Where do I attack to win the group ride?

Are you tired of being beaten on your local group ride? Attacking can be a bit of a science, but no matter, there’s a solid recipe to come out on top. Making your move isn’t always just about being the strongest, (although that helps!). Sometimes timing is everything,

Follow up after the attacks

Sometimes in a race or spicy group ride, there will be multiple attacks. Bang, bang, bang! Riders to the left, to the right. Attack, chase. Repeat. And then, it will just stop for the briefest of moments. You can almost feel the collective pause.

One of the greatest Milan – San Remos ever: When Sean Kelly attacked on the Poggio descent

When that happens, it’s time for liftoff. If you time it perfectly, you’ll get a huge gap that may prove to be enough to win. The key is figuring out when the lull is about to happen and when you should strike. Every race is different, but being aware of the upcoming moment is key to being a better cyclist.

The crest is key

Unless you’re Tadej Pogačar, attacking at the bottom of a fairly sizable climb will result in you being caught halfway up. The same can be said for launching halfway up the climb. However, if you pay attention, you’ll notice that there are many times that a pack of riders will almost heave a sigh of relief just as the climb flattens out and you’re about to crest it. If there’s a short false flat or gentle grade just after a hill, even better. When that lull happens, the pack sometimes almost says, “Phew! The hard part is over!” Guess what you do then? Kaboom! In that lull, if you give ‘er, you can get a huge gap in no time.

When a break gets caught

If you’re in a small group coming to the finish, it’s likely all the other riders will be looking at each other. If you linger near the back of the group, you can prepare to launch a sneak attack. As the other riders are messing about, you can drop back a few lengths, then sprint away on the other side of the road and leave those poor saps in your dust.

Watching the moves

Although local races and group rides aren’t quite like pro races, they do end up being somewhat of a microcosm. A bit shorter and slower, but you can employ the same tactics that the full-timers do. Watching pro races and spotting those moments will help when you go back to your weekday crit or weekend event.