Team time trial

Doc07

Our club are running a TTT. Teams of 4 with clock stopping at 3rd man over the line. Course is a fairly flat square circuit 40km total.

My 4 man team has 3 solid and one weakish rider...me

Re strategy;
Wondering should we do very short pulls eg 30 secs or maybe 2 mins?

Let the stronger guys do longer pulls?

Share the workload and maybe let the 3 stronger guys drop me when a few km to go?

It's only a bit of fun but any strategy advice appreciated.

Idleater

At least you have a team :-)

Last year I was in a makeshift team of leftovers and managed not to finish last. With a team, if you are confident in each other treat it like a breakaway where you know each other, if not, do the same but you have to figure out each riders' traits.

I wouldn't bother with tt bike or aerobars unless you have been/will be practicing.

Doc07

Idleater wrote: »

At least you have a team :-)

Last year I was in a makeshift team of leftovers and managed not to finish last. With a team, if you are confident in each other treat it like a breakaway where you know each other, if not, do the same but you have to figure out each riders' traits.

I wouldn't bother with tt bike or aerobars unless you have been/will be practicing.

Cheers, I think we will all be on road bikes.
Unfortunately I've never been in a breakaway!

Beasty

Work at your limit as long as you can then drop out and leave it to the others. That way you maintain speed while you are there with the other 3 getting some respite. Obviously when you are gone they work harder but hopefully there's only 20 mins or so left then.

Doc07

Beasty wrote: »

Work at your limit as long as you can then drop out and leave it to the others. That way you maintain speed while you are there with the other 3 getting some respite. Obviously when you are gone they work harder but hopefully there's only 20 mins or so left then.

Thanks. That's the sort of plan I had in mind. I was thinking of hanging on doing turns until maybe 5 km to go but maybe going all out for 30/40 km might be more realistic.

smurphy29

Shorter turns, not slower turns is the key to a good team time trial.

buffalo

Well, how'd you find it?

Doc07

buffalo wrote: »

Well, how'd you find it?

It was great to try something like that.
I was fairly out of my depth but managed to do a few turns at the front before I blew up around 27km( out of 42).
Some of that was simply not being fit enough but some was down to poor technique for example I wasted a lot of energy by not keeping close enough to the wheel in front.

My 3 teammates powered on to a podium finish.

Think a few Ras men flew past me during the race. It was like being passed by motorbikes!

buffalo

Doc07 wrote: »

It was great to try something like that.
I was fairly out of my depth but managed to do a few turns at the front before I blew up around 27km( out of 42).
Some of that was simply not being fit enough but some was down to poor technique for example I wasted a lot of energy by not keeping close enough to the wheel in front.

My 3 teammates powered on to a podium finish.

Think a few Ras men flew past me during the race. It was like being passed by motorbikes!

27km is a very respectable distance, well done! And take comfort in the fact that you weren't the last rider across the line - there were two after you (including a winner!).

Like most things, it'll get easier with practice. It's a fun way to train too - keep up intense sessions for longer. Communication is key - if someone is suffering, they need to let everyone know. Likewise if someone is being a hero and pushing too hard, they have to be reined in.

Doc07

buffalo wrote: »

27km is a very respectable distance, well done! And take comfort in the fact that you weren't the last rider across the line - there were two after you (including a winner!).

Like most things, it'll get easier with practice. It's a fun way to train too - keep up intense sessions for longer. Communication is key - if someone is suffering, they need to let everyone know. Likewise if someone is being a hero and pushing too hard, they have to be reined in.

Cheers. I've slowly come to realise my boards name doesn't really hide my identity too well!

buffalo

Doc07 wrote: »

Cheers. I've slowly come to realise my boards name doesn't really hide my identity too well!

The shorts were a giveaway too.

Dazguy2000

It wasn't just your teammates who podiumed as while your blew up at 27km, you gave the guys some element of rest in the turns you took up front.... well done.

DirkVoodoo

Ahh, it all makes sense now...Doc Doc

Well done, a podium in a TTT does not come easy!