Crunch time!!!

Definitely spend time riding the course if you can. You don't have to ride it at 100% race intenstiy to get good training. If it's local, just do one or two days a week out there and do your Threshold or Sweet Spot Efforts on the course to figure out the nuances, pacing, etc. It'll help you develop the mental focus to race it beginning to end. Play with different pacing strategies including going out a bit easier and finishing harder.

Most time trials are lost in the first mile or two by folks that go out much too hard and then fade badly later on. It takes discipline to hold back a bit at the start and then lay it all down by the end. Use your on course training to experiment with start slow - finish hard pacing and figure out what gives you the best time. FWIW, bonking refers to depleting your stored muscle glycogen and unless you're totally ignoring your post ride refueling it isn't happening to you in a 10 mile TT. It's much more likely you're going out too hard, trying to pace beyond your sustainable pace and blowing up before the finish. That's a very different phenomena than bonking and can be quickly cured with better pacing.

So what's your bike setup like? Are you riding a stock road bike? Do you have clip on aero bars? Could you lower your bars by moving spacers around or are you as low as you can go without changing stems?

Basically you might gain a very small amount of fitness in the remaining 3 weeks, but realistically not very much especially if you're trying to be fresh on race day each week. But you can likely make big improvements in pacing and possibly in terms of aerodynamics. A pair of clip on aero bars could probably save you a minute or more if you're not already using them. And if you are using aero bars, lowering them a bit which might be as simple as shuffling stem spacers or changing the tilt of the bars to lower the pads could save you substantial time.

I've cut a couple of minutes off my 40K TT times this season just by doing on the road aero testing and moving to a progressively lower position. And that's starting from a pretty aero position, relative to a stock road bike setup I've shaved many minutes off for the same power output. IOW, don't dismiss the importance of aerodynamics in a flatter TT and you're more likely to hit your goals through a combination of good pacing and good position than increases in fitness over the next 3 weeks.

Good luck and let us know how it goes,
-Dave

Thanks for backing what I was thinking about riding the course. 😎 When I'm not on the course I'll be paying close attention to my cadence, pedal stroke, and possition.

Yeah, my bike set up is stock. Actually, no...I replaced the stem. Other than that its stock. I don't have any aero bars or anything like that...They are in the works for an off season upgrade. Aero bars can really save upwards of a minute??? :eek: I wish I could add them now!!! Anyway, yeah, my handlebars are almost as low as they can go. I have one 1/2" spacer under them...for comfort. Honestly, I only got my bike to fit me earlier this year. I rode all of last year with it "wrong"...and WOW, did it make a difference!!! 😎 I bought the bike used...so it was up to me to fit it. Finally ran across Competitive Cyclists fit page and followed all the measurements. I also talked to a bike shop and they agreed with the setup. Now this has me thinking...Should I lower my handlebars??? When I fit myself, I was about 10-15 lbs heavier...and not in nearly the aerobic condition as I am now. Hmmmm....???

Rocket_Man said:

....Aero bars can really save upwards of a minute??? :eek: ...

Yep, they can easily save that much time in a 10 mile TT.

My CdA (aero drag....lower values are better) when riding my road bike in the drops is ~0.34, riding the same road bike with clip on aero bars drops my CdA to ~0.27. In a 10 mile TT(ignoring the extra time for starting and turning around) at an average power of 250 watts that difference in aero drag translates to the difference between a time of 26'54" and 25'11" or more than a minute and a half savings for the same power.

Spend some time really dialing in your position(for instance that .27 CdA number doesn't take into account hanging the profile aero bars below the road bars, I didn't figure out that trick till later) and get your CdA lower and you'll save even more time for the same power. Of course at some point you'll either get real uncomfortable, won't be able to see up the road well enough to ride safely or will experience a drop in sustainable power. The trick is to get aero without taking it quite that far.

