Hey Jess,
The detail I left out about that quote is that it happened during a 3 man break when the guy at the front looked back and swerved into his breakaway companions and nearly took the 3 of them out. That's when Joey heard the third guy give the quote. It was fitting.

-R

While some of the teams may be blocking by riding at a moderate tempo at the front, the road usually gets clogged up with riders wanting to be near the front, but not wanting to chase. Maybe because of unatached riders, or possibly teams with only 1 or 2 riders.

The Jesster wrote:Mad Axeman wrote:"quit looking back, the race is happening in front of you".

I think we have to admit, Ron, that there's a time and place for everything.

But I guarantee that he wasn't turning around to have a damned conversation with Jan, thus taking out a group of racers by inattentiveness.
Z-man

I think what Lance has taught us here is that you should be at the front before turning around :)

Metz wrote:"

Hey X - I think both those who flirted with a violation (I was purty careful and thought I danced right on the line but the three guys who followed me maybe weren't as careful?) and the teams involved can take something away from this. Next time I will do some talking and then escalate into yelling/organizing against the blocking if it persists and maybe you can talk to your crew about maybe picking one side of the pack or the other rather than both sides. I agree that the large number of riders on the three well-represented teams complicated things. The good news is that we had an exciting, safe race with elements that we'd all like to see more of.

I wholeheartedly agree with these points. While the precise manner in which blocking was accomplished could have been handled a bit differently at times, communication is key, and I don't think anyone asked those teams to stop hogging the road. And it was a lot of fun to have a 4/5 race with some actual racing in it.

Just to keep the record straight, it was my Eastside teammate who went down. He had checked to see if he could move over, then turned back around just in time to see a guy do the same thing - but drift across two riders and take out my teammate's front wheel.

My teammate got pretty banged up, his frame is toast (Scott CR1's don't have replaceable der hangers - lame!) and the guy behind him crashed onto his back - snapping that guy's frame in two. Expensive crash from someone who couldn't look back and hold his line at the same time, but as my teammate said, "that's racing - I shouldn't have looked away."

Mad Axeman wrote:"quit looking back, the race is happening in front of you".

I think we have to admit, Ron, that there's a time and place for everything.

Whether he was checking out the faces of his opponents for weakness, or casting an intimidating glare, or challenging them to TRY to follow, it was EPIC bike racing.

But I guarantee that he wasn't turning around to have a damned conversation with Jan, thus taking out a group of racers by inattentiveness.

It bears repeating: Race like Zorro, not like the HULK.

Z-man

mwegan wrote:I was a few riders back from the 3s crash and got caught up in it. From where I was, it looked like a case of an Eastside rider looking back over his shoulder and then turning his head back around to find that the wheel in front of him had shifted. They touched wheels and came down. There was no ill intent.

There's nothing like a 5 minute chase back onto the group to get you warmed up for the finish.

Every year we bring some great quote back from our escapades in Iowa's Memorial Day Weekend Races. This year it was "quit looking back, the race is happening in front of you".

-R

"Agree with this in general - but the instance in the 4/5 field A race as described included 3 teams - 20 guys in the peloton slow dancing to the same song (well, trying to be as poetic as the Jesster)... yes, maybe 20 mph got too slow to be tolerated, but the yellow line crossing was completely unecessary as Tripp pointed out - if I'm caught mid-pack when I see a move I want to cover, can I just make a yellow line violation?"

Hey X - I think both those who flirted with a violation (I was purty careful and thought I danced right on the line but the three guys who followed me maybe weren't as careful?) and the teams involved can take something away from this. Next time I will do some talking and then escalate into yelling/organizing against the blocking if it persists and maybe you can talk to your crew about maybe picking one side of the pack or the other rather than both sides. I agree that the large number of riders on the three well-represented teams complicated things. The good news is that we had an exciting, safe race with elements that we'd all like to see more of.

The Jesster wrote:
Quote:Gotta disagree with you on the "wall of guys" not being unsavory. That's poor form and encourages unsafe riding (crossing the centerline, muscling your way through.) And I've personally never seen it tolerated (or even attempted) in anything other than a Cat 4 race.

