Racing today on a very hilly course, a group of us got away on a long hill - 5 of us, 3 were v skinny v good climbers plus me and another guy who hung on. The two of us are much stronger flat riders and TTists. At the top of the hill we formed and started to lap it out - well 2 of us were lapping it out, the others just sat on. Behind us and within sight were a group including the strongest riders in the club, if they caught us we'd struggle to stay on, they would likely ride away for the win. The two of us worked very hard and managed to keep the chasing group away - the wheelsuckers just sat on.

The options were:
1. Cajole wheelsuckers to work.
2. Work and risk getting sprinted by the wheelsuckers at the end (this is what happened, I got 4th after doing the Donkey's share of the work )
3. Refuse to work and get caught by the chasers, who would most likely grind us into the ground and spit us out...

I know the guys who were wheelsucking, not very strong on the flat and without us pulling them they would have been caught and spat out by the very strong chasing group. their presence in the breakaway added nothing to our speed.

This is a common scenario in cycling - any ideas on how others have/could have dealt with it?

In the sprint set up I went too early, then in a second sprint about 150m from home, I got boxed in and had to ease and come around and down the middle of the road, got 4th, just missed 3rd. The other worker won.

What type of communication was there between you guys? Did either of you get on them about not working? It isn't your job to keep them away from the field. Having been in situations where guys are not going to work to stay away you sit up and start over as the mix is wrong. No reason to drag someone to the line unless you're happy about taking the lower places in the break.

When in doubt, attack :) In reality, the wheelsuckers didn't do anything wrong.

A common thing to do is to work with the other guy and attack them until they drop. If they are actually strong enough to stay on, they are strong enough to take pulls. Then you have to decide whether to drag them to the line, or sit up and get caught.

I think you did better (3rd) than you would have by sitting up and trying to hang with the chase group. If you are familiar with these guys, and they do this a lot, I would have sat up and given the race to someone else so that the wheelsuckers get dragged down, too. If this is the only time you know about them, then you probably did hte right thing.

There are limits to tactics in cycling (as in anything else). If you think you'd have done worse than 4th by sitting up and letting the group catch you, you were better off doing what you did- and remember, you only missed a better finish because you got boxed in. The other worker didn't and won. You could try to catch the wheel suckers unaware and launch a surprise attack- jink left or right as you stand so they're out of your slipstream. But today it's the wheel suckers who are patting themselves on the backs having beaten a stronger rider with better tactics :) You'll have your day, too.

and remember, you only missed a better finish because you got boxed in....But today it's the wheel suckers who are patting themselves on the backs having beaten a stronger rider with better tactics :) You'll have your day, too.

Thanks L33 - sage advice, there'll be another day, lose no sweat. Helps keep it in perspective.

i'm one of the wheelsuckers and proud that i can still do it. i'm 52 years old and trying to stay with the much younger studs. i have to use everything i can including my brain to hang with guys 30 years younger. no way can i pull but i can try and follow. if you want to go i will follow as far has i can. sometimes to the end. you are using it to become a stronger rider and i using to live with a smile a little longer. last week i was 3rd out of 50 riders with a average of 23 mph over 46 miles, not much more fun than that!

L33 is right on the money. You would've busted your hump to protect 4th place had you been riding alone so sour feelings aside, you drove a successful break and earned a good finish for it.

There are things you can do to make the wheelsuckers uncomfortable for next time:

#1 If you are in a similar situation where you and another are collaborating, allow the other worker to open a gap continually and make the wheelsuckers close it. If they are small then they will likely only notice by the time the gap is several bike lengths or more. They will either close the gap or fail trying and hopefully you get a rest during this time and can get back across.

#2 Be aware of the wind. When you're in a cross wind, you can take a postion on the road in such a way that only your partner can get a good draft and leave them driving into a wind against your superior wattage. This is most effective on the right edge of the road because there is literally nowhere to hide for them but if there is a double yellow line rule it is still worth doing against the lines. They will likely break the rule continually to avoid the wind and if you're really lucky the race marshall will relegate them back to the pack that was failing to catch you in the first place.

Both of these things are obvious enough and discouraging enough that they should come in line and start sharing the work to avoid worse treatment.

Another way to deal with wheelsuckers is to drop back after a pull and when they open a gap to let you in, keep slowing down next to them until they either accelerate to close the gap or you close the gap quickly causing them to bridge back on. Do this enough times and they will pull through or get dropped.