Good luck,
-Dave

keeping in mind that i know little about common training methods, this is what works for me.

if i have an event on a saturday, ill start by doing some "big ring" training rides on monday/tuesday. i then take wednesday off since my legs should be killing me after using larger than normal gears. thursday is a normal ride at a higher cadence/smaller gear to get the legs back in action, and friday is a shorter, more intense ride somewhere in-between normal training speed and event day speed.

this helps me build power rather quickly, and i generate a noticable difference after roughly 2 weeks. whether or not that works for anyone else i dont know, but thats my 2 cents.

daveryanwyoming said:

Yep, they can easily save that much time in a 10 mile TT.

Wow...I would have never thought it would be that much! I really wish I had the cash to get them now!!!
So, its sounding like the "easiest" way to cut time is body position. What would you recommend? A few weeks ago I saw a guy riding without aero bars...but...he positioned himself like having them (with his elbows directly on the top of the bar). I tried it...but it feels, well, not 100% safe...but I would feel "ok" doing it on most of the course. Without doing that...How do you position yourself? Obviously...?...in the drops, with your body as low as possible, elbows tucked in just so they miss your legs, and head straight forward. I say obviously because I was just thinking...could the tops be more aero? Similar to a climbing position, but as low as possible (just thinking that everything would be tucked...but might be a little higher overall???) Just a thought.

LewisBricktop...thanks. Yeah, actually, that should work perfectly for me. I'll have the weekend to train for the Tuesday night ride. I have been taking it easy on Mondays...so, like you said, I'll try to get in a "in-between" ride in to see how that works for me.

Rocket_Man said:

.... A few weeks ago I saw a guy riding without aero bars...but...he positioned himself like having them (with his elbows directly on the top of the bar). I tried it...but it feels, well, not 100% safe...but I would feel "ok" doing it on most of the course. ....

I considered suggesting the virtual aero bar position. I've definitely used it, including a recent hill climb TT where the first 6 miles was nearly flat but the second half climbed steeply, I didn't want to ride the TT bike up the steep hill but really wanted the aerodynamics on the flats. It definitely helps, but you're right, it's not 100% safe. Hit an unexpected pothole or rock and you could tumble in a hurry while steering with your elbows with nothing to hold onto. Definitely experiment with that approach at your own risk. I feel a little better if I catch the shift cables (Shimano only since Campy cables are routed under the bar tape) with my thumbs when riding like that and don't try it on twisty roads, bad surfaces, in places where cross streets and traffic are problems and definitely not in groups (I saw a Cat 5 racer take down four of five guys by riding that way unnecessarily and unwisely in the middle of a group).

I wondered about the hands on the hoods, forearms flat approach as well. I've used that one a lot over the years. But I did some aero testing and I'm definitely more aero in the drops of my road bike (CdA ~.34) vs. the flat forearm up top approach (CdA ~0.39). My best guess is that I'm just not as low in that position and I'm catching a lot more air when riding high like that. I saw this posted on another forum recently: graphics8.nytimes.com28cycling.1.600.jpgOpen ↗

I don't know much about the riders in the photo or how tall they are relative to one another, but it sure looks to me like the guy in second place riding the way you're describing is up a bit higher and catching more air than the other guys riding in their drops. His shoulders seem higher and you can read a bit more of the logo on his chest, but it's tough to say partly because the first rider is out of the saddle which makes it hard to compare.

Anyway, at least in my case the forearms flat method isn't as aerodynamic as riding in the drops.

YMMV,
-Dave
P.S. clip on aero bars show up on ebay all the time and most aren't all that expensive. You don't need a fancy carbon fiber set to realize some big time improvements and they don't have to be new and shiny either. But you do want some time on them before you race to get used to the position and to learn how to steer safely using the aero bars. You won't save any time if you wreck during your race because you aren't familiar with the way the bike handles with aero bars.

I'll take it even further. Aerodynamic improvements equate to "free speed". My most recent 10mi TT time was 26:21 for an average speed of 23.15mph (10.18mi distance)

I haven't tried it on my road bike with ordinary riding clothes and helmet.

