves in a group as not to be dropped or disconnected. At times this rider will go to the front taking what is known as a soft pull, in other words, slowing the pace of the previous rider 1-3, or more MPH, for a very short duration. These riders also have a propensity to be high cadence spinners with minimal ability to push a larger gear, basically poor TT riders. This is a choice and can be remedied.
The second rider is gun ho: this is the rider that thinks bike racing is about power and strength. You will see them at the front killing themselves, towing the field relentlessly, showing everyone how strong they are. Most times this riding style will be at a slower cadence pushing a larger gear. This rider is adequate at TT’s since they practice all the time, but not great at the TT because of their lack of top end and leg speed. This is also a choice that can be remedied.

It is important to know the type of rider you are in order to obtain maximum gains. Most people do not like change, thus are never improving. I know many riders like this and it does not make them bad riders, but they are not the people that will win races often. Many times the complacent rider will enter races with a small attendance history increasing their chance for a higher placing. My intention is not to criticize, but to bring the behavior to one’s attention. Be aware of who you are as a rider, this is a huge building block for improvement. Example: One of my best racing friends, who races for another team, is a great racer but chooses to always work for his team captain. Many times he has a lesser finish because of the amount of work put in or because of a huge lead out effort. This is a choice he makes and he is very satisfied racing this way: kudos to him.

Categories and what they equate to:

Cat 5- Entry level rider with no race experience. May be a good group rider and have some speed and power, but has little idea what racing is, or how to handle a bike correctly under pressure.

Cat 4- Has been in a minimum of 10 Cat 5 events. Most still do not have an idea of what the sport is really about. Many of these riders think they need to be stronger in order to upgrade. Strength may help to an extent; however, I can regularly have a rider upgrade into the 3′s in one season. We do this by teaching them how to race, not by changing their strength.

Cat 3- OK now we are entering the Twilight zone. This is the most diverse group of riders with many styles, attitudes, and abilities. I laugh about, what I call, the eternal Cat 3. This is a rider that is either gun shy, or a rider that has good potential but does not have the time to put in the hours needed to move into the 1-2′s; either because of young family, career/work and all other reasonable effects of life. I have a large amount of respect for this type of rider; they have a sense of balance. Many of these riders will kick ass when they are older, mid to late 40′s. Back to the gun shy cat 3: these are riders that think they know how to race their bikes, yet never step foot on a podium.
They like to talk about their training methods, power files and how well they tested last week. If you fit this description, no disrespect, but testing well or killing an LT set in training does not make you a bike racer. I realize not everyone has the genetic gift to be on the podium, but in Cat 3 races, there are only a few things you need to understand about yourself and the mentality of this group. After learning these concepts, you will find a few podiums each season. For the riders that want to upgrade into the 1-2’s, this might take a full season or two for the rider with lesser genetics.

Cat 2- This is when I will start calling you a bike racer, you have enough experience and discipline to have upgraded and now your learning really begins. Up until now you have learned to keep your bike upright in tight places, hopefully how to recognize a poor rider and avoid them in the field. You may even understand a few tactics, but things are about to change. This change is for the better and worse. If you thought racing in the 3′s was rough, let me tell you, you have not seen anything. This group will be “racing” their bikes, and any sign of weakness will be exposed quickly. Leave a small gap in the field and you will loose 10 places in 5 seconds. Hesitate moving into the small openings, and you loose 5 places. Think you are going to sprint, and find out that these guys are strong, tough and seemingly fearless when making contact with other bikes. The upside is that many of these racers have learned how to handle their bikes in corners, when climbing and while sprinting. This makes for smoother riding and higher average speeds. It also makes for more hard and fast attacks. Smart tactics and toughness is what wins these races, and in that order.

Cat 1- Here are the best racers and for good reason: they have learned how to win bike races. These racers are smart; however, there are exceptions to every rule. I know of a Cat 1 roadie that I always shake my head at wondering how they ever managed to upgrade, not because this racer is older, but because I do not recall him using any smart tactics. Cat 1 racers are smart tacticians. They can still have a weakness in their ability, we all do, the difference is the Cat 1 understands this and has learned how to avoid being caught in that position.

Pro Racer-Enough said: these guys are the racers with only small holes in their racing abilities and have the smartest tactical brains. They are tougher than you can imagine, spending countless hours in the saddle and making very small amounts of money for years at a time. We will talk with a first year pro later this season and will be posting the interview. I will ask questions that will open your eyes to the sacrifices it takes to do this sport at the highest level.

Remember that my intention is not to criticize any rider; it is to teach the sport of bike racing. These are lessons that all good racers have learned, but do not often talk about. This blog will bring to light many of these concepts in hopes of making you a better racer.

Until the next post,

Enzo.