This post is the continuation of my previous post on how to start a breakaway. Now that you have carefully selected the right move to follow with the right combination of riders, it is time to figure out just what you have got yourself into. How you play you cards and interact with the rest of the group is important to ensuring the longevity of the break and you chances of success.

Working in the group. A large benefit to riding in a break and one that allows a break to establish a gap is the consistent speed of the group. To achieve that speed, the group must cooperate well and focus on saving as much energy as possible as a unit. This means no surging, sticking close together and communicating. Be sure to talk about the wind direction, changes in road conditions, and sometimes, what the rest of the group can expect from you. In addition, your goal is to save as much personal energy as possible! Even if you are totally committed to driving this break to the finish, it is also you job to stay in the break first and foremost, and secondly, to get to the finale with the energy left to win. Sometimes, especially on a hilly course, it may be a wise decision to not drop a rider on the climbs when they might aid the group later on the flats, and help the move stay away. Other times, the group may be large enough (over 10) that it may be a good idea to force a split before the finale to create a smaller finishing group.

Keeping track of the other riders. All day long, you should be keeping an eye on the other riders to see how much fatigue they are accumulating, how much fuel they have left, how much of a share of the work they are doing. This will inform you as to who you might be able to work with in the key late moments of the race, who to avoid being behind, etc. Who has the most to gain? Who is working for the team in a larger context (the team sprinter is behind in the main field) and is less likely to contribute. If any riders have a teammate in the move, they have an advantage. Keep track of which teammate is likely to be the faster finisher and which may try for the late move. It is fair to ask the teammates to contribute a little bit more given their obvious advantage. Most importantly, keep track of yourself! You deserve the reward for putting in the work, so make sure you stay topped up on fuel, know your strengths and weaknesses, know and read the changing course, and don’t give any energy away.

Next up will be the final part of this series on how to finish off the breakaway with a win!