I was using my TT bike with semi-aero front wheel (non-aero rear wheel with PT) , nearly lowest position available on my aerobars, skinsuit, TT helmet and shoe covers.

average power = 207 watts.

I estimate that it would have required 245 watts to do the same speed without the aero improvements.

Based on post-ride analysis, if I can maintain 245 watts of power for the entire TT (a reasonable goal within reach) and using all the aero improvements I have, I can improve my average speed to around 25mph for a 10mi TT.

I will take whatever free speed I can get!

jD_Empath said:

I was using my TT bike with semi-aero front wheel (non-aero rear wheel with PT) , nearly lowest position available on my aerobars, skinsuit, TT helmet and shoe covers.

Hmmm.... doesn't sound "free" to me. 😉

I'd argue that training to generate more watts is free and finding a better position like Dave's talking about is free, but I've always referred to aero goodies as "buying speed." Difference in perspective, I guess. 🙂

Free in this case means it does not cost you any more pain.

The only "free" speed is good pacing.

Here's the update...followed by a few questions. 🙄

Couldn't ask for a more perfect night, as far as weather goes. 75 degrees, "no" wind (3 mph tailwind on the return), low humidity...Perfect.
Anyway...went out for my warm-up, I think about the hardest I've ever went for the warm-up. Messed with getting into/out of the "virtural aero position"...felt comfortable so I decided to try and stick with it for the whole race.
Got the starting order...to be bummed out. I was starting 4th...not behind "my competition". I thought that last week, by beating them, I would have started behind them...and use them for a marker (or catch them). But, no...I started behind 2 juniors (one was 9...the other is 14 and tyring to break 30min.) The other was a guy that hadn't beed riding for about 2 years due to foot injuries. I overheard him say that he thought he would be in the 28's. So, I was trying to figure out a strategy with that...but, decided just to concentrate on my original strategy and use my Average Speed for a pace.
As I got started all I could think...

daveryanwyoming said:

Most time trials are lost in the first mile or two by folks that go out much too hard and then fade badly later on. It takes discipline to hold back a bit at the start and then lay it all down by the end. Use your on course training to experiment with start slow - finish hard pacing and figure out what gives you the best time.

Yeah, hard to do...I felt SO SLOW! But, remembering in the past I can get upwards of 25-27mph in the first 1/2 mile, then need a while to get everything back under control. So, I paced along at 22-23mph...and it ended up being so much faster. Also, by the end of the 2nd mile I realized that the guy who started ahead of me was still about 30 seconds up still...he was going about my speed. Hmmm...Somebody to pace behind? Then try to catch near the end???
Anyway...tried to stay in the "virtual aero" as much as possible. Although, I ended up in the drops on small hills, and actually got out of the saddle to get over the bigger hills as fast as possible.
Right after the turnaround I had a scary moment. I was in the virtual aero position over a bridge...very rough bridge. I ended up having to grab onto the shifting cables to keep balance. ...Mental note for next time!!!
Ended up flying back to the finish line. Never really made up much time on the guy ahead of me. Mainly just concentrated on getting my Average Speed up to my goal speed...raced my own race!
Crossed the line at 24:42!!! :eek:😄😄😄 Woo-Hoo!!! WAY better than I had hoped for! 😎

