When you feel like the weakest in a group

Knowing your cycling opponents is very important before planning your Cycling Tactics. When you feel like the weakest in a group when racing your tactic should be to try to think which riders are the strongest in the group and what would they do to make the situation better for themselves.

If a good road bike rider wants to split the group, hills and a crosswind is a good situation for them to try that. You should be aware of what THEIR Cycling Tactics are. A clever thing to do is to place yourself right behind the best rider and be ready to follow the attack when it comes.

If the group is counting 4-9 riders and all are working to keep the pace up it can be hard to place yourself in the best position. There might be more than one good rider and they are maybe spread out the riders in the group are switching to take the lead.

Many cycling tactics can be takin in concideration but always take the current situation as your starting point and analyze what to do. If you are 6 riders the strongest want to split the group sometime before the finish. Normally this will happen about 20-30 kilometers to the finish. From my many years of experience I know the best riders think this way. Be aware of the attacking points such as crosswind, hills and other good points for attacking.

Even if you are feeling as the weakest you can predict what will happen after reading this and stay 100 percent focused from the 40 kilometer mark from the finish. When you take your lead in the group from that mark stay focused and expect attacks! Look carefully to your right and left not showing the other riders that you know what will happen. When the attack comes you will act promptly and be part of the front.

Later you can chance you cycling tactics, and surrender if your followers are a touch too strong for you this particular day. You can then e.g. explain that you will not sprint at the finnish. In this way you can save yourself a good position instead of them attacking you far from the final goal line in order to lose you.

There are seldom road bike riders who are happy to have a rider, who is sitting with them for free with chance to take the win in the end. You are better of by becoming number 5 instead of dropped from the leading group and end up in the peloton and might be number 50 instead. Learn from it and build on your cycling performance so you can take your chances in the final next time.

Criterium attacking tactics

Attack after a sprint:

The Cycling Tactics to considerate are slightly different from race to race. And the Criteriium cylcing tactics can vary. This type of race is often typical in a stage race, where you usually do sprints during the race for the point jersey or in criterium races with sprints during the race or it could be a single Criterium Race with sprints during the race itself. The bike riders who ride to win the sprint are so exhausted that they cannot join an offensive that take place right after the sprint and the peloton becomes dragged out and disorganized towards the sprint.

If you stay up at the front with the sprinters and do not ride in the actual sprint, but wait with your offensive until the sprint is over, then there is a good chance to make a break away. This tactic is especially good in criterium bike races.

Make use of your good pedaling:

Pedaling means the force with which you can push your bike into motion. Typically sprinters and track riders have an especially good pedaling ability on flat roads and others have a good pedaling ability on hills.

If you are a person, who has a good pedaling ability you should take advantage of this. Instead of attacking all the time in e.g. windless weather you should wait until a group of riders have created a gap. You can now utilize your good pedaling ability to move up to the group who have created the gap. It is a gift to be blessed with a good pedaling ability. Take advantage of it when attacking, during sprints and in riding up to join a group of riders who have already created a lead.