Leadouts

[defspace]

I've got a teammate, one helluva sprinter. We've done well enough with "YO! Grab my wheel!", but we'd like to get a proper leadout worked out.
Anyone have any pointers on how to best orchestrate a leadout? There's gotta be a bit more to it than just burning through riders until you've dropped your sprinter off at 150m to go.

FWIW, racing cat2 and criteriums, anywhere from 1 to 4 teammates, depending upon who shows up.

I have to have something to think about while I'm getting slaughtered in cross this winter.

[Too Tall]

I've got a teammate, one helluva sprinter. We've done well enough with "YO! Grab my wheel!", but we'd like to get a proper leadout worked out.
Anyone have any pointers on how to best orchestrate a leadout? There's gotta be a bit more to it than just burning through riders until you've dropped your sprinter off at 150m to go.

FWIW, racing cat2 and criteriums, anywhere from 1 to 4 teammates, depending upon who shows up.

I have to have something to think about while I'm getting slaughtered in cross this winter.

Get a bunch of guys together, go to a business park after hrs.
Split into three "teams" and huddle your strategies. See what works, discuss, repeat repeat repeat.
It ain't rocket science, it is all about having a few guys that can aggressively take charge of the front.

[PJC]

One of our guys put this vid together from a really well executed leadout at one of 'Ring of Fire' Wednesday night races held in Asheville, NC last summer. P/1/2 field. You can find it here:

It ain't rocket science, it is all about having a few guys that can aggressively take charge of the front.

You can have all the technique and strategy in the world but without some motors, ya....it's useless.

[JoB]

I dunno, I messed around with guys doing that for me for a while and we never got it to work at the sunday training crit.
IMO, the most fun you can have is by riding aggressively after getting the endurance to cover breakaways. If you can, tow him to a place he needs to be in with a lap or two to go. There is always a guy who gets overexcited and goes early, or who has nothing to lose by going too soon. Timing a leadout is really hard and not really worth it in my experience. Also much more fun to attack a race like that as a team.

As was said above, you need guys with engines for that.

If you ride "for" your buddy, he buys beer if he wins something.

I've got a teammate, one helluva sprinter. We've done well enough with "YO! Grab my wheel!", but we'd like to get a proper leadout worked out.
Anyone have any pointers on how to best orchestrate a leadout? There's gotta be a bit more to it than just burning through riders until you've dropped your sprinter off at 150m to go.

FWIW, racing cat2 and criteriums, anywhere from 1 to 4 teammates, depending upon who shows up.

I have to have something to think about while I'm getting slaughtered in cross this winter.

[Chance Legstrong]

attack, attack attack!!

I don't know what size fields you are racing in but having 1-4(?) guys, you should change your tact.
if your team isn't the strongest or deepest represented, this will play to the advantage of your sprinter.
You can keep one guy with him as a sweeper for the finish (keep other sprinters off his wheel, if he is a known weapon)
While the rest of yous attack and make the "bigger"/deeper teams do the work.

If you are dead set on a lead out train the only trick is fucking drilling it as many times at weekly training crits and as Toots said, set-up your own team practice somewhere and get used to a line out, who goes first, second, and so on.
if your guy is the real deal, all he needs like i said above is a sweeper on the final lap and he himself needs to know what other speedsters there are and read a race.

[bigbill]

With four riders, the sprinter has to be opportunistic. It seems you would improve his/her chances by using the other riders as distractions; sending one off with a few laps to go so the other teams have to chase and use up their leadout, sending another rider off after the catch, and leaving one rider with the sprinter to keep him/her out of the wind. It should greatly reduce the number of riders who are in position to sprint. You need at least 6-7 riders for a leadout train since you have to take charge of the pace for the last several kilometers/laps.

[defspace]

man, this place rocks. Thanks for the advice.