I hope I don't ask something already been asked, but it really annoys me that I just can't seem to get a good result on cobble stones like Paris-Roubaix. I tried a few different tactics like splitting the peloton (which is no problem with Etixx) and then breaking with one rider and when he gets caught, the next one etc. but the only thing that happens is that Cancellara seems to close every gap by himself. If I just keep it together to like 10-15 riders, Terpstra and Stybar get outsprinted by at least Sagan and Kristoff. So, is there a good tactic to use?
Try to attack with around 5 km to go and then instead of sprinting use the dot on high effort, but not to high since you don't won't your rider to be emptied of energy to early.
Plenty of things you can try. On cobblestones, if you have a good team, it's never too early to not just split the peloton, but reduce it to a small group where you have the majority of riders, ideally everybody else will be on his own. You can do this by getting everybody close to the front and then setting your riders on the dot at a speed which nearly eats into the yellow bar as soon as you hit the first cobblestones.
If you manage that, say, a group of 10 riders and 4 of those are yours, nobody wants to relay against your majority. Now pick one rider, not your best one, to attack from the group, even 50 km from the finish line, and set the rest to relay at low speed. The one rider can win by five minutes if all goes well.
With Etixx you Can almost do all forms for strategy to dominate the cobble classics.
Attack with Stybar with like 40-50 km to go, and the peloton Will totally split. Some faves Will be caught behind. Or maybe do the defensive Train with the whole team ahead do lot of pressure. Always great fun
“When it’s hurting you, that’s when you can make a difference”
Is it still 19 teams vs one? As in: 50 km from the finish you are in the front group, with semi-favorite X. In the 13 man group you find every name that you would think of in that scenario: Cancellara, van Avermaet, Kristoff, Vanmarcke and the whole Etixx-Quickstep gang. Terpstra attacks, Boonen and Stybar sits comfortably while their teammate puts pressure on the other favorites (and you). Funnily enough, neither Cancellara, Vanmarcke, Kristoff, Sagan or anyone else will do ANYTHING to catch Stybar. So, you are left with the choice to make the attempt yourself, or just ride for the 2nd place, 6 minutes behind Stybar.
So, any improvements there? Of course, would be alot to ask, has only been a problem for 5 or so years.
Disclaimer- Most of my posts are me thinking aloud. And most of what I think is rubbish.
Winner of a FIFA Prediction Fair Play Award (a phrase becoming increasingly ironic) "... Because he (me) has a sound tactical mind in general..." jandal7, at 9:30 am GMT on 12th May 2016
I'd love to say I had fun with Etixx but I took a hammering from the sponsor thanks to Boonen missing the entire cobbled season, Stybar most of it and Terpstra the second half. So i was left with Vandenbergh to bury himself 5km from the line, burn out, then get annihilated in a sprint by about 15 riders in PR and Ronde. Lampaert and Van Keirsbulck are capable riders but not good enough to beat Cancellara etc. It kind of exposed the mechanic with low acceleration riders not being able to break clear - the other guys can follow a Vandenbergh attack without breaking out of dot, which is a bit silly. Terpstra not much better. Perhaps a minimum acceleration value should be set higher for slower riders in the database?
As for the AI group collaborating to destroy the player, I've seen no evidence of it yet. I hated it in PCM14 so it was a problem. I did win I think Omloop het Nieuwsblad with Terpstra with an attack from nearly 20km, although I think its easier to win that as I won it with Wiggins in PCM2014.
