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Hello and welcome on my blog about Cycling Tactics & Strategies!
I am Sylvain Jeuland, a French third category bike racer. Today I will tell you a story.
Once upon a time I was racing a third category bike race and I was in the fifteen racer breakaway.
But I wanted to break away from this group and form a smaller group to perform a Top
Nine.
So I had to make a successful attack and keep my energy in the same time. This is a smooth
attack. A smooth attack allows you to break away while minimizing your effort. Most of
the times, your smooth attack fails, but sometimes it results in a great outcome.
How to make a smooth attack in races?
First you have to wait that your group slows down. You can't make a smooth attack if
it goes too fast because you will not be able to create a high difference of speed. You
won't create a good gap.
You can see here a group of red slow racers. The shape of this group indicates that there
is a slow down since there are not forming a pace line.
You are the yellow racer. You must move laterally to the other side of the road to free yourself
from the group. This move allows you to reduce the visual impact you have on the others.
You may be followed: it depends on the situation, the others and how you make it.
Then accelerate smoothly by spinning faster and faster. Don't leave your saddle, don't
stand on the pedals. You could drink in your bottle (you're not attacking, right?). You
have to give the other racers the impression you stay with them. Don't behave like an
attacking man.
Look at the yellow racer, it's you. You are now creating a gap. You get dozens of
meters without doing a big effort. When you have an advantage of 50 meters on the group,
look back and choose your next move depending on their reaction.
Nevertheless everyone could follow you. No problem, make a 10 second relay and go back
drafting inside the group. You will try again later.
You know now how to make a smooth attack. I tried it in my race before a bounty sprint.
Only one guy followed me and the others did not react. Then we managed to create an 100
meter gap. Only the two strongest racers were strong enough to catch us. We rode together
and took the four first places at the finish.
If you like this video, write a comment below. See you soon in another video
about Cycling Tactics and Strategies!