I couldn't possibly agree with this more. I have seen this tactic twice - both in Cat. 4 races - and it was a patently amateurish, ignorant and ham-fisted interpretation of "blocking," it was completely ineffective because the entire team is then exposed to the wind, it is dangerous because it means creating a crowd and making people take risks to get around it (like riding the shoulder or crossing the yellow). But worst of all ... it's neither graceful nor sporting.
Zebraman

Agree with this in general - but the instance in the 4/5 field A race as described included 3 teams - 20 guys in the peloton slow dancing to the same song (well, trying to be as poetic as the Jesster)... yes, maybe 20 mph got too slow to be tolerated, but the yellow line crossing was completely unecessary as Tripp pointed out - if I'm caught mid-pack when I see a move I want to cover, can I just make a yellow line violation?

I'm still loving this thread - hoped the forum would include this sortof stuff. George, YES, we stunk up the finish, no doubt about it; personally I was cramping and just trying to pull at a tempo I could tolerate and guess what? they let me put my nose in the wind, how nice. And DBC rolled the last 2k like it was their own, they deserved that win and all the other guys they got in the top 10. Look foward to another match up.

I was the Eastsider involved in the 3's crash at Dunnigan. An AMD junior came on my right and asked me if there were riders up the road. I think the guy in front of me thought he was being spoken to and swerved to his right very abruptly. I could not react fast enough and he cleaned out my front wheel. Nothing aggressive about it. Frustrating, but that is racing. I was really enjoying the race up until then. I was part of the group that brought back the large break on the second lap. Nice work guys.

I just wish that we all would look over our shoulders before making abrupt moves like the one that took me down. I know we can't do it all the time, but a lot of accidents and heartache (my frame was broken) could be saved by this simple act. Also, I would like to throw out another suggestion....if you get a flat, raise your hand and ride the flat out. Just 10 minutes before I went down, someone near the front of the group flatted on the overpass. He made a meager attempt to raise his hand then swerved to the right, again without looking, and cut 3 of us off in the process. Dangerous move. I think it is much more safe to stay in a straight line and not make any sudden moves. It will keep you on the bike and off the ground.

Kudos to the guys from Specialized/Bicycle Plus who got caught up in the crash, but stopped to see if we were alright. Thank you. My own teammate didn't even stop.... BTW the guy in blue that was talked about as being "squirrly" was actually behind me when the crash happened and his bike broke in two on my back. I am just glad it was carbon, rahter than steel.

I was a few riders back from the 3s crash and got caught up in it. From where I was, it looked like a case of an Eastside rider looking back over his shoulder and then turning his head back around to find that the wheel in front of him had shifted. They touched wheels and came down. There was no ill intent.

There's nothing like a 5 minute chase back onto the group to get you warmed up for the finish.

I think the crash in the 3's race was caused by someone reaching to either grab or put their water bottle back, I only saw it out of the corner of my eye. He either swerved or overlapped wheels and got taken down, taking two or three guys down to his left. I almost came to a stop before rolling over the two guys who had gone down right in front of me. Luckily noone was seriously hurt, but I think someone's frame got trashed. That one was just someone either fatigued or not paying attention, totally stupid crash. Definitely not due to agressive behaviour though :-) I'll say that I really only noticed one guy in the whole race whose pack riding skills were lacking, an unattached guy in a blue jersey. I think he went down in the crash but I'm not sure if he caused it or not.
Bill

GFMeilahn wrote:Compare that to the 45+ open race with the Morgan Stanley team. Four guys were in the break, and four were in the chase group slowing us down. There was a field sprinter in each group, keeping their legs fresh for the end and BOTH won their pack sprints!

George, George, George ...
In the 45 open, there were 3 Morgan Stanleys and 3 V.O.S. in the break. There were 4 Morgan Stanleys in the second group sitting in, sipping mint julips and having a ball, and there was ONE smilin' V.O.S. zebra playing ticket-taker, blocking the chase.

Quote:Gotta disagree with you on the "wall of guys" not being unsavory. That's poor form and encourages unsafe riding (crossing the centerline, muscling your way through.) And I've personally never seen it tolerated (or even attempted) in anything other than a Cat 4 race.

