The "Criterium Race"

          In road cycling there are three types of races. A "road race" is usually on a semi-closed course that is large, and the race covers anywhere from 35-180 miles (at the pro level) and can have long climbs and long open flat roads exposed to the wind. Road races are the races like the Tour de France. Another type of race is the "time trial," A time trial is a race against the clock. Usually raced on one's own (sometimes there are team time trials, where a number of racers can be used), and it is purely a race against the times of others competing on the same course. Drafting, riding in the slipstream of another rider to reduce wind resistance and save energy (up to 40% less energy is used in some cases), is not allowed in these types of races, so the stronger and more aerodynamic riders do well and set the fastest times for the course.
          And then there is the "criterium." Think Nascar, but on bikes. I'll explain my past few races in hopes to show how a criterium race works, and what makes some riders more fit for them.
          I started training for cycling races this January by racing in the Early Bird Crit series in Fremont. every Sunday I would drive to a less-than-booming business area and along with many others, take advantage of the newly paved roads and course set up by the mentors and race officials. A criterium is a fast paced race based on laps. Criteriums are usually races on courses not much more than a mile or so in length, and the race is based on time. A blog that has a few good examples of criterium courses is right over here. I've been racing twice each Sunday, once as a Cat 5 racer, and once as a Junior (under 19) racer. The Cat 5 race was 40 minutes (give or take 5 minutes), and most recently we averaged 24.6 mph. The Junior race was shorter and less organized, averaging only 23 mph. Because Criteriums are shorter than everage races they usually have the highest average speeds, and range from a pretty easy course to a very technical one.
          Criteriums are intense, action-packed races where the riders are constantly jockeying for position in the peleton (pack of riders). As this page will explain, criterium racing is close quarters and fast; it's easy to get boxed in by other guys in a corner or during a sprint, so it's critical to always know where the riders around you are. Criterium races are fast and filled with adrenaline, and favor riders who feel comfortable bumping shoulders with others in a pack and who have a lot of brute force.
          Brute force? I've been riding for awhile, and can pump out a decent 750 watts in a sprint (yes, I am aware most people have no idea how to gauge that effort), but I'm a lighter guy. I like climbing a lot more than I like flat courses against the wind. The bigger, stronger guys do well against the wind, and do better on flatter terrain where a weight-to-strength ratio doesn't matter as much. Because of this, I have to change up my tactics in order to get a chance at placing in any of these races. If the pack is altogether at the finish, a field sprint will ensue, and the stronger riders will battle it out. But, if I manage to break away from the front group, in a "breakaway" (I know, aptly named), I may only have to sprint against a few other riders. In my first junior criterium I initiated a break with four laps to go, and stayed away from the main group until the finish with four other guys. I got third, mainly because I worked too hard on the last lap, but it was really fun and a great learning experience.