Here's my list of new questions. 🙄
--What is a proper warm up? I know with the shorter race you want almost the same amount of warm up. (I normally only get in about 10-15 minutes). But, do you go out Hard...or pace yourself slower than race speed? Maybe slowly work up to...hold...then slow back down? Also, what are "Leg Openers"?
--Is the feeling of not giving 100% shortly into the cooldown normal? Maybe its just me...but especially on the return, I almost felt like I couldn't spin any faster/harder. Climbed the hills, then tucked back in...keeping the pedals turning over and catching my breath. Made myself sprint to the line...then maybe 1/2 mile later (you know about 2 minutes), I sat up and questioned if I really did give 100%. ...although, this may be linked to my next question...
--How do you get the power to turn in the large chainring? Ok, maybe question is better in its own thread...? Anyway, I rode the whole night in the middle chainring (yeah, I ride a triple 🙄 )...and only used the 3-4 smallest gears on the cassette. On the return, I thought about bumping into the large chainring, but didn't want to mess up my rhythm. Like I said, maybe this does have something to do with not really giving it all. ???
Finally...and maybe not possible to answer. There are a ton of variables and whatnot.
--At what time/speed is "thats it"? 24:42 is good (I think). I know I can get around quicker, after I start improving my skill/ability/endurance/etc. But really, on a standard stock road bike (with aero bars soon)...there's got to be a limit somewhere, right? The "fast guys" on the aero specific bikes, aero helmet, skinsuit, etc. are turning down into the low 21's with 19:42 being the course record (I belive). Like I said probably an impossible question to answer...Just wanted to get a number to go beat!!! :p

Well...thanks again for all the help!!!
😄😄😄

Rocket_Man said:

.... Crossed the line at 24:42!!! :eek:😄😄😄 Woo-Hoo!!! WAY better than I had hoped for! 😎...

Well done! Nice job on the pacing, it does take some restraint and faith, hard to hold back and really believe it will get you to the end quicker. Also good job not crashing on the rough pavement, that would have put a damper on your race. Definitely get those clip on bars, it's a lot safer and should allow a better position.

Quoted post said:

...Maybe slowly work up to...hold...then slow back down? Also, what are "Leg Openers"?...

There are lots of approaches to warming up and it depends in part on how early you get there and how much training base you have. One nice thing about a bit more base is that you can do a longer and perhaps harder warmup without worrying about being too tired during the event. Realistically that shouldn't be an issue in a 10 mile TT, but I do see folks holding back on warmup for longer time trials out of fear of being too tired.

I like a longer warmup that starts easy, ramps into Tempo for five to ten minutes, goes easy for a while, gets into Threshold for at least five minutes, easy again, gets up into VO2 Max for at least 3 minutes and then goes easy till about 15 minutes before the race. Then I get off the bike take care of any last minute bathroom stops or other details and I roll over to the line with a few minutes to spare. I find I can hold a warmup for at least 15 minutes if not longer and have seen way too many racers miss their start because they tried to warmup right to the last second. If I show up later than expected I'll at least get up to Threshold for a few minutes and VO2 Max for a minute or two, but I hope to get at least that much warmup plus a few minutes of easier spinning before and after those efforts.

Quoted post said:

...--Is the feeling of not giving 100% shortly into the cooldown normal?...

It's pretty normal to bounce back from a shorter time trial after just a few minutes. Remember, you're not depleting all your reserves in 25 minutes, but that doesn't mean you didn't give it your best effort. Be honest about what it felt like during the race and pay particular attention to how hard you were breathing and what your legs felt like. I often start into the shoulda's, coulda's a few minutes after a TT but if I'm really honest with myself and remember how hard I was breathing and how many times I tried to pick up the pace during the ride I realize I usually didn't have a lot more to give.

Quoted post said:

...--How do you get the power to turn in the large chainring? Ok, maybe question is better in its own thread...? Anyway, I rode the whole night in the middle chainring (yeah, I ride a triple 🙄 )...and only used the 3-4 smallest gears on the cassette. ...

I don't know your gearing, but the smallest 3 gears with the middle ring on a triple are typically close to if not overlapped to mid cluster cogs and the big chainring. IOW, you probably were effectively riding in big ring gears but using the middle ring with smaller cogs. In general the big ring and mid cluster cogs is a better deal as the chainline is better. Do some of your training in the big chainring and using cogs more centered in your cassette and I suspect you'll find they aren't much different than what you've been using but at least you can bump up a bit further for a small descent or a tailwind section.

Quoted post said:

...--At what time/speed is "thats it"? 24:42 is good (I think). I know I can get around quicker, after I start improving my skill/ability/endurance/etc. But really, on a standard stock road bike (with aero bars soon)...there's got to be a limit somewhere, right? The "fast guys" on the aero specific bikes, aero helmet, skinsuit, etc. are turning down into the low 21's with 19:42 being the course record (I belive)....

