While some people have a natural gift of speed and some can’t seem to sprint at all, both groups can benefit from executing their sprint well both tactically and technically. It can often come down to good sprinting tactics and technique. A poor sprinter can beat naturally gifted sprinters if they take time to learn good technique and tactics. I have coached both. One rider without as much power as most sprinters was Brad Evans, but he executed his technique and tactics well, often winning an elite bunch kick.
So we need to be a student of our sport, continually learning and getting better at the art of cycling and not just training.
Sprinting Tactics
Tactics (the first part of Sprinting Tactics and Technique) are the way we interact with the riders and the environment around us to improve our chances in a race. This could be positioning in a bunch, when we start our sprint, what wheels to follow etc.
To improve our tactics we need to gain experience through doing and learning from experienced others. Here are some good links to various sprinting tactics:
Stage 5 of 2022 Tour de France (judging the distance & surprising opponents)
Watch all the stage finishes of this year’s Tour de France and see how the sprint unfolds. See what works and doesn’t work. Especially small group sprints. For extra homework check out other pro races or previous Tours.
Some Basic Tactical Rules Include:
1. Distance
- Know the distance to the line by picking a marker you could sprint from to the line (maybe 150-200m from the line).
- Adjust the length of your sprint if it is uphill/headwind (shorter distance) or downhill/tailwind (longer)
2. Drafting:
- Keep sheltered as much as possible before you go for the line and if possible sprint on the sheltered side.
- Use others by drafting. Accelerate while still in the draft (just before you launch, leave a metre gap to the rider in front to accelerate into).
Don’t get boxed in.
3. Practice
- Practice all the time on group rides!
Sprinting Technique
Technique is how we make the bike and our body work better together. For example our technique involves how efficiently we pedal, do we stand or sit while sprinting, gear selection etc.
The Fitlab’s Sprinting Playlist has a lot of technique videos. I have put them in order of importance. The best being:
- Mark Cavendish Tips (talks about, gearing, pedaling, judging distance etc)
- Sprinting 101 (this is very good at describing what your body needs to do)
- SemiPro Cycling also has a fantastic 3 part series on technique
Some Technique Rules:
1. Body Position
(the video Sprinting 101 above is really good for technique)
- Lock upper body
- Drive with legs
- Pull with arms into hips (same leg/arm, left up pulls into hips as left leg pushes down on pedal)
- Flat back
- Practice at half power over and over to get technique right!
2. Gearing
- Select a gear you will be going full gas in and end up doing 110-120rpm in by the line.
3. Tighten your shoes!
Conclusion
To sum up, sprinting tactics and technique can maximize our race performance. It is good to practice your sprint technique (by yourself) and tactics (with others) on a regular basis. There is some type of sprint finish in almost every race as it is rare to win alone, so be prepared. Learn from watching others (maybe the pros on YouTube or other races you are at) and think about your sprints and ask:
- What went well?
- What didn’t go well?
- What will I do next time?
