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After watching the track cycling yesterday I wondered why in the 2 person sprint, why one rider doesn't just go for it out of the start?
They would have the jump on the opposition with the surprise, so they wouldn't be able to slipstream as they would have to catch them first and they both have to ride the same distance, what am I missing?
I've seen it done once where the bloke not sprinting from the blocks was a dead cert to win, he got caught out badly and the underdog won.
I think the issue normally is that the second rider will always be able to get some slipstream effect and pull back before the end.
Yes well that would be my tactic if I ever got to have a go!
Jason Kenny (or somebody) did it to Bauges in a world champs, I think
here:
So when the pair met in the final of the world championships in April, the atmosphere in the Melbourne velodrome was electric.Baugé won the first match comfortably, only for Kenny to stun his rival after springing an attack from the start of the three-lap second leg. In the end, Baugé was handed the title after Kenny caused an infringement by coming out of his sprint lane and later called the tactics those of a desperate man.
It's been done, most notably by Felix English against Chris Hoy - Felix won by a mile!
It's a tactic that really only works once though.
The effort involved means that if you've got the height and can drop in right behind your rival as he/she starts sprinting, it's often quite easy to come from behind and win. Depends a bit on the layout of the track too. Manchester has quite short straights, London had much longer straights and the finish line was right at the end of it so it made coming from behind far and away the best tactic.
Have you tried going full gas for three laps of a velodrome? Also, because it's best of three you can only do that once before you get found out.
The best of three thing also means that in a day they might be doing a timed lap for seeding, and then at least 6 more laps in competition in quick succession. Going from the gun in all of those will knacker you completely.
The kilometer time trial used to be a world cup (and Olympic) event which was just people doing that against the clock. Hoy was the master of that event.
Hare and the Tortoise
Robert Forstemann v Chris Hoy
Other tactics include
From the Hoy/Forstemann link, it's also not used often because you risk a savaging from an irate Brailsford.
British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford described the move by Forstemann, the lead-off man in Germany's gold medal-winning team sprint success, as 'disrespectful'.
He said: 'You see it every now and then, but I think it was a bit disrespectful. Fair enough, they're trying absolutely every trick in the book to try and beat Chris Hoy.
'But a big champion like Chris, he's a legend in the sport and I think he deserves a bit more respect.'
Macavity Good example! that just shows why not, it was chris Hoy though!
I hadnt thought about best of 3 either!