Having had six months off from racing (winters to cold for this old man) it was really great to see so many new faces and some old ones, however it became apparent that some basic scratch racing skills needed to be addressed. So at the risk of sounding like a blow hard know it all I shall now dig it to some twenty years of experience and shed some light on the mysteries of bike racing.
Hating to state the obvious but the winner is at the FRONT of the bunch, by saying this I am subtly pointing out that to increase your chance of winning you need to be in the first quarter of the field at ALL TIMES! There are many reasons for this but the main ones are as follows.
You can find shelter in at the front in cross winds but none at the back, in fact the best place to be in across wind is at the front, it is easier having to do thirty seconds work ever three minutes at the front than working all the time at the back.
Most crashes happen at the back two thirds of the bunch trust me I have the scars to prove it. This is mainly due to the ‘yoyo effect where the front slows or speeds up and the back half are slow to react also tired riders sit at the back and when you are tired your reactions are slower.
When there is an attack and if you are like me and a bit slow off the mark then there are all these people behind you that when they pass you will tow you up to the front, remembering you are now at the back and will need to move to the front A.S.A.P.
When you are at the front it is easier to see things coming like hills, corners, crashes, potholes, attacks, cars, sheep, horses and cattle livestock is hazard known only in New Zealand I think.
The ideal place to sit is five or six back sheltered from the wind. Now here in lies the rub, if you are at he front of the bunch you might have to do some work if you want to keep that magic spot. This mainly applies to scratch racing however in handicap races the common courtesy is for all to take a turn at the front or get the hell out of the way so that those who want to work can.
There you have it, as simple as that, now the next time I race in a big bunch I expect there to be a big bun fight for the front of the bunch.
So for now my work is done. Next issue Dodgy Dellboy verses the evil crosswinds