https://youtu.be/ujx-dBXO0Bo

With the Rosewood Winter Series in the books, its time to scale back and reassess a number of areas. While many of us often times gauge our current fitness by a result, as a coach, I use the raw data in conjunction with the athletes power curve to evaluate the transition from training to racing. From a race perspective, scrutinizing how the athlete has evolved tactically is a vital part of my process. The weekly training plan merely provides the athlete with the fitness needed to be competitive, their ability to implement tactics is what will yields results.

At its most basic level I need to see the athlete doing a number of things.

1. 20% of the event needs to be spent in the 0-20 watt range. Crit races aren't won by the athlete riding the hardest. They are won by the athlete who is the freshest, in turn allowing them to race their quantifiable strength at crucial points in the event.


2. Peak power outputs need to be in the second half of the race as this is most often times where the event is won. If I'm seeing a pattern of peak 1,3,and 5 minute power outputs in the first 20 minutes of the race, we need to look at positioning within the pack and the athletes mindset in the early part of the race.


3. Has the athlete executed the tactical plan laid out before the start? Committing to a tactical plan not only yields tangible power data that's extremely useful from a coaching perspective, but statistically it places the athlete in a proactive mindset, in turn offering the best potential to be successful.

The attached video was from the winners bike.  This racers objective going in was to stay patient for the first 20 minutes of the race and then race as aggressive as possible in hopes of finding his breaking point. The victory was a bonus. Lets take a look at the raw data.

• 23% of the race was in the 0-20 watt range and the peak 1 and 2 minute efforts were in the last 5 minutes of the race.


• A strong move of 6 rides went at 14 minutes in. This move forced the rider to ride across to the move earlier then expected. In hindsight, this provided a great opportunity to test the racers 10-20 minute power.


• The race came down to the last lap with a group of 4 riders pulling away from the others in the breakaway.  The winning rider put in one last race winning interval effort and came by the other 3 racers to take the "W".

If you are struggling with tactics, breaking down your files and configuring an action plan designed to deliver results- call me 845-629-8299 or email me at Patrick@getyourpowerup.com . Big thank you goes out to Kevin Eggart for editing the video.