Even if you're new to competitive bicycle racing, you will probably notice quickly that there's more to the SUPERWEEK / PRO TOUR / Pro Tour races than each rider simply going all out for the duration of the race. We hope "SUPERWEEK / PRO TOUR 101" will give you some insight into what's happening in the races.

The Races

The International Cycling Classic features two different kinds of races: road races and criteriums.

The Criterium

Most of the races are criteriums. These are held on a short course, usually less than a mile in length, so the riders race many laps to cover the race distance. At the International Cycling Classic, most criteriums for the highlight Men's Pro & Category 1/2 race are 100 kilometers, or about 62 miles. Something to watch for in these races is that a group of riders may break away from the field and eventually come around to catch the field from behind, thus gaining a lap. However, the aerodynamic benefits of racing in a larger group usually dictate that riders who have lapped the field will remain with the main field and count on their teammates to keep additional riders from breaking away and also gaining a lap.

Criterium races feature a "pit" area where mechanical repairs can be made to bicycles (and medical repairs can be made to riders) during the race. Riders who are involved in crashes, suffer a flat tire, or experience other problems are usually granted a free lap - they can have their bike repaired and then rejoin the field without losing a lap. This helps negate random misfortune as an influence in the race.

The Road Race

Road races are run over a much longer course than criteriums, although they still feature multiple laps over a circuit. The Men's Pro & Category 1/2 road races at the International Cycling Classic are each approximately 100 miles in length. Whereas most criterium courses are flat, the road races are run on courses with hills which provide opportunities for riders with good climbing ability to attack. Naturally, this kind of course suits a different style of rider than a criterium course does. Road races count for more points in the overall standings than do criterium races.

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The Riders

The athletes competing in the International Cycling Classic come from professional and amateur cycling teams from both the United States and many foreign countries. Amateur cyclists in the U.S. are classified by a category system ranging from Category 1 to Category 5. Professional men and amateurs from Categories 1 and 2 race together in the highlight race (referred to as the Pro/1/2 race) each day. The difference in ability between professional riders and the top amateur riders is often very small - amateur riders have won many Pro/1/2 races. The Category 3 amateurs have their own race series, the Category 4 and 5 amateurs race together in the same field, and there are additional races for Women, Juniors, and Masters.

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The Prizes

Riders in SUPERWEEK / PRO TOUR are competing on several different levels. Of course, riders are competing to win each race and the prize money awarded to the top finishers. There is also a competition over the entire SUPERWEEK / PRO TOUR racing series where riders earn points based upon their finishing position in each race. The current leader in the points standings wears the yellow race leader's jersey during each race, and the top finishers in the point standings at the end of SUPERWEEK / PRO TOUR win additional prizes. Harm Jansen and Tina Pic won the overall points competitions in the 2004 men's and women's Pro/Am events.

The Pro/1/2 criterium races offer two additional prize competitions. Riders can earn Sprint Points based on their order of finish on the five designated "Sprint Laps" each race. Riders accumulate these points throughout SUPERWEEK / PRO TOUR in pursuit of the Sprint Points prize. The current leader in the Sprint Points competition wears the red sprint leader's jersey.

Criteriums also offer prizes called primes (pronounced "preems"). These prizes are awarded to the first rider across the finish line at designated laps during the race. In some races, the prime amounts can rival the prize for winning the race itself. Primes can create a "race within the race" as riders must decide whether to spend energy contesting a prime or save their energy for the end of the race.

Lastly, SUPERWEEK / PRO TOUR is part of a national competition, the National Racing Calendar (NRC). Riders can earn NRC points both for individual race finishes and for their final position in the overall race standings. The winner in last year's NRC standings was Chris Horner, now riding for a European professional team.

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The Bikes

Today's racing bicycles are marvels of technology. Although from a distance they may look like a 10-speed from years past, much has changed in the art and science of bicycle construction for the competitive racer. Most bicycles now have 18 or 20 speeds and the evolution of bike design has emphasized dramatic improvements in aerodynamics and weight reduction. Bicycle frames and components, once made exclusively of steel, are now made increasingly from aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber, some of the same materials you will find in modern high-performance aircraft. These hi-tech components now make it possible to have a fully-assembled bicycle that weighs under 17 pounds.

Not technically a part of the bike, many teams now carry miniature radios with them so that they can communicate amongst themselves or receive instructions from their team manager. This can be an invaluable tool for keeping track of what's happening in the race, particularly when there are breakaway groups out of sight of the main field. However, improved communication is no substitute for physical ability - telling someone to go faster over the radio doesn't automatically confer the ability to make it happen.

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Race Tactics

Although individual ability is very important, bicycle racing is very much a team sport. This team aspect gives rise to many different tactics that riders employ during the races.

Drafting

The challenge of fighting wind resistance or, more accurately, avoiding it as much as possible is a key factor in the tactics of bicycle racing. Pushing through the wind accounts for most of the energy expenditure of a racing cyclist, but this effort can be reduced by 20-30 percent by drafting behind another rider. This explains why most of the racers remain together in a group (called the peloton) during the race.

