90km Handicap Road Race

In general these races are raced as a sort of mini "teams" event. Your team will include the riders that you start with. Your mission as a team will be to try and catch the group/s in front without being caught by those behind you. This is achieved by working smoothly as long and as fast as possible. If/when your group gets caught you are under no obligation to keep working to catch the remaining groups in front (this is generally left to the faster group that has caught you), but this will obviously decrease your chances of catching all of the slower groups in front. It is quite difficult to get away (attack) in a handicap event until the race is all together, or very near to the finish, as most riders will be working to either stay away from chasing bunches, or catch the remaining groups in front on the road. Quite often at the end of these type of races there will be a sprint involving riders of many different abilities. Your goal is to try and find a faster looking rider and ride their wheel to the best finishing position possible (maybe 1st??). Sometimes the group that you start with will pool their prizemoney and split it evenly amongst the guys that worked throughout the race, it is totally up to you as to whether you decide to be a part of this but dont be surprised if you get caught out by some late attacking if you are not in the "chop". Good luck and i hope this helps.

I've just checked the entry list and I'll be seeing you at the start of the Ken Dinnerville I assume?
I've only done one road handicap (Last year's Wagga Wagga) and it was the most painful experience of my life. I don't really expect this one to be any easier.
It's not necessarily true that you will get a good start either because that depends on whether or not the handicapper can get a good estimate of your ability (in your case proabably from your own club) I remember that at Wagga I was just thrown into the middle group (17min I think) because my club didn't give the handicapper much of an idea of my ability - hence I suffered lilke a dog all afternoon.
Generally, unless you have some inside knowlege, you have to approach a Handicap as you would a lottery or look at it the way I will, If I'm at the front at the end then I'll have a crack but otherwise its intensity training.
You've also got to look out for bludgers and be wary of robbers!!

Incidently, have you been riding at Heffron Park? If so, what grade?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by James Dalton
I am looking for some advice on racing in my first Handicap RR over 90km.

I will more than likely be handicapped well as this will be my first go.

Just looking for any advice in racing in these longer Handicap events - i.e stay with your group until you get caught, ride conservatively, try and get away early?

Any help would be appreciated.

You have to assess the potential of your group and other groups. You won't be able to make a judgment until the final handicap groupings are announced.

There is more potential for winning in a larger group made up of riders of the same ability. Throw in a few riders of lesser ability or greater ability and it can become disjointed. The pace will yo yo and gaps will form.

If you consider there is no potential in your group it is preferable for the group not to blaze away but to be moderate and wait for the group behind to catch up and then work together with your better riders.

If you are catching a group it is wise to blast past them to avoid any riders of that group attaching. Slower riders, unless they are forcefully told to sit on the back, will upset the rhythm, speed and time.

Handicap races are like a larger size TTT or pursuit. The riders on the front doing the turn should accelerate slowly to avoid gaps forming. This applies over hill crests and out of slow corners. You do not want to fatigue riders who should be recovering in the draft but find themselves sprinting to bridge a gap to the wheel in front.

An experienced rider in the group should be calling the pace. A group in a handicap race has an optimum speed. Go over it and a lot of riders will get shelled resulting in loss of time while recovering formation.