TACTICS 101 # 7 LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES
on stage 1 of the Arctic Race of Norway, when a group of 25 riders went clear as the race split in the crosswinds, Rally Cycling was one of the only teams who missed the cut. The break was packed with strength, with all four WorldTour teams having placed a rider up the road - if the break was going to be pulled back in, Rally were going to have to work. Four of their six riders were dispatched to the front of the peloton and forced to pull for most of the day. Though Colin Joyce salvaged a 10th place in the sprint, the team had learned positioning is key.
Fast-forward 24 hours, and crosswinds again ravaged the second stage. Having been caught out of position once, this time, Rally raced on the front and were visible in almost every key move. Ryan Anderson muscled into an early break, and then when the decisive splits occurred on the final climb, Matteo Dal-Cin ensured Joyce was marshalled into position at the front, so both he and Robin Carpenter made the split.
Carpenter was unlucky to get ruled out by a crash with 30k remaining, but Joyce didn’t flinch, and as the 11-rider front group led into the final straight, the 24-year-old held his nerve for the sprint. BMC’s Danilo Wyss and Israel Cycling Academy’s Dennis Van Winden launched, but Joyce was patient, accelerating to pass them on the line for the biggest win of his career. What a difference a day makes.