If you do not hit the sprint button (and do not have the flashing S) then flat is the stat being used. (assuming road is flat)
Lots of interesting data in this thread, but I had no idea about this feature. I believe I put it to good use the very next stage I raced. After some tough mountains (Romandie stage 4) I was at the back of a foursome in the flat final kms with Porte (custom team, real name DB, normal difficulty) against Betancur, Froome and Quintana. All have slightly better sprint (and acceleration) stats than Porte, but none of their sprint stats are as good as his flat stat (71). So with 1.5 km to go - a bit of the yellow bar left, red bar full - I for the first time ever tried putting him on 99 dot instead of pressing the sprint button and won by several bike lengths. Nice.
If you do not hit the sprint button (and do not have the flashing S) then flat is the stat being used. (assuming road is flat)
Lots of interesting data in this thread, but I had no idea about this feature. I believe I put it to good use the very next stage I raced. After some tough mountains (Romandie stage 4) I was at the back of a foursome in the flat final kms with Porte (custom team, real name DB, normal difficulty) against Betancur, Froome and Quintana. All have slightly better sprint (and acceleration) stats than Porte, but none of their sprint stats are as good as his flat stat (71). So with 1.5 km to go - a bit of the yellow bar left, red bar full - I for the first time ever tried putting him on 99 dot instead of pressing the sprint button and won by several bike lengths. Nice.
I would rather consider that a bug in the game, but whatever does the trick
1. One rider on dot 75 dot effort climbing with one rider keeping position behind him with a rider protecting him. See if much energy waste for the protected rider.
2. One rider on dot effort 75 with one rider protecting him. See if much energy waste for the protected rider.
I'm afraid this thread is a few years old. You might just have to do the tests yourself - and please publish any results you find. Just pick a short stage with a mountain (-top finish) and drop behind the peloton with a couple of riders and see what difference pulling to protecting makes.
Personally speaking, just from normal playing, I don't think protection helps much if even at all. The rider doing the protecting will lose energy really fast and drop back very quickly, that alone makes protection pretty useless. Pulling - putting the first rider on "free effort", the other one on "maintain position" - seems more useful and will make a difference going into a head wind.
But normally you can't go wrong with free effort for your captain on the final climb, learn how fast your energy (yellow bar) decreases depending on the length and steepness of the climb - 80 effort should last about 12 km on a medium slope. The other favourites will attack, but you'll reel them back in.
Ripley wrote:
I'm afraid this thread is a few years old. You might just have to do the tests yourself - and please publish any results you find. Just pick a short stage with a mountain (-top finish) and drop behind the peloton with a couple of riders and see what difference pulling to protecting makes.
Personally speaking, just from normal playing, I don't think protection helps much if even at all. The rider doing the protecting will lose energy really fast and drop back very quickly, that alone makes protection pretty useless. Pulling - putting the first rider on "free effort", the other one on "maintain position" - seems more useful and will make a difference going into a head wind.
But normally you can't go wrong with free effort for your captain on the final climb, learn how fast your energy (yellow bar) decreases depending on the length and steepness of the climb - 80 effort should last about 12 km on a medium slope. The other favourites will attack, but you'll reel them back in.
So, protection is only useful if you go in front of the peloton in the approach of a hill or mountain climb?
What about climbing steady pace to wear down other teams rider? Is it worth protecting the leader while your captain is pulling?
Just play a bit and find what works for you. I've basically never used protection and did just fine (look in the story subforum and you'll see just how well I did), for me it's nothing more than role-playing. If you like realism, by all means, protect your leader at all times.
