tactics

There’s always the option of
There’s always the option of trying to drive the pace and wear the sprinters down, for it to work you’ll need a few others to pick up on what you’re doing and help out but if it works you have a chance of thinning out the pack and putting the sprinters on the back foot. However, if they keep up you’ll be knackered and they might just blow past you.

As a climber I used to give
As a climber I used to give up near the line ‘knowing’ that the more powerful riders would laugh at my pathetic effort. The position was reversed as we went uphill of course! However; I was told about the killermetre (as opposed to the kilometre). Generally with about a kilometre to go (less on a track) the pace eases because no-one wants to lead out or waste their sprint and people look around for a good wheel. If you go for it at the right time (as I said between 1k and 500m to go) you can get a lead that others are not keen to close; you will see pro’s demonstrating this technique with occasional success. I have used it to good effect on two occasions. I am not saying it always works, you understand, (I did it a lot more than twice!). Also I remember (I cannot find a reference for this)that Robert Miller the lightly built climber won at least one of his national road race titles in a bunch sprint! So don’t just assume that as a climber you cannot sprint; think positive, you may suprise yourself!