I couldn't possibly agree with this more. I have seen this tactic twice - both in Cat. 4 races - and it was a patently amateurish, ignorant and ham-fisted interpretation of "blocking," it was completely ineffective because the entire team is then exposed to the wind, it is dangerous because it means creating a crowd and making people take risks to get around it (like riding the shoulder or crossing the yellow). But worst of all ... it's neither graceful nor sporting.

Blocking is a dance with the peloton, and it's a boxing match against each individual attacker you decide to challenge. It's a chess game too: Maybe you let one or two guys away to let them tire, knowing they can't bridge alone. Maybe you let one team go and not another. It's a total mind-fk.

And it's damned fun! I had a blast on Saturday, even though as a blocker I wasn't in contention. I got to meet some Morgan Stanley guys (who turn out not to be such bad dudes after all), I got to throw down like eight attacks once the break was far away, I got to watch Glen Mattson suffer like a desert dog on several solo break attempts, and all the time I knew I had three up the road who could hold their own.

Block like Zorro, not like the Hulk.

Zebraman

I was in the 3's race. I only really noticed the wall as it were on the final long straight stretch. That's when it seemed people started to really go into the shoulder to get around. There were two up the road and the couple of chasers if I recall had to go to the right into the dirt to get around. Only then did the wall break up a little as those teams went to bring them back.

I didn't see any of the elbowing or bumping was that what caused the crash?

I agree with some of the comments that it's bit unsavory that you have a wall of riders who are going particularly slow when they have some teammates up the road and there is no way to get around except to cross the yellow or into the dirt.

We did this something similar years ago and caught lots of flack....narrow road, dangerous break moving away and no shoulder and no yellow line to cross (single lane road on a levee). I now realize...not so nice or safe.

Casey has the right definition of blocking as stated earlier.

I was actually a solo rider of sorts (I was working with a couple of guys from Team City who are friends of mine). And the blocking wasn't really a problem-I'm the guy who went up the shoulder along 505 and went off the front, eventually forming that 2nd break that was caught right after we turned off of Road 14 and hit the third set of rollers.

I was merely pointing out that blocking by physically taking up the whole road and not letting anyone interested in chasing through is not, IMHO, a kosher way of blocking. I think your job when you have teammates up the road is to go to the front and see if you can set a tempo that is slow enough that the break goes further away but fast enough that no one immediately comes around you and starts doing the work.

I thought it was a great race. And I didn't think the blocking was much of a problem, as it was only "all the way across the road" for a mile or two. Last year nothing got more than 20 yards off the front, and it was as boring as can be.
Quote:This is a great thread; Tripp, I assume you were on Team CS or a solo rider that missed the break... that's racin' - 3 teams had a rider or two up the road leaving about 20 mates back in the pack of about 50 ... do the math, and DON'T cross the center line. (Many did, none were DQed). Wait for it to fail, work your way up, heck, ride the gravel shoulder, whatever, but don't accuse the wall of guys going 20 mph in front of you of doing something unsavory. It was indeed their/our preferred tempo as George described his blocking approach..

peterpen wrote:RacerX wrote:...
Wait for it to fail, work your way up, heck, ride the gravel shoulder, whatever, but don't accuse the wall of guys going 20 mph in front of you of doing something unsavory. ...

Gotta disagree with you on the "wall of guys" not being unsavory. That's poor form and encourages unsafe riding (crossing the centerline, muscling your way through.) And I've personally never seen it tolerated (or even attempted) in anything other than a Cat 4 race.

Yeah no kidding!

In a yellow line controlled race nothing is lamer than setting up 5-6 bikes across the lane at 18 mph. Heck make it three rows of them, with your one guy on a Schwinn Varsity pulling away at the front.The only alternatives at that point for the superior riders behind you are a yellow-line violation or riding through the almond tree orchard. Anyone could win a race if they had teammates willing to do that. Is that bike racing at that point? (note to self: recruit 15 clydesdales)

Best solution to perennial NCNCA-3 issues, other than upgrading: "get to your 35th birthday as fast as humanly possible."

