Race tactics b Pro scene HOW TO WIN A BIKE RACEVictory doesn’t always go to the rider with the strongest legs. Cyclist looks at how strategy, gamesmanship and gall can all affect the eventual outcome Words FELIX LOWE Illustrations ROB MILTON 128 CYCLIST CYCLIST 129 Pro scene b Race tactics team with the most riders in play gives itself the best chance of winning. Look at last year’s Paris-Roubaix. The 2014 event was won by Omega Pharma-Quick-Step’s Niki Terpstra, but had he failed in his attempt, he had two other team-mates in the final break of 11 riders, including the four- time winner Tom Boonen. In a similar vein, Leopard- Trek used strength in numbers to devastating effect on stage 18 of the 2011 Tour de France. It was a long 200km mountain stage, finishing at the top of the Galibier, and team leader Andy Schleck staged a daring breakaway with 60km still to go. Fortunately, the team had the foresight to place riders in breaks further up the road, who were used to pace Schleck away from the chasing bunch until the Luxembourger could icolas Roche is there for the Tinkoff-Saxo team to Above: Nearing the eventually solo to victory at the recalling the execute its master plan. end of a mountaintop mountaintop finish. It was a move finish, the team leader audacious move his ‘There was another split and I saw may only have the concocted in the Leopard-Trek team old Tinkoff-Saxo that teams were caught out,’ Roche, help of one or two bus that very morning. team sprung in the now riding alongside Froome at Team domestiques. Soon In the same year, at Paris-Roubaix, they’ll be on their own 2013 Tour de France: Sky, tells Cyclist. ‘I had a chat with Leopard-Trek were this time victims ‘Many times you dream of such a Michael [Rogers]. He was up for it. Previous pages: As the of strength-in-numbers tactics at N run-in to the final sprint thing, but it rarely comes together like We stuck really close. Then Michael unfolds, dicing for the hands of Garmin-Cervélo. Fabian that.’ On stage 13, the peloton was said, “Go!” and that was that. It was position is paramount. Cancellara, who had won at Roubaix split into small groups by the strong a huge team effort. It doesn’t happen Ground is hard-fought the previous year in 2010, was again and defended by the crosswinds of the Loire, and yellow often that you have a break of a dozen lead out trains that favourite to win for Leopard-Trek, but jersey-holder Chris Froome of Team riders with six from one team, but the shepherd their teams’ Garmin used its strongest rider, Thor Sky was left stranded without support circumstances were just perfect.’ sprinters to the line Hushovd, to shadow his every move, and eventually lost more than a Such a scenario rarely plays out while sending Johan Vansummeren minute to rival Alberto Contador after precisely because it’s unusual that up the road on what looked like his Tinkoff-Saxo squad managed to everything falls into place so well. Had a futile breakaway. Cancellara, pull off a rare team breakaway. stage 13 of that Tour been a one-day unwilling to tow Hushovd all the ‘We’d been told the wind had eased Classic, Saxo’s strategy would have way to the finish, eventually gave and so the peloton was not prepared been considered highly flawed – up racing altogether, leaving the for it,’ says Roche. The initial damage Contador finished only seventh – but Belgian Vansummeren to take the had been done by the Omega Pharma as part of a three-week narrative, biggest win of his career. team of eventual stage winner Mark it unexpectedly became the most ‘Garmin may not be the most Cavendish, dividing the peloton compelling stage of the entire race. successful team – nor do they have with more than 100km remaining. Tactically, teams approach the the best riders – but they’ve pulled Sprinters and GC men were distanced. one-day Classics and multi-day Tours a few rabbits out of their hats with Other teams sniffed blood. When differently, but one thing that the great tactics,’ says BBC and Eurosport the gusts returned, Froome suddenly Tinkoff-Saxo move of stage 13 showed commentator Rob Hatch. appeared vulnerable. With 35km is that, regardless of the type of event, As well as Vansummeren’s Paris- remaining, all the ingredients were racing is often a numbers game. The Roubaix victory, Garmin can boast tactical wins for Ryder Hesjedal at the 2012 Giro d’Italia and Dan Martin at ‘Despite not having the best riders, the 2013 Liège-Bastogne-Liège. ‘I really liked how Garmin kept Garmin have pulled a few rabbits Martin fresh while using