CHASE DOWN A BREAKAWAY LIKE... STEVE CUMMINGS
Findouthowtorecoverlostground andgetbackwiththepack
On a club training ride, competitive event or full-on race meeting the to-and-fro of the riders in the pack, the overlapping flow of the peloton, the change of leadership and the perfectly timed breakaway are all key elements of cycling strategy. But for the rider who’s dropped, that thrill fast turns to fret as they try to get back among the getaway group. On the elite circuit it’s TV gold, the kind of stuff that sends race fans wild – but that’s no consolation for the men or women caught out by an explosive breakaway and suddenly tasked with chasing it down… TIME YOUR RECOVERY “Timing is key to bringing back a breakaway. Delaying the chase too long will leave too big a deficit to bring back and this will result in a huge amount of energy expenditure over a prolonged period of time – if the break is dangerous, don’t allow more than a minute advantage before organising a chase.” SIZE MATTERS “A small group breaking away in the early stages of a long race is rarely a racethreatening move, but a larger group at the end will require a fast reaction from the peloton if it is to be caught.” WATCH THE WIND “Wind can play a huge role in the success of a breakaway. A small group of riders will have to work exceptionally hard riding into a headwind, and a chase at full speed will close a gap far more quickly. Of course, a tailwind gives the breakaway a far easier ride at high speed, and it will be harder to close the gap. Crosswinds play a big part in the chase itself, and will dictate which direction the chase group rotates.” TAKE IT IN TURNS “Take short turns on the front, the group should rotate clockwise if the wind is from the right and anticlockwise if the wind if from the left, hence the lead rider should pull off into the wind, providing shelter for the next rider to pull through, and maintain the speed of the chase.” KNOW YOUR LIMITS “Every rider has a limit, and chasing too hard too soon will leave you too fatigued when the break is caught. Take short turns on the front of the group, and aim to maintain the speed of the group, rather than sudden accelerations
“EVERY RIDER HAS A LIMIT, AND CHASING TOO HARD TOO SOON WILL LEAVE YOU TOO FATIGUED”
“The best way to avoid chasing down the break is to be in it! Not only will you be in the race, but your teammates get a free ride in the peloton. Pick your moment wisely, accelerate hard, and ride smart. Steve Cummings times his movement perfectly and rarely wastes energy chasing multiple breakaways.” and changes in speed. This will save energy for later in the race.” PACE THE CHASE “The key to a good chase is for individuals to hold back from indulging in huge turns on the front with big displays of power. Ride smoothly, maintain the pace, and work together. Never sit up immediately after finishing your turn, as this suddenly drops the pace and can be dangerous to those behind, instead join the line smoothly and slowly return to the back of the group.” PRACTICE POWER SURGES “Closing a breakaway is often a sustained effort over a fairly long period, but that is not the full story. The power profile consists of multiple surges in power, often above threshold as you hit the front, and a brief recovery period rotating around the group. However, this recovery period can still require a fairly high workload, and your training should reflect this. “Overunder” training by interspersing short (~20s) efforts above threshold (+110%), with efforts under threshold (85-90% for 40s) simulates this well. Importantly the ‘off’ intervals are not rest, and still require a relatively high workload.”