R4L

Wow, I never expected this thread to generate so much (good) discussion. I'm still interested to hear from more guys in the cat 3 race to get their perspective on things. From what I saw and was a part of, upwards of 90% of the tactics were as Casey initially described, we did a lot if riding 5th or 6th and letting guys gap off the front for a while. There were many miles where the field was happy to let us ride right on the front and dictate the tempo, at which time we weren't trying to insert ourselves into an organized chase effort. We made no attempt to block the road and let anyone who wanted to jump around us go by. Very few times did anyone actively try to get into a rotation, and I'll admit that I was guitly of this, but it was only as the chase was starting to get organized. It was very disorganized for a long time. Once they got a good 6 or 7 man rotation going we stayed the heck out of the way.

"Had the line been 100 ft closer"
There is no way (no disrespect intended GF) that anyone but Langley was going to take that win, he was just too fresh.
And there were three MS in the break, not four, like previously mentioned.

I don't think DBC 35+ 4/5ers will have many guys at San Ardo, unfortunately. Maybe at Benecia and Chico we'll have a big group again. Our final strategy seemed to work well on Saturday (mid-race break strats didn't...) as we were able to set up our sprinter for the win in the end, and he had the freshest legs to execute it. Same thing worked for us last year, too. We're an amiable group of guys, so as far as I can tell any improprieties we commit are out of inexperience and not intentional or malicious. On-the-job-training, as it were...which is why there're cats 4 & 5 to begin with, right?

Peterpen - I believe EMC had two up the road, not one, and I asked Alex about the chase and he said it was in fact a CalCup issue. We (SN) discussed the odds of our guy (DB) in the break and were happy with him in there even though he's not a sprinter. And yeah I pretty much sat on all day except for one attack on Nathan and Chris to see if we could split the chase. After no one else rolled through I was content with sitting and did my job on the team. Wasn't going to do any work with their best sprinter in the chase too.

Back to the original subject:
Re: blocking - IMO if the chase is not organized I'm gonna ride 2nd wheel if they let me. It seems like 90% of the time or more the chases are completely disorganized in the 3s and 123s. Have yet to do a P12 RR so don't know what happens there. We've discussed this as a team and next year if and when we miss moves there will be an organized chase for sure. I like the way AMD rode good tempo at Madera's 123 to control it with their guy in the break.

RacerX wrote:...
Wait for it to fail, work your way up, heck, ride the gravel shoulder, whatever, but don't accuse the wall of guys going 20 mph in front of you of doing something unsavory. ...

Gotta disagree with you on the "wall of guys" not being unsavory. That's poor form and encourages unsafe riding (crossing the centerline, muscling your way through.) And I've personally never seen it tolerated (or even attempted) in anything other than a Cat 4 race.

RacerX wrote:...
Perhaps the all too common (in 4/5 races anyway) error of chasing a break with a team mate in it needs explicit mention. It might just be dumb....

Sometimes that's the plan. In our 35+ 1/2/3 race, EMC had a guy in the break, but that didn't stop them from constantly trying to bridge (which kept the chase pace high and never allowed the gap to get too big) and, when those attempts failed, trying to organize a paceline to chase it down. Maybe they didn't think their guy had a good chance in that break, maybe he was only in that break to control it, maybe they were focused on CalCup points for someone who was in the chase - there are several reasons to bring a break back with your teammate in it. Or maybe the EMC rider instigating the attacks and trying to organize the chase was simply riding for himself?

(BTW, it's interesting to note that Sierra Nevada also had a man in that break, and their guys in the chase group played a much more passive role. The break came back - and Sierra Nevada won the race.)

Racer X,

What you say about your team's tactics in the 35+4/5 A race doesn't coincide with the results--best finish was 10th! And at least one of your guys didn't know the team's race plan going in. Compare that to the 45+ open race with the Morgan Stanley team. Four guys were in the break, and four were in the chase group slowing us down. There was a field sprinter in each group, keeping their legs fresh for the end and BOTH won their pack sprints! My teammate went with the break since we had discussed beforehand who to watch. When they took off, so did he, and had the line been 100 feet closer, he'd of won it as well.