Hesjedal to agitate, break clear and then out of their hats with great tactics’ maintain the pace in Liège. Not P 130 CYCLIST Race tactics b Pro scene P especially complicated, but well moments where, by force of personal Roche. Flexibility and adaptability to respond. While it’s not against the executed – as the most effective genius, he barked a series of brilliant reign supreme. ‘Sometimes you rules, it is frowned upon by riders and performances generally are,’ says orders that won the day’. try things with permission and fans alike, and is generally deemed to Cosmo ‘Cyclocosm’ Catalano, whose sometimes with instinct,’ he says. For be against the ‘spirit’ of the sport. How The Race Was Won videos have Dangerous moves while strategies provide structure, it’s In the 1990 Tour, Italian pro become online staples for fans. Sometimes the best a directeur reacting to circumstances that makes Claudio Chiappucci violated cycling’s So, it might seem that race wins sportif can do is to take a gamble on the difference. ‘Sticking to a plan unwritten rules by attacking eventual are concocted by the team managers a kamikaze tactic and hope that it doesn’t mean adhering to a very strict winner Greg LeMond when the who can best use the resources at works out for the best. When Charly schedule,’ explains Southam. American had punctured. And who their disposal, and who simply yell Wegelius (now DS at Cannondale- ‘From my point of view,’ Catalano can forget the ‘Chaingate’ incident instructions down the team radios. Garmin) was an amateur at Jean- chips in, ‘the best strategies are in 2010 when Alberto Contador But it’s not always that simple. René Bernaudeau’s Vendée-U almost always simple – “Let’s get capitalised on Andy Schleck’s development squad, he recalls that Simon Gerrans to the finish in the misfortune. Schleck was wearing Grand masters the finale of a key race featured a lead group” – and most of the tactical yellow when he slipped his chain ‘Riders have to make a lot of snap steep descent culminating in a sharp adjustments that do happen are in during an ascent of Port de Balès, and decisions themselves. There’s only so turn ahead of a ramp to the finish. response to how things play out.’ It’s rather than wait, Contador attacked much that a DS can actually do, even On a recce, Bernaudeau ordered his apt that Catalano should mention and made it to the line 39 seconds with radios,’ says former British rider riders not to brake before the turn. Gerrans, because the Australian’s ahead of his rival. It was a breach of Tom Southam, now directeur sportif One crashed, but the others learned strategy segues quite nicely to another etiquette and all the more significant at Australian Pro-Continental outfit how to do it. Come the race, they key aspect of tactics: fair play. when Contador went on to win Drapac Professional Cycling, who race used the tactic to secure the win. the Tour by a margin of 39 seconds primarily in EuropeTour events where More mainstream an example is It’s just not cricket (although he was later stripped of radios are banned. Radio’s detractors Contador’s game-changing stage 17 Orica-GreenEdge’s Simon Gerrans the title for a doping offence). argue that earpieces reduce riders to victory in the 2012 Vuelta. Attacking split opinion after sandbagging Fabian ‘There was a big fuss when the mere playthings of their masters an isolated Joaquim Rodriguez on a Cancellara down the Poggio before Nairo Quintana attacked during the – pawns in a game of cycling chess transitional hilly stage when he least out-sprinting the Swiss powerhouse neutralised descent of the Stelvio where the man behind the steering in the [2014] Giro, but everyone’s wheel of the team car is, well, queen. forgotten it now. Generally, it’s the Like Southam, Catalano disagrees: Strategies give structure, but bunch that calls it. There’s no way ‘There’s only so much they can do of regulating fair play, which is one squinting at a tiny TV and yelling it’s reacting to circumstances of the main appeals of the sport,’ into the radio. The comparisons to says Roche, whose father, Stephen, chess and poker or even playing video that makes the difference famously attacked yellow jersey Jean- games are way off the mark.’ François Bernard in the feed zone The truth is that there’s more ad- expected it, Contador used numerous to win Milan-San Remo in 2012. as part of a plan with Charly Mottet libbing in a bike race than in a whole Saxo domestiques placed in the Sure, sitting on Cancellara’s wheel during his victorious 1987 Tour.