3 Tips to Plan the Perfect Pre-Race Strategy

This past week I had the opportunity to serve as the Head Coach for the USAC East Coast Junior Mountain Bike Talent Camp in Maryland. One of the subjects that came up several times was that of strategy. While we spoke mostly in terms of planning a race strategy, the concept of strategy can be applied to any ride or event that a person is looking to complete.

When most cyclists ask about cycling strategy, the most common question usually concerns how to go about developing a strategy for the day of the race. The oversight here is that strategy begins well before the actual race, and should be planned months in advance.

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Strategy starts the moment you sit down to decide which races you'll want to do over the course of a season, and which ones you'll want to target your training around. These important decisions should never be made without a few key considerations. Before you can develop a winning strategy during a race, you need to think about what's going on in the bigger picture.

Do a Self-Assessment

First, you need to know yourself. Every cyclist needs to do a good self-assessment to determine individual strengths and weaknesses. It's very important to be honest and really consider what you do well and what you struggle with.

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Some cyclists are going to be great climbers. Others may be great at sprinting. Some riders might have the endurance to ride all day long, while others may have a hard time with even short distances. The key is to realize what you need to improve on and what strengths you already have.

Make a Race Schedule

Now that you've done the assessment, it's time to look at the type of events that you are going to schedule. If you've determined that you are a good climber but you don't have much of a kick, you should look for events that feature a lot of climbing.

Likewise, if you're a great bike handler, look for events that feature technical courses that will highlight your strengths. Consider your endurance and pair that with events of an appropriate length. This isn't to say that you can't choose to do events that don't line up with all your strengths.

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There are going to be events that you'll want to do because friends are doing them, or a certain race that may be part of a series. If there are big events you have always wanted to do, you should try those events too, even if they don't all match exactly with your strengths. You can work on your weaknesses during training. Remember that above all cycling is about having fun, so keep it fun!

Pick a Goal Race

Finally, decide which events you're going to tailor your training around. Hitting peak fitness at the right time becomes a much easier task after completing the first two steps. Now that you know yourself and have decided on which events you're doing for the year, you can decide which races you'll want to be at your best.

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Pick a goal race that highlights your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses. If you have determined that you are good at short, punchy climbs, sprinting, cornering and have decent endurance, but you struggle on longer climbs, long events hurt you, and you're not good at pack sprints, you should adjust your race schedule accordingly.

Start off by listing the attributes of each course and decide which race aligns best with your skill set. Pick a goal race that has the lowest number of items in your weaknesses column. The above rider might select a 50-mile road event that features rolling terrain that he/she can power over with tight and twisty sections of road, but also has no long climbs and is a course that lends itself to a breakaway.

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If you take the time to really look at yourself and pair the races that you want to do well at with your strengths and weaknesses, you'll find that you get more out of your season. From charity events to group rides and time trials, if you know yourself, you'll be able to plan where you'll have your best performances.

This isn't just for road racing either. This strategy works for mountain biking, cyclocross, BMX, track and any other form of cycling you may participate in. By putting your focus where it should be and planning with the bigger picture in mind, you'll find that you enjoy your season and have more success on the bike.

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