Great- so we can count on them @ San Ardo? Actually, I rode your squad's coat tails to a decent result at Snelling so I think I still owe them.

Only a few EMCs to San Ardo - but stay positive Metz!

This is a great thread; Tripp, I assume you were on Team CS or a solo rider that missed the break... that's racin' - 3 teams had a rider or two up the road leaving about 20 mates back in the pack of about 50 ... do the math, and DON'T cross the center line. (Many did, none were DQed). Wait for it to fail, work your way up, heck, ride the gravel shoulder, whatever, but don't accuse the wall of guys going 20 mph in front of you of doing something unsavory. It was indeed their/our preferred tempo as George described his blocking approach.

'Negative racing' has been defined/flogged before - it can include some of naughty stuff in this thread, but also common/simple stuff like not pulling through, not working in a break (especially in those first moments when it could get established), or just sitting in waiting for the sprint (especially when devoid of sprinting skill). I think some of the stuff that resembles negative racing is done when people are already riding at their limit but a lot is done out of fear of failing or blowing up too soon in a race. Perhaps the all too common (in 4/5 races anyway) error of chasing a break with a team mate in it needs explicit mention. It might just be dumb. But if you or a mate are in the break, the negativity shines through brightly. That's why Dunnigan 35+4/5 A field was such a remarkable event; it resembled a tactical road race. Thanks for the memories!

casey wrote:Basically if you take another rider to the edge of the road to the point where it is looking like the other rider doesn't have enough room to pass safely then you are probably going to get nailed by the officials

That may be true in an ideal world, but plenty worse than that happens in most races, and I've never seen anyone get penalized. There is no way for the officials to see what's happening in a 50+ group of riders. The only things the officials can see is when someone goes over the center line, and consequently that's all they assess penalties for.

Regarding the blocking at the DHRR, I don't believe AV was blocking aggresively. We were merely setting a false tempo. No one stopped pedaling or did a brake check. And the chase wasn't very hard at that point. Once the chase really got going, we stayed out of the way.

The dangerous behavior came from the riders upset with the blocking. There were guys shoving us, and chopping our wheels. That stuff is totally uncalled for. Do you really want to risk injuring someone just to win a T shirt?

This is extremely educational for a newbie like me. The team activity at Dunnigan made a flat course much more fun, but I am still learning the rules and ropes in terms of how to keep it 'positive'. Speaking of which, is there a definition of 'negative racing', or is it a term relative to the manner by which blocking/chasing everything/etc is done?

Mad Axeman wrote:My 4/5 captain says "thank you, we will be here all week".

Great- so we can count on them @ San Ardo? Actually, I rode your squad's coat tails to a decent result at Snelling so I think I still owe them.

My 4/5 captain says "thank you, we will be here all week".

-R

George - I'd call what you describe gapping not blocking. Gapping is a legitimate tactic to help get a rider or group of riders get off the front. It is also a good way to deal with a wheel sucker who doesn't want to contribute to a breakaway. If people in the break keep gapping the wheel sucker off the back of the break he will either get the message and start pulling though or get tired from having to keep closing the gaps and fall out of the break.

Going to the front of a group of riders and slowing down suddenly ( ie brake checking the pack or group) is an illegal form of blocking.

GFMeilahn wrote:You can also effectively (without harming anyone) block by going to the front and slow down the tempo...

Please note that there is a WORLD of difference between this and brake-checking or getting on the front and stopping pedaling, both of which I've seen done in Cat 3 races.

If your angle movement is gradual enough you can probably get away with it. Then again you have to remember 1O1 in that if you let the other rider establish an overlap when there is enough room to safely pass between you and the edge of the road then you can't shut down that gap to the point where there is no longer enough room for the other rider to safely pass.

Basically if you take another rider to the edge of the road to the point where it is looking like the other rider doesn't have enough room to pass safely then you are probably going to get nailed by the officials

I may be in the minority but I thought both EMC and Davic BC made the 35 4/5A race pretty exciting. I just got into racing this year and have done 10+ races so far. Dunnigan was the only race that had a ton going on (at least the first 25-30 miles or so). Sure, there was a bit of clogging the lanes and not-so-sublte blocking by both teams but me and my teammates got through it and were able to help chase everything down. If we thought we were seriously impeded we could have done some yelling but it wasn't necessary. The reason our group was over 1 mph faster than the B group was due to some aggressive early riding by a few teams. Thanks to the aforementioned teams and please keep it up as long as you are safe and don't over do it.

