MCC Stan Gurney Memorial Criteriums - B Grade :: 25th April, 2013

A race of only 25 minutes duration plus 2 laps is not something I can write a lot about, especially when you're coming into the race already fatigued and find yourself out of it pretty quickly. It was the first time I'd ridden a "hot dog" course for a criterium and I learnt quite a bit from the experience and once again I can report on how NOT to ride such an event from personal experience and explain the definite "rookie mistakes" I made.

There is nothing about the actual race I can write about that would make it overly exciting for readers so I will keep it brief. I will mention straight up how well the race was ridden by Chris Roberts and Mike Pardon. Chris set a cracking pace on the front for the first 20 minutes and did not let up, powering out of each corner and putting the hurt on anyone who was behind him - including me after a while. Mike used his riding strength to his advantage coupled with Chris' efforts on the front and managed to place 4th and he demonstrated great technique in conserving his energy and strength.

What I found interesting as a difference between the two was their wattages through the race. Chris was definitely the workhorse for the duration with a weighted average of over 300 watts while Mike, who was never too far away from Chris' wheel was able to complete the race far more comfortably with a weighted average of just 215 watts. This was clearly the reason why Mike had the strength to finish to race so strongly.

My normalised power was up over 270 watts but most of this was due to my rookie mistakes throughout the race ending up with me riding the last half solo as I was dropped due to draining my reserves far too quickly. Brad had warned me at the beginning of the week that my new training program would definitely have me racing tired but I didn't expect it to be so soon and coupling that with my inexperience in riding a "hot dog" course, it was a race I would rather forget but will take these learning experiences from it.

Position is Everything!

I've always known that when riding a Criterium event, getting into the right position is vital if you are to have a chance of conserving enough energy to be there at the end and compete in the final sprint for the line. This couldn't be more true for a "hot dog" course but in a significantly different way. Being at the front is certainly important as you want to avoid the accordian effect as you come into and out of the hair-pin bends. This was abundantly evident in C grade who had the largest field of the day. By the time the last riders were coming into the hair-pin (and still slowing down), the lead riders were already some 200-250m down the road and really flying. Being at the front approaching these bends is critical but so to is your position either side of the bunch which I explain next.

Inside or Outside?

I learnt all to quickly during the race that your position to the inside or outside of the course is just as crucial as your position at the front or back. It's very tempting to get yourself to the inside of the course to gain positions leading up to the hair-pin bends but if you are not able to get right to the front and find yourself unable to push over to the outside of the field, your work to gain those places will have been completely in vain. You cannot afford to be on the inside of the hair-pin bends (closest to the turning markers - especially if it's just a singe road cone and you find yourself turning on a 10c piece. The loss of momentum and the power needed to get back up to pace can undo any rider if done too often. This was my biggest mistake for the race and found myself pushing over 1000w every time I came out of the corner. Keeping to the outside of the hair-pins is vital to conserving energy and keeping the pace up around the slower points of the race.

Gutter-to-Gutter!

This is simple, on the hair-pin bends, take them as wide as possible using as much of the road as you can to maintain your momentum. Start wide in the gutter, cut the corner as close to the turning apex as you can and then out to the opposite gutter. This allows you to remove the sharpness of the turn and keep your speed up as you navigate through it. If there are a number of riders on the turn with you, then be placed to the outside of the bend to maintain the gutter-to-gutter trajectory.

Conserve Your Energy

Mike Pardon demonstrated how this is best done during a race on such a course. With a strong rider setting the pace (as Chris Roberts had done), it allows you to tag onto that wheel and simply keep it. The trick is to ensure that you keep that wheel and not get chopped out. Mike was able to stay within one or two wheels of Chris for the most of the race and as a result was never in a position where he would need to power out of the hair-pins in order to gain positions back and he was able to take those corners wider meaning his momentum was always up as he came out of them requiring less power to get back up to speed.

Be Agressive

The younger generation in the race proved that being aggressive to maintain position was pretty much a requirement. You either have this ability or you don't based on your willingness to take risks and likely an earbashing or two from other riders. I mentioned that it was crucial to be on the outside of the course as you approach the hair-pin bends of a "hot dog" course and if you find you need to come up the inside of the course to gain places, then you need to be prepared to drop in on a number of riders before you reach the tight corners. If you are not prepared to be this aggressive, then simply stay to the outside of the course as you approach the bends and try to gain places soon after coming out of it.

Common Sense Through Hair-Pin Bends To Keep You Upright

If there was one thing I noticed from the B grade race and the other races, the hair-pin bends are a very technical aspect of a "hot dog" course. Navigating them successfully without using too much of your energy reserves and staying upright at the same time is certainly tricky. I've already mentioned how best to try and save your energy but staying upright is just as important. If you go down in a race like this, it might be at a slow speed and is unlikely to do any damage but you will likely not get back into the race. To avoid going down on these turns, there are two important factors that can help you. Firstly, ensure you keep your inside pedal to the top of the rotation to avoid it hitting the ground. I actually witnessed a pedal hitting the ground in the A grade race, so a small lapse in concentration, even with experienced riders, can often be all that is needed to kick you off your bike. Secondly, do not power up too early. I think most of the people who came down hit the power on the inside pedal while they were still in the turn and the back wheel simply kicked out from under them due to the lean they still had due to the turn. Wait until you are well out of the turn and all but heading back down the road before you really apply the power needed to get back up to speed.

I have learned these aspects from personal experience from my first race on a "hot dog" course and I am happy to share them with my readers in the event that you might find yourself in a similar race and can go armed with this knowledge. The last point really is for everyone's benefit, not just yours as coming down in a corner can often bring other riders down with you.

Thank you for reading.