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Racing with wind

  • 27-04-2010 5:44pm
    #1
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 78,393 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭


    No, not another medical question:D

    Tomorrow night should bring my second Swords League race. Last week the weather was very good. Tomorrow's forecast is for a South Westerly wind of around 25 kph, with gusts of 60+ kph

    I presume hiding in the bunch for as long as possible will generally provide the best results. However I will probably be in a small group (6-8 last week), and we will have to work together to stay away as long as possible.

    Obviously the wind will help as well as hinder. We will be doing 3 x 10 km circuits, and the final "straight" is around 2-3 km, with the wind pretty much side-on if it is from the SW.

    So, "fellow racers", what are the best tactics to adopt when the wind gets strong?

    NB - tomorrow's competitors need not reply;)


Comments

  • #2
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,221 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Attack in a crosswind or tailwind.

    Do not attack into a headwind.


  • #3
    shaungil
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭shaungil


    Beasty,

    I'm screwed with semi scratch now so I don't regard myself as competition. I've gone into all races (bar one) this year with some objectives, such as try to make a break attack twice get up for a sprint attack on a climb etc, all to try and make me learn where my strength weaknesses are and if they are just percieved weaknesses or not. The one thing I have not done bar Stamullen was to sit in a group all day and let the race control me.

    This is the perfect course for you as it's very flat with long straight sections however with any CP you need to have guys working form the start. DelboyFagan won this last year by breaking from your group with one full lap to go though pretty benign conditions. For this course and this race I'd think you should work as a group for two laps but on the second lap look a the other guys in the group see how strong they are and if you are actually pulling them along. You specialise in long solo runs, not sprinting, so a lone breakaway is do-able on this course but make sure you have caught everyone in front too.

    You can head in with a plan but the plan has to be flexible. If you break and are dying, rest up and get back with your group and try later.

    The league is the best place for trying out all these things. The wind might be strong but if the group don't form properly then the advantages can be negated so there's no right or wrong answer.

    In the words of a great philospher "If you aint first you're last".


  • #4
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 78,393 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    The Lion of Fingal is due to race, so I may have him to tow me along;)

    I was hoping for the other groups to disintegrate at the "hole in the road", but it's been repaired today (tarmac still looks a bit lumpy though)

    I guess strong winds increase the chances of the larger groups breaking up into smaller ones, which may be more to our advantage if we can keep working together


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