You can also effectively (without harming anyone) block by going to the front and slow down the tempo. Often the riders behind you don't realize it until a sizeable gap has developed. The 45+ open race at Dunnigan had a field split within the first two miles when the slowed from 32 mph to 27 mph. Some teams missed the move and were the only ones giving chase. Since my teammate was in there and riding well, I rode my own tempo when leading. Then the race for us was 13th place when the field knew the lead group of 12 was gone for good.

Hey Casey, (or other qualified officials)
In rule 106, does that mean if I am in a sprint straight to the line in a prime situation or at the end of a race, then I have to go straight to the line?
Or can I angle towards the curb as long as I go in a straight line?
Many times in a sprint, I have had the misfortune of having an offending wheel sucker try to come around, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not. Is it illegal to flick one way or the other when they try to pass, or do I have to just hold my line and hope for the best?
Or is it all up to the interpretation of the governing official at the time?

Thanks for the information,
Bernie

It seemed to me like there was some questionable blocking taking place in the 4/5 "A" group on Saturday, at least for a while. From what I heard and saw, there was a point in time when at least one of the teams with a rider up the road occupied the entire road, i.e., put 4 or 5 guys on the front and then rode 20 mph, so that anyone interesting in chasing was physically prevented from getting to the front. It didn't really impact the race, as ten minutes later the shoulder was wide enough to let anyone who wanted to get to the front pass the entire field.

In my opinion, physically blocking is flat out wrong, and inserting yourself into a motivated chase and letting gaps open, etc., is questionable.

There may not be any written rule against disrupting an organized chase, but it is definitely poor form and can be dangerous - especially if it's in a field of 60 Cat 3's. Some forms of contact (bumping someone off a wheel in the run-in to a sprint) or discouragement (sitting on attempts to bridge) are expected and tolerated - others are just lame.

Riding with respect for others' efforts and safety will (eventually) score me & my team better results than any ham-fisted attempt to make one break stay away. Plus, it's more fun, you make more friends, and you smell better afterwards.

Well, maybe not the last bit...

The following rules might apply depending on how the Chief Ref wants to view things.

1O6. No rider may make an abrupt motion so as to
interfere with the forward progress of another rider, either
intentionally or by accident [relegation or disqualification;
possible 20 days suspension if a crash results].
1O7. Dangerous Rider. Any rider who appears to present a
danger to the other competitors may be disqualified by the
Chief Referee, either before or during a race.
1O8. Pushing or pulling among riders is prohibited in all
races except the Madison and then only between members of
the same team. No rider may hold back or pull an opponent
by any part of his or her clothing, equipment or body
[relegation or disqualification].

and
3B10. Foul Riding. A rider near the edge of a road who
leaves a gap sufficient for an opponent to pass may not
suddenly close the gap upon being overtaken [relegation or
disqualification].

also if you are in the break you may want to note the following if your teammates get out of hand.

1O1. No rider shall benefit from his or her misconduct.
Misconduct on the part of a team member or support person
may result in penalties to any member of the team who
places in the event [relegation or disqualification].

Bernie S wrote: By the way, on the track, it seems you can almost kill someone, as long as you don't take your hands off the bars.

If that happened in a local race and no one was penalized, it's because the officials missed it. That doesn't make it right.

Kind of.......

