One of the big differences between amateur and professional cycle racing is the role of the breakaway. Amateur racing usually consists of a succession of attacks until a group of strong riders breaks away and disappears into the distance to contest the win. There is rarely enough firepower left in the peloton to close down the gap.
This contrasts with professional racing, where a group of weaker riders typically contests for the breakaway, hoping that the pursuing teams will miscalculate their efforts to bring their leaders to the head of the race in the final kilometres. Occasionally a solo rider launches a last minute attack, forcing other riders to chase.
One minute for every ten kilometres
Much of the excitement for cycling fans is generated by the tension between the breakaway and the peloton, especially when the result of the race hangs in the balance until the final metres. Commentators often say that the break needs a lead of at least one minute for every ten kilometres before the finish line. Where does this rule of thumb come from?
It’s time for some back of the envelope calculations. On flat terrain, the breakaway may ride the final 10km of a professional race at about 50kph. A lead of one minute equates to a gap of 833m, which the peloton must close within the 12 minutes that it will take the breakaway riders to reach the finish line. This means the peloton must ride at 54.2kph, which is just over 8.3% faster than the riders ahead.
On a flat road power would be almost exclusively devoted to overcoming aerodynamic drag. The effort rises with the cube of velocity, so the power output of the chasing riders needs to be 27% high. If the breakaway riders are pushing out 400W, the riders leading the chasing group need to be doing over 500W.
The peloton has several advantages. Riding in the bunch saves a lot of energy, especially relative to the efforts of a small number of riders who have been in a breakaway all day. This means that many riders have energy reserves available to lift the pace at the end of the race. Teams are drilled to deploy these reserves efficiently by drafting behind the riders who are emptying themselves at the front of the chasing pack. Having the breakaway in sight provides a psychological boost as the gap narrows. The one minute rule suggests these benefits equate to a power advantage of around 25%.
Not for an uphill finish
If the race finishes on a long climb, a one minute lead is very unlikely to be enough for the break to stay away. Ascending at 25kph equates to a gap of only 417m and now the peloton has 25 minutes to make up the difference. This can be achieved by riding at 26kph. This is just 4% faster, requiring 13% higher power to overcome the additional aerodynamic drag. This would be about 450W, if the break is holding 400W.
The chasing peloton still has fresher riders, who may be able to see the break up the road, they do not have the same drafting advantages when climbing at 26kph. The other big factor is gravity. The specialist climbers are able to put in strong accelerations on steep sections, quickly gaining on those ahead. They can climb faster than heavier riders at equivalent power.
If we take the same figure for the power advantage over the break as before, of around 25%, the break would need to have a lead of 1 minute 55 seconds as it passes the 10km banner. However, experience suggests that unless there is a very strong climber in the break, a much bigger time gap would be required for the break to stay away.
Chasing downhill
This analysis also explains why it is very difficult to narrow a gap on a fast descent. Consider a 10km sweeping road coming down from an alpine pass to the valley. Riding at 60kph, a one minute gap equates to 1km. The peloton would have to average 66kph over the whole 10km in order to make the catch in then ten minute descent. In spite of the assistance of gravity, the 10% higher speed converts into a 33% increase in the effect of drag, where riders begin to approach terminal velocity.
Amateur breaks
Amateurs do not have the luxury of a directeur sportif running a spreadsheet in a following team car. In fact you are lucky if you anyone gives you an idea of a time gap. The best strategy is firstly to follow the attacks of the strongest riders in order to get into a successful break and then encourage your fellow breakaway riders, verbally and by example, to ride through and off, in order to establish a gap. As you get closer to the finish, you should assess the other riders in order to work out how you are going to beat them over the line.
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