Attacking

If the riders all remained together for the duration of a race (as sometimes happens), the race would be decided by a final sprint to the finish. However, the top racers are familiar with their own abilities and those of their competitors, so they realize that if everyone stayed together the race would probably be decided by only the fastest handful of sprinters in the field. Therefore, riders will attempt to break away from the field before the final sprint to improve their chances for winning. This is called attacking.

The Break

A rider may successfully attack the field to take the lead in a race, but the realities of wind resistance mean that he will have to work much harder to maintain his lead than will the riders in the main field as they keep pace or catch him. Therefore, several riders will often attack together to form a breakaway group so that they can share the effort of fighting the wind and draft off of each other. However, this is where things can get quite complicated. Each rider in a break has his own strategy for how to win the race or further the cause of one of his teammates. Therefore, a rider in a break may not be interested in helping his companions increase their lead and so will not share the work. Many breaks fail quickly because the riders refuse to work together.

Back in the main field, riders for teams who aren't represented in the break will not want to allow the break to succeed, so they may increase the pace of the field to catch the escapees or propel one of their own riders into the lead group. A secondary breakaway, called a chase group, may form in pursuit of the leading group.

The result of all the strategizing that goes into racing may create the perception that there is some mysterious recipe for a successful breakaway. A successful breakaway cannot be too large because it has to be well-coordinated and motivated, but it can't be too small either or else there won't be enough riders to share the work. The break also needs to contain the right mix of riders from various teams or else it will be aggressively chased down by the excluded teams. There are many other factors that contribute to the recipe, not the least of which are the individual personalities and abilities of the racers.

The Sprint

As the riders approach the finish line, teams prepare for the final sprint. Once again, wind resistance plays a significant role as the teams each try to set the stage for their best sprinter to cross the line first. The preparation may begin well before the finish line is in sight as teammates increase the pace to prevent any last-minute breakaways that would negate the strength of their sprinters.

As they approach the line, the sprinters rely on their teammates to form a single-file line in front of them to shelter them from the wind as they increase their speed. In a perfect situation, one teammate after the other will exhaust himself and peel off from the "train" as speeds increase and the finish nears, leaving the sprinter himself last in line to make a final dash toward the finish. However, it rarely works out that cleanly in real race conditions. The other riders know who the best sprinters are and whose team can provide the best leadout toward the finish, so they will try to "hitch a ride" on the train. Riders will fight each other for the prime position in the single-file line, aiming to ride the draft of the rider in front of them until just the right moment near the finish where they will come around and beat everyone to the line.

When a small breakaway group approaches the finish the sprint dynamics may change because there is little or no assistance from teammates. In some cases, the riders may actually slow down as they watch each other to see who will initiate the final sprint. If a rider jumps too soon, he might end up providing a draft for the other riders only to see them pass him at the finish line. But, if the line is near enough, the first person to jump to the sprint will reach the finish before the others can match his acceleration.

Protecting a Leader

Bicycle racing is very much a team sport, and nowhere is this seen more clearly than when a team is protecting their leading rider. For example, the teammates of the leader in the overall points competition will want to prevent the leading contenders from gaining points by escaping in a breakaway, so they will cluster near the front of the field so that they can see and control the action. They may increase the pace of the field to make it harder to escape, or if a threatening escape does happen, they will lead the chase to catch the break and bring all the riders back together again. If their leader should suffer a mechanical problem or fall behind the field due to a crash, they will ride with him to shield him from the wind and drag him back up to the main field. In some cases, teammates may even try to subtly slow the field to allow a teammate to attack or initiate a breakaway.

Alliances

With all of the strategy, tactics, and yes, politics of racing, there are times when the tactical goals of different riders or teams will overlap and an impromptu alliance will be formed. This is most obvious in a breakaway where riders from different teams work together to accelerate away from the field despite the realization that they will be competing against each other when the finish line approaches. Different teams will sometimes cooperate to catch a breakaway from which they have been excluded. Teams will also cooperate in attacking a leading rider to try and wear him down to clear the way for one of their own teammates to win the race.

Figuring it out

All of this tactical complexity may make it appear hopeless to decipher what's going on from the sidelines of a race, but there are a few simple observations you can make to help figure out what's going on in the "race inside the race."

1. Take note of which teams are well-represented at the front of the main field. These teams are often trying to control the pace, either by speeding up or slowing down.
2. Take note of which teams are represented in breaks. Fortunately, the team jerseys are brightly colored and usually distinctive. By comparing the team representation in a break with the list of teams at the front of the field, you can often determine the motivation of the various teams to either let the break escape or reel it back in.
3. Note whether the main field is riding in single-file or all bunched together. If the field is single-file, this indicates that the pace has picked up and the riders are all working hard to keep up with the riders at the front. If the pace is VERY fast, you will start to see gaps open up between riders in the line as some are unable to keep up the high pace. On the other hand, if the field is bunched together this is an indication that the pace has slowed.

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