Well it's safe to say 19:42 is possible 🙂 And I don't know who set that time, but it's a fair bet there are domestic and european pros who can ride a lot faster on that course.

But I expect you're more interested in what your best potential time is. Tough to say, breaking 25 mph average speed (24 minutes) should probably be your next goal. That's a pretty reasonable goal for a Cat 5 or Cat 4 racer especially with aero bars. 25 mph or 40 kph for a full 40K TT is a really good goal for someone in the early stages of racing. Hitting that in your 10 mile TTs is a good starting point and tough since the start and turnaround take a big bite of your speed in a shorter TT but one you're already close to and can probably hit with aero bars and focused TT training.

Can you hit 22 minutes (more than 27 mph average speed) or faster? Hard to say but take it one step at a time and enjoy the process.

Good luck,
-Dave

Again...thanks for all the GREAT advice!!!

daveryanwyoming said:

Definitely get those clip on bars, it's a lot safer and should allow a better position.

Planning on it. Yeah, I was...hmmmm...reluctant to believe that the aero possition would save that much time. Needless to say...I BELIEVE 😎 Next question, How do you set them up? I've seen where your fists are just about level, if not a little lower. I've also seen where you have them way up in front of your face. Which way is better? ...or is it more of a personal feel?
Also, would you recomend the straight bars...or the kind that curl up about midway through the bar?

Quoted post said:

I often start into the shoulda's, coulda's a few minutes after a TT but if I'm really honest with myself and remember how hard I was breathing and how many times I tried to pick up the pace during the ride I realize I usually didn't have a lot more to give.

Yep, true...true. Now its really to long afterwards to remember how I really felt. Honestly, from what I remember...I think I got into a really steady breathing rhythm (I wasn't gasping for air or anything). That goes for the cadence/gearing...I was just in such a rhythm, and knowing I was way ahead of my goal pace I didn't want to change anything up to much. Hey, this is all a learning thing right...and now I know what to do next week.

Quoted post said:

IOW, you probably were effectively riding in big ring gears but using the middle ring with smaller cogs. In general the big ring and mid cluster cogs is a better deal as the chainline is better. Do some of your training in the big chainring and using cogs more centered in your cassette and I suspect you'll find they aren't much different than what you've been using but at least you can bump up a bit further for a small descent or a tailwind section.

Will do. I've often wondered how the gearing overlaps with the different gears, but never sat down and actually figured it out. Makes sense to ride the big ring with middle gears...that way you do have somewhere to go. About the only thing that I'm sitting here wondering is how well I'd go up a hill. ...I'll just have to get out there and find out. 😉

Quoted post said:

Well it's safe to say 19:42 is possible 🙂

:eek:

Quoted post said:

And I don't know who set that time, but it's a fair bet there are domestic and european pros who can ride a lot faster on that course.

Yeah, I've wondered what time somebody like Fabian Cancellera would turn.

Quoted post said:

But I expect you're more interested in what your best potential time is. Tough to say, breaking 25 mph average speed (24 minutes) should probably be your next goal.

Yeah...next week I'm really looking at just backing the run from this week. Of course I want to improve my time...but I just want to "prove" that it wasn't a fluke/lucky/perfect night. Sounds wrong to say prove, but thats the easiest way to describe it. Then, the last week of the season, it would be nice to see if I can break the 24's 😄 Of course, I'm keeping my goals realistic as I go...but I do want to keep pushing myself.

