katew wrote:<blonde>
I am *so* confused.
</blonde>
This might make it worse.
Tactics are complicated, but they require a few fairly simple things that need practicing before you can do them in races.
One, is to appreciate that tactics don't work like the explanations and TV commentary. Attacks, with riders jumping then smoothly working together and going away are rare. Usually it's many jumps, and counter attacks, and a mad scramble of pulls and resting for a few seconds to establish a break. Sorta like a Burnside ride.
But it is easier if you have had some practice accelerating, then working very hard but cooperatively with 2 or 3 others for 5 minutes. Then resting up and trying it again. Novices attack off the front like crazy, but never settle down, so they blow up after a minute and can hardly pedal.
Likewise, novice chasers overlook that 6 riders might want to help chase, but that another 3 don't want to chase at all, and in fact might want to interrupt the chase. So, you have to learn to read who's going to pull and who's going to block. And, er, assert your way into the line in front of the guy NOT chasing so you can keep the chase going. Otherwise it's stop and go and the break will pull away.
So, it's helpful to learn to jam very hard with a couple others, on the limit but without dropping them. (And much more motivating with the hounds of hell, aka the other team, 30 s back.)
And it's helpful to learn to get a chase going without blowing your brains out and making it impossible for other like-minded riders to help you. If you (new verb)
David Brown ![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
off the front in a solo chase, you usually wont get far. But do a fast but steady, followable (word?) pull, swing over and look for help from a guy you didn't just shred, you just might get it.