Race Advice from Oscar Pineda
by Jaime Garcia

As Dan Plitman’s upstairs neighbor, I’ve been the recipient of many a StelvioMobile ride to races. The real VIP in the car is usually Oscar Pineda (riding for Orbis/Stelvio), who has been very generous with race advice during these rides. Here are some of the pointers he’s given me. Though it’s all common sense, coming from a seasoned pro it somehow seems to carry more weight. Plus, in the heat of battle it’s easy to lose your way.

The man himself, at the BMC NYCCC. Photo courtesy Marco Quezada

Race preparation starts several days prior to the event. Pasta, Pasta, Pasta & lots of liquids are what Oscar takes in before his races. Typically two days prior, he is consuming a little more than his usual carb intake. He also tries to stay off his feet as much as possible. You want to come into an event with your gas tank full. Your legs also should be loose, so easy spinning before an event is important. You need to show up to RACE & not just ride in the pack. Also, it’s a must to have a strategy discussed before the race. Figuring out what type of rider you are is key to a successful race and how you will contribute to the team strategy. Do you climb well, are you a sprinter, do you work best in a break? Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is key to the strategy not only for a race, but for your training as well. IMPROVE YOUR WEAKNESSES! A majority of out of town races are a matter of survival of the fittest & smartest. Your fitness and what you do with it will be key to your survival and possible placing at the end of a race.

In a field of 80+ riders, you do not need to do any major work or pacing of the field. If you are not attacking or bridging to a break and if there is no need for you to be out in the wind, don’t do it. Oscar mentioned a full book of matches you start with at every race. It’s important to know how many you can burn and how many you will need to get you across the finish line first. ML/ST typically raced with 4 riders at many out of town races, so saving & timing our efforts was critical to our success. We cannot compete with teams with 7-9 riders.

Oscar also mentioned watching other riders. Which breaks to go with, chase, or let go can be determined by who the riders in the breaks are. Riders’ use of upper body, breathing and pedaling cadence are all important things to watch. If people are pedaling squares, they are probably near the end of their matchbook. The stronger, fitter, smarter rider will let other people do the work and hide in the field. Hiding in a field takes patience and is a skill that needs to be developed. It was difficult to find Oscar in a pack at Fitchburg and Parkridge–he hides really well and shields himself from the wind. You rarely see the winner of a race up front until it’s time to win the race. Many of the cat 4 races end in field sprints and not breakaways, so conserving will be key to placing and winning races. Letting other riders take the initiative and do the work can be difficult, but you do not want to light all your ‘matches’ before the end of the race and be on empty coming into the final sprint.

At Mengoni.

The sprint without teammates can be tricky and will probably happen more often than not. You always have the benefit of another team’s train. Keep an eye out for the people that have just recently moved up and are pedaling smoothly and strongly. You may have to elbow a bit to maintain a wheel or even deal with having to take some wind in your face, but being on the right wheel will be key. Being sure that the rider in front of you is actually going to have enough for a sprint is not an easy thing to determine, so you always want to give yourself an out and a way to get around a rider that has popped. If you get boxed in you have to be ‘actively patient’. You must not stop trying to look for the out, and you must also be cautious and not take down half the field. Many cat 4 riders start the sprint way too early, so be patient. Knowing who the key players and teams are by the end of the race is important. You should be riding, observing, and remembering who people are. You had better have an idea of who to follow prior to the last straightaway. It’s a calculation, not just luck.

Reprinted Courtesy of the Merrill Lynch/Stelvio TeamWEAR site