This Sunday was the first kick at lead out/sprinting practice that shall be called from now on "Broom Sprints". New team member Mark and I set off from eau claire and met with Darryl at the Burnco lot on Old Banff Coach Rd. We surveyed the proposed stretch of road and after a quick imperial-metric re-calculation of the distances (Darryl politely pointed out that what I had laid out as a 200M sprint was closer to 375!!) we were set to go.
I had been up in the morning to sweep the corner, but decided to stash the broom in case it needed a tune up. As Darryl and I rounded the corner for the first time we saw Mark using some mad multitasking skills, watching for oncoming cars, and putting in some quality broom time on the corner. Thus 'Broom Sprints' were born
The format quickly became obvious, lead out, sweep, sprint, repeat!
There is a perfect stretch of 400M leading into a slightly uphill 215M drag that has the anaerobic enzymes pumping out your eyeballs in sufficient quantities.
After 3 laps Darryl had the great idea to try a 3 rider train over a 800M, much harder but super fun.
Besides being a riot, it was shocking to me how much improvement was seen in just a few repeats. There was great communication and feedback all around, and it really cannot be overstated how much it helps to immediately and freely discuss each effort. It's been more than 6 months since I've hit a corner at 40Km/h let alone followed a wheel through one. Keeping the gaps small and learning to trust your leader doesn't come easy but was great to practice. The key is communication and repetition.
This format really is perfectly suited to all riders as we roll out at a warm up pace, saving the legs for the work ahead. While it may not sound as fun as a throwdown at road to nepal, it was fun, exhausting and really valuable practice.
I plan to be heading out next Sunday after the Paris-Roubaix party, feel free to come out and try a few BROOM SPRINTS!!
dave
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