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Why does the break away leader swerve across the road?

4K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Sylint 
#1 ·
I've noticed that in the last few hundred meters of a race, the lead rider in the break away will often swerve to the other side of the road and sometimes back again. The others typically follow his line. Is that a tactic to try and drop the other riders in the break away out of the leaders draft? Seems like it would waste a lot of energy at a critical moment and that it would be better to put all energy in to going as fast as possible in a straight line.
 
#2 ·
You don't want to start the sprint from the front, too easy for the others to stick to the wheel, stay in the draft and pull away just in time to win the sprint. The rider in front is just trying to force others to get ahead, that's why they often slow down so much.
 
#7 ·
It's called the "shake -n- bake" move. Don't believe me? Just watch that 100% accurate 1985 movie about bicycle racing, American Flyers.


wheelsucker.





I don't know why, but I always love when they weave to one side and someone launches from the back on the other side and has a 5-7 sec gap before anyone notices him. That's my favorite type of attack for some weird reason.
 
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