Blocking can come in many forms. Verbal and physical are quite common in every race at every level that I've observed and participated in. I don't agree with some of you who say you shouldn't try to screw with the rotation of chasers, that happens quite a bit in the races I've been in, and in the pro races it is still the same, but it is just a more subdued method. I disargee that you'll get put in the dirt for this in the pros, mostly because nobody wants to get put in the dirt when for doing the same. You can get on the front of a group of chasers and gradually let your speed go down (like you're tired) several times and nobody may be the wiser. Now, I don't agree with the bumping and elbowing, but have seen it work very well because some people don't like to be touched at all and this unnerves them enough sometimes to stop them or disrupt them from chasing.
And, why not isolate one rider?
Or three?
Or four?
Or anybody who tries to chase?
You can also block by letting a gap form that people have to bridge. The main category I race in is 45+, and I believe that there are not a lot of negative-type tactics in this category because of a lot of mutual respect type riding. It is mostly the same guys all year, so there isn't too much physical blocking, at least not that I've observed. But there is a ton of talking going on, and every once in a while, a wheel chop here or there.
Casey, is there any actual official rules on how you can or cannot block?
By the way, on the track, it seems you can almost kill someone, as long as you don't take your hands off the bars.

"blocking" as described by mwegan is regarded as chickensheot when you reach the pro/1/2 ranks. try one of those moves with that group and you're going to end up in the dirt, or a curb.

casey is 100% right.

~ j

As Ron said that is the other role of the "blocking" teammates. While some "blockers" are riding behind the chasers and isolating them from the rest of the pack other blockers are watching out for attackers who might try to bridge up to the break on their own. In this case the blocker just sits behind the attacking chaser and acts as a mental anchor on the chase attempt. The chaser either ends up giving the blocker a free ride up to the break or they give up the chase out of frustration. If the blocker is really good they let the attacking chaser bring them up close enough to the break so that then the blocker can then attack the chase and hopefully bridge up the the break solo. Then hopefully they can add enough horsepower to the break to keep them away from the chase group.

When I block I only insert myself in second position when there is no concerted effort to chase and riders just want to attack.
Actually I am not looking to block at that moment, I am looking for a ride up to the break.
If I have someone in it, I won't help you get there, but if you get me there I'll work equally upon arrival.

Ron

It is good to hear others comenting on this. I was in the Cat 5 race at Mt Hamilton. I let 2 guys go off the front and one of them had 3 teammates from Alto Velo. There was only 2 of us willing to chase and these guys kept aggressively fighting to get in front and then they would stop peddaling. I kept telling them just sit in and get the free ride but this went on the whole race untill with like 5K to go I gave up chasing. It was the only negative experience I have had this season. I called up some of my friends that have been racing for years and they basically said the same as Casey. Part of the problem in our race was the lack of organization from the group and the limited amount of overall strength in the main group.

Casey hit the nail on the head. As one of the chasers in that field, I can tell you that the friction came when the blocking teams inserted themselves in the paceline and attempted to "actively block" the rotation. To their credit these guys did fall back into more of a ticket taker role at the back of the rotation. Though this didn't cause as much disruption to the chase, it did prevent more guys from moving up into the rotation forcing the 5-6 chasers to work harder.

The early blocking from Alto Velo, Pegasus and the smaller teams with a rider in the break was very well orchastrated and effective allowing the break to get out to a 2 minute lead. However, once the field is motivated to chase there isn't too much to do, but sit in and wait for the counter move.

Blocking isn't about going up and trying to physically disrupt a pace line or rotating group. If there is a break and there are 5 riders in the pack who are willing to chase then the blockers should sit in the 6th, 7th 8th positions in line. The "blocker" in the 6th position doesn't go up and try to disrupt the 5 riders in front of him. He just sits in the 6th position and isolates the 5 riders willing to work from the rest of the pack. Eventually some or all of those 5 riders will get tired of of dragging the pack around ( or just physically tired) and they will drop back into the pack. Blocking is more a mental thing, letting those wiling to work know that they will be limited from the rest of the pack and giving a bunch of other riders a free ride.

Quote:Since when is it unsportsman-like behaviour to block in a cat 3 race? More than one participant in last weekends Dunningan (no) Hills RR took quite an exception to anyone with a teammate in a 9-man break getting into the rotation, or otherwise riding near the front.

In the 35+ 4/5 A group we had some very effective blocking for the early breaks, with cooperation among the better-represented teams. No problem there. I would like to have seen that extended throughout the middle/later parts of the race, but that wasn't part of the other teams' strategies, as far as I could tell. No jostling or nastiness, though. (Maybe that's just because we're older and lower on testosterone...)
Paul Robins
Davis BC