Also, I forgot to ask about nutrition. I've read some info...actually asked a few questions already, but something was brought up Tuesday night that I haven't thought about, LUNCH. After the race, one of the guys who I've been aiming to beat (and set his own personal best at 25:15, over a minute off his previous best), was saying that he thinks he could have gone faster had he ate a better Lunch. Now, I didn't ask him what he ate (unfortunatly)...but how important is the day of the race nutrition? I'd imagine very important...so what's a "perfect" day? And...What foods shoud I avoid? What about the day before...or is that going a little to early?
Just for the record...I already do eat a healthy diet. My wife is on LA Weight Loss, so I don't even get a chance at much junk food. 😄

Are Energy bars/drinks recommended? I've ate a Clif bar before the race...of course I can't really tell you if it helped or not. Maybe I ate it to early/late...How long do they take to work? How long do they last?
As for Energy drinks, I've found some that are sugar free. Also meaning that there are no Carbs...but also no calories. With that being said, No Carbs = No Energy...right? So pointless? And how long do regular energy drinks take to start working?
I've never tried Gels...would they be a better choice?
Wow, thats kind of a mumbo-jumbo bunch of questions. I hope you understand where I'm going with that. Mainly...Is Energy _____ worth it? 😉

Rocket_Man said:

Again...thanks for all the GREAT advice!!!
Planning on it. Yeah, I was...hmmmm...reluctant to believe that the aero possition would save that much time. Needless to say...I BELIEVE 😎 Next question, How do you set them up? I've seen where your fists are just about level, if not a little lower. I've also seen where you have them way up in front of your face. Which way is better? ...or is it more of a personal feel?
Also, would you recomend the straight bars...or the kind that curl up about midway through the bar?

Yep, true...true. Now its really to long afterwards to remember how I really felt. Honestly, from what I remember...I think I got into a really steady breathing rhythm (I wasn't gasping for air or anything). That goes for the cadence/gearing...I was just in such a rhythm, and knowing I was way ahead of my goal pace I didn't want to change anything up to much. Hey, this is all a learning thing right...and now I know what to do next week.

Will do. I've often wondered how the gearing overlaps with the different gears, but never sat down and actually figured it out. Makes sense to ride the big ring with middle gears...that way you do have somewhere to go. About the only thing that I'm sitting here wondering is how well I'd go up a hill. ...I'll just have to get out there and find out. 😉

:eek:Yeah, I've wondered what time somebody like Fabian Cancellera would turn.
Yeah...next week I'm really looking at just backing the run from this week. Of course I want to improve my time...but I just want to "prove" that it wasn't a fluke/lucky/perfect night. Sounds wrong to say prove, but thats the easiest way to describe it. Then, the last week of the season, it would be nice to see if I can break the 24's 😄 Of course, I'm keeping my goals realistic as I go...but I do want to keep pushing myself.

Also, I forgot to ask about nutrition. I've read some info...actually asked a few questions already, but something was brought up Tuesday night that I haven't thought about, LUNCH. After the race, one of the guys who I've been aiming to beat (and set his own personal best at 25:15, over a minute off his previous best), was saying that he thinks he could have gone faster had he ate a better Lunch. Now, I didn't ask him what he ate (unfortunatly)...but how important is the day of the race nutrition? I'd imagine very important...so what's a "perfect" day? And...What foods shoud I avoid? What about the day before...or is that going a little to early?
Just for the record...I already do eat a healthy diet. My wife is on LA Weight Loss, so I don't even get a chance at much junk food. 😄

Are Energy bars/drinks recommended? I've ate a Clif bar before the race...of course I can't really tell you if it helped or not. Maybe I ate it to early/late...How long do they take to work? How long do they last?
As for Energy drinks, I've found some that are sugar free. Also meaning that there are no Carbs...but also no calories. With that being said, No Carbs = No Energy...right? So pointless? And how long do regular energy drinks take to start working?
I've never tried Gels...would they be a better choice?
Wow, thats kind of a mumbo-jumbo bunch of questions. I hope you understand where I'm going with that. Mainly...Is Energy _____ worth it? 😉

Everyone is shaped differently, so a bar angle and arm positions that works for Leiphiemer didn't work for someone like Chris Boardman. To start off with, put the bars on and find something that you're comfortable with but you can tell that it's just verging on being a little low. You'll probably find that keeping the bars such that your arms are flat will be easier for now.

Bar type - whatever you find most comfortable wrist angle.

