I'm having a little trouble winning sprints, especially keeping up with the front without losing the red and yellow bar too quickly. When i'm at the front a lot of times there's one large train of different teams passing by, leaving me between 5th-10th place. In PCM 2010, i could win easily with a 3-4 man sprint train or even with just 2. This year it seems a bit more realistic.
What are your thoughts on the best sprinting method?
I have no idea. I've done maybe 30 races now and have yet to win one. Sometimes it's because I'm boxed in, sometimes it's because the break gets away, sometimes it's because I just don't know what I'm doing. I did get close today with a four man relay. I got a 2nd by a wheel and did a lead out with a mix of independent effort and relay at about 92 and that didn't completely tire out the front guy. Then I sprinted with guy two from 3km out, sprinted with guy three from 2km out, and then my main sprinter sprinted from 1km out and he got beat on the line by another guy who opened his sprint from about 500m out.
I won one tonight by getting four riders together - first rider relayed, second opened the sprint then third sprinted and fourth closed the deal. It's just a lot harder to assemble the sprint train than in the past.
I just won 2 sprint (and the green jersea) with graypel. My strategy: make a train wih 4 riders. Let the first one take over de lead in front, let 2th rider folow the first, let 3th rider folow rider 2 and 4the (the sprinter) --> 3.
At 6-4km: let 1st rider fall out by 40 strength
Let 2th rider take the lead (constantly) strength 80-90
At 4-2km: let 2th rider fall out by 40 strength
Let 3th rider take the lead (constantly) strength 85-95
At 2-1km: let 3th rider fall out by 40 strength
Let sprinter take the lead (constantly) strength 90-95
At 0.7km: SPRINT!
Worked 2 times, 3the race Oscar Freire was to strong and I finished 2th with graypel (Lotto).
