Cyclo-cross starts

The start of a cyclo-cross race is a frantic affair, with riders charging off the line all at once and sprinting for the first corner. Having a good start may not win you a race but not having one can definitely lose you a race and there are four key things you need to consider when starting a race:

Look at the start area

Before the race, pay attention to the start ground and the type of terrain you are on. Normally this is a hard pack ground but you may need to position yourself in a way that allows you to get into that very important first corner in the best position possible.

Gearing

Make sure you have practiced your start in a gear that you are comfortable with and that will propel you up the bunch before that critical first turn. Before the race, part of your warm-up should be to try some starts in different gears so you happy with your selection and don’t leave it to chance when you are on the start line. Adapt gearing for conditions and the surface, with the key being to find a powerful gear which would can get on top of quickly, without spinning out.

Crank position

This is key to a good start. It’s important that you have a sequence and routine you go through before every race, and which is honed in training and through practice. Crank position may differ from rider to rider but we would advise starting with your dominant leg and by having your crank angled at 2 or 3 ‘o clock, enable you to get that downward force to kick off. Have your pedal positioned so you are comfortable with clipping in and not misfiring and slipping off the platform. Again practice makes perfect.

Body position

Try and get into an aggressive stance. You need to be in a strong body position so you can get all that force through the pedal stoke to propel you through the bunch. Having you elbows out and leaned forward will again assist with this aggressive stance and help you take off better than most. Starting with your hands on the hoods will allow you to have your hands close to the brakes and close to your gears and give you the edge going into the first corner. Some people like to start in the saddle and some out; again this is a personal preference but make sure you find your best technique in training and stick to it in racing.

Gear selection

The most important thing about gear selection when dismounting is thinking ahead. You need to know what gear you will need when remounting. It is critical you choose the right gear so you are getting the power through the first pedal strokes after remounting to get you back to speed and so you don’t lose position.

Obstacles and running

You will encounter a range of obstacles during a cyclo-cross depending on the type of circuit, terrain, surface and conditions. Planks, banks, crashes, mud and plenty more are a part of most ‘cross races so be ready for them.

Basically, it’s best to dismount when a given obstacle is going to slow you down to such an extent that running is faster than cycling. If the mud is so deep that trying to pedal through it is too much effort for relatively little gain then running may be your best option. You will need to get used to running with your bike and making sure you do so in a manner that maintains momentum.

Remounting

Hand placement can vary when remounting so practice different positions for different scenarios as you need to be able to adapt between races and conditions and be confident in your choice.

Try and make the remount as fluid as possible and avoid any double steps which will see you lose placing and momentum. Try and make it a single hop and slide onto the saddle with a quick insert into both of the pedals to begin the first powerful pedal strokes in the correct gear, helping you to get back up to race speed as quickly as possible.

When to shoulder a bike

We see a lot of riders dragging their bikes up hills or across muddy sections and that sees them both lose time and waste energy. In these scenarios you need to be shouldering the bike and getting into your stride as quickly as possible.

When you encounter steep banks, thick mud, stairs or tight hairpins, it could be time to jump off, shoulder the bike and run, so make sure you are confident in shouldering your bike in race conditions and at race pace.

Technique

Make sure the bike is secure with the toptube on your shoulder and avoid having your arms flapping around while the bike is up there. Keep one hand close to or on the handlebar, making sure it’s secure, while the other arm is free to swing and propel your body as you run.

If you’re running uphill then lean forward into the banking as it will help you maintain momentum and grip. Also, when shouldering a bike it can make you very wide and on a narrow section of the course this will make it difficult for people to get past you – this is a good tactic to use and helps maintain position.

Foot out

Unclipping a foot out of a pedal on tricky corners is not a sign of weaknesses. Again, it’s a good technique to practice and can really help stabilise your bike on off-camber turns by putting the weight on the inside of your bike. It’s not necessarily slower to take a foot out so don’t be afraid to do so.

Keep pedalling

You want to keep pedalling for as long as possible and avoid freewheeling. If you keep putting the power through the rear wheel then you will maintain more traction and stability in the corner. You need to be careful not to ground the pedal in the corner, of course, so choose when to pedal and when not to pedal carefully. For more experienced riders you can try the method of braking while pedalling to keep the traction and have the ability to exit quickly out of the corner. This can be done to great effect on tight hairpins and allow you to get the jump on your competitors on the exit.

That’s it for now but in part two of this series we’ll look at equipment choices and bike setup for cyclo-cross racing.

Want to learn more? Four-time British cyclo-cross champion and Dig Deep coach Ian Field offers his pro tips in this free downloadable webinar. You can also take the guesswork out of your winter training with Dig Deep Coaching’s free ‘essential winter training checklist’ webinar on October 28. Register here to reserve your place.