If a rider chooses to sit on the back of a small break and do no work, they shouldn't expect any respect from the other guys in the break. I was in a small break in a road race years ago and we had one guy that everyone knew would sit on and take the sprint. I didn't do it, but he disappeared from the group about three miles from the finish and ended up rolling across the line about a minute after us. He was dirty and pissed off.

a lot of guys will take their turn if you give them some talking. Many are dumb enough to do it when they shouldn't.

If they don't play ball, tell the working riders its time to start attacking them. They might chose to play nice then. Otherwise, work with the other guy and let the wheels suckers decide who will cover the attack, you should move to the back of them and it can be easy enough to jump around them. (just don't pull em up)

be willing to sit up and let the pack catch you.

what fleck said. Try to form an alliance with the other worker.. get a jump on the suckers and try to drop them. They might lose motivation and get absorbed by the chase group. Just don't blow your wad on trying to get away.

sometimes yelling at them to pull through doesn't work either.
had that crap last weekend. A few guys just wouldn't work. It took a bit of restraint not to put my hips to their bars and show them the ditch. But being that i was a solid 50+ lbs lighter... all bark, no bite
evetually they worked a bit... eventualy i popped off
but that is another story...

WEll consider this, if the 5 of you are away free and clear and only three are working than you have some options.

Option 1: talk to the guys, nicely, no yelling. Expalin that you all can have a truce until a predertimed point. If there is honor there, it will work. Then your worst thing is a top 5 placing.

Option 2: if they dont work, let them wheelsuck. The three of you can still use them as a rest. Say two work the front, one takes a break in the back. Do this for 2 minutes a piece, and once they see you working well together the two wheel suckers might join in. The pack spirit is hard to resist. Again, a sprint against 4 people is way better odds than a pack sprint any day of the week.

Every race and every breakaway is different, thats what makes bike racing so fresh for me even after 19 years.

As for putting somone into a ditch, that may work, however as i rode back from the end of the race i just might accidently slide out again and land on you. I promise you it will definetly hurt you way more than me.
Race clean, its only a bike race, there is always tommrrow. But you hurt someone and destroy their season, that is on your conscience. Not to mention they could easily do the same to you.
The only time winning and losing matters is when i am on scene, and trying to make sure you live long enough to get you to ths hospital where your chances improve hugely. That is the important stuff, no race win will ever equal the high of saving a life. And yes i have two to my credit.

Enjoy. Bill

WEll consider this, if the 5 of you are away free and clear and only three are working than you have some options.

Option 1: talk to the guys, nicely, no yelling. Expalin that you all can have a truce until a predertimed point. If there is honor there, it will work. Then your worst thing is a top 5 placing.

Option 2: if they dont work, let them wheelsuck. The three of you can still use them as a rest. Say two work the front, one takes a break in the back. Do this for 2 minutes a piece, and once they see you working well together the two wheel suckers might join in. The pack spirit is hard to resist. Again, a sprint against 4 people is way better odds than a pack sprint any day of the week.

Option 2 doesn''t use them at all. Its the same as a 3 man breakaway and one man sitting out for a couple turns. Only possible diffrence is the breif turbulent spot when the resting rider is switching from one guy's wheel to another.

you have other options.

you can attack the lazy guy. But you have to be willing to risk your position.

5 guys again and 2 or whatever sitting in... If you're one of the guys working and have a wheel sucker on you, sit up. Force him to bridge back on. If you do this over and over most riders get the hint that the break won't tolerate it. Got to get everyone working to buy into it. Thats often easier then trying to talk them into it.

another option. Gutter the $hit out of them. 3 guys working and 2 wheel suckers? echelon only enough for the guys working to get the best benifit.

another.
when they are on your wheel, stay low. minimize the wind break you do give them.
feel free to move around a bit to keep them on their toes.

the coup de grace...
whip it out, pee on your rear wheel and the spray will tell them how you feel.

a lot of guys will take their turn if you give them some talking. Many are dumb enough to do it when they shouldn't.


I'm new to road racing. How do you know when it is appropriate for you to pull? By talking to the others in the break or is there somekind of unwritten rule?

I'm new to road racing. How do you know when it is appropriate for you to pull? By talking to the others in the break or is there somekind of unwritten rule?

in general... when there is a small group. This can be when you're in a breakaway, a chase group or some guys off the back and just trying to get back home.

with a very small group of 2-(5 or 7) you'll do a paceline. More riders... and you'll want to do a 'double paceline' do a search on these terms. Some great info out there. also look at pro races how they work together...

this is one of the best things to practice on group rides.