RECOVER FROM A BAD START... World, Commonwealth, National champ and Wattbike ambassador on getting back on track
Lizzie Armitstead
KEEP CALM
Bad starts can come in the form of a poor initial phase of the race or ride – when you don’t get into the pattern you want – or else it’s a crash or fault with the bike leaving you lagging behind. Whatever the cause, just remember ‘don’t panic’. Try to get back into your mental and physical zone.
REHEARSE REPAIRS
It is possible to recover and it’s pretty obvious what you’re going to need to do to get up to speed. Without a support team it’s often a different story if your start is a mechanical issue – ideally it’s something you can fix yourself. It pays to have a good knowledge and experience of fixing common mechanicals like punctures or chain problems.
CHASE FOR YOUR PLACE
Push hard to get back into the ride and up with your group, but don’t do it to the detriment of your safety or risk burning out completely. Focus on regaining your composure as you look to regain your position – this could end up being something you put down to experience. Just because you’ve had a bad start doesn’t mean those ahead of you won’t have problems further down the road either.
RACE YOURSELF
If you’re racing in an event like a criterium or one where you’re a new rider among other new riders, a bad start may not be the disaster you fear it could be. Think about your own race, as it’s possible that once the initial laps are through you’re going to be passing those who are struggling with the pace of the pack.
FIND THE FAULT
A post-ride debrief can help identify areas where you need to improve and faults that led to that bad start. Go through the causes in your mind, check your bike and examine if there were any regular pre-race checks you may have missed. Above all don’t get disheartened, we all experience them – the key thing is to learn from them and move on.