As for warm ups. Personally, for a 10 mile time trial, I used to ride at an increasing speed, for around 15 minutes then I'd throw in some very hard 1 minute efforts with 1 minute inbetween for rest. I'd do three or four, very hard but not flat out. The ride to the start would be slightly spirited but it'd give you chance to recover and be fulled prepared for the start.

As you found out, starting steadily reaps huge rewards. Getting a hard warmup can add to the quality of the ride such that you don't need to hold back for as long at the start.

The same idea for pacing also applies to hills as it does the start. Sure, get out of the saddle to keep a gear rolling over the crest of a hill but if you're at 100% max sustainable effort then honking out of the saddle trying to maintain that speed on an increasing gradient anywhere but near the end of the course may nudge you over the edge a little.

Rather than 42x12 try something like Dave suggested and find a gear in the big ring that you like. FWIW, I used to find that I increased speed more on the downhills, when using aero bars, if I put it in a way bigger gear than normal and pushed harder than trying to spin a smaller gear. Using a bigger gear used to allow me to get a little more tucked too - it's all about trade-offs for your own situation.

Great news on the result! A sub 25 minute ride in a 10 and in the small ring too! I've never heard of that! LOL. From what you write, I'd say that a sub 24 minute ride could be on the cards. If you start right, and pace the first few miles right just get it to where you're really really suffering around the 7 mile mark and do your damnedest to hold it for the last 8 minutes or so. Have faith. You can do it.

Rocket_Man said:

.... but something was brought up Tuesday night that I haven't thought about, LUNCH. After the race, one of the guys who I've been aiming to beat (and set his own personal best at 25:15, over a minute off his previous best), was saying that he thinks he could have gone faster had he ate a better Lunch....

The only way lunch is likely to affect your ride on race day is if you don't eat any or eat too much of the wrong stuff and feel lousy at race time. Nutrition and it's impact on performance, particularly for something as short as a 10 mile TT has a lot more to do with what you do during training than what you do on race day. A lot of folks focus on energy products in terms of what they'll do immediately or within a few hours to help them go faster. That's hoping for miracles, good nutrition day in and day out during training and making sure you keep your glycogen stores topped up can be really important in terms of getting good workouts and building fitness. But come race day if you haven't depleted all your glycogen from poor refueling or trying to starve yourself then there is very little benefit you can gain by eating the perfect foods, sure you can blow it by eating all the wrong stuff and coming to the line bloated and feeling awful but there's little to nothing the energy foods will do for you in the final hours before a race.

It sounds like you eat pretty well on a day to day basis. Probably the biggest nutritional things for a cyclist to pay attention to are to get enough carbs and in particular to refuel with carbs and a bit of protein in the critical half hour after finishing your daily workouts. Keeping your glycogen stores topped up is the key to working out on a regular basis and during the first half hour to hour after completing a workout your body will synthesize glycogen from carbs (aided by a bit of protein, a lot of folks advocate a 3:1 or 4:1 carb to protein ratio but the studies aren't quite that specific, just make sure there's some protein along with the carbs) at nearly twice the normal rate so it's really important to pay attention to refueling during that window.

Sure you can dive deep down the rabbit hole of macro and micro nutrients and try to make sure you're getting everything that's ever been shown to be beneficial. Supplement companies stay in business by folks chasing every last performance edge. But realistically the big thing is to pay attention to your glycogen stores, eat a varied and healthy diet, and perhaps take a good multivitamin for insurance during times of high stress including high training stress. Not knocking all the cool stuff you can add on top of that but take care of the big picture items before sweating the details.

Anyway, don't expect big time savings based on what you eat on race day, focus on good training, a good position, and as you've already learned, good pacing. Nutrition is important (I'm married to a Registered Dietician she won't let me forget it) but much more important during weekly, monthly and yearly training than the specifics of what you eat on race day. That's true in general, but doubly true for a relatively short event where you'll be racing on stored muscle glycogen.

Good luck,
-Dave