2009 Tour de France stage 10 preview: Let the pros show you how

July 13, 6:44 PMLA Cycling ExaminerMary Raffety

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After a day of rest, and the mountains behind them, the Tour de France riders now gear up for another stage of flat roads, strategic peloton maneuvering and eager sprinters. Given that it will be July 14th, Bastille Day (the French national holiday), a surprise surge from the French to steal a breakaway moment and win a fourth stage victory is expected. Likely, though, the field will remain tight and uniform, well on the wheels of any early breakaways. Expect Astana to continue their disciplined dominance in the front of the peloton as they roll across the finish line in the L’lndre.

• View a slideshow of 2009 Tour de France highlights

Regardless of which rider you may be rooting for, the undeniably keen skills of all the tour contenders are mind-blowing. Tomorrow, as they blow through the departments of La Creuse and Haute Vienne, the incredibly tight formation and ability to ride so close to one another’s wheels will be something many cyclists will fantasize doing on their next group/club rides. Well, who doesn’t want to ride like a pro?

But have you seen the crashes? Apparently, riding like a pro means crashing like one, too, and we mere mortals in this sport should take note. Rarely do you see large pelotons speeding by on local roads in southern California, but often one is passed by a paceline while out riding organized endurance events. The urge to jump on the back wheel of the last rider in a paceline can be too tempting to pass up.

But as a former racer-type once whispered in my ear: “When it comes to riding in pacelines or pelotons, if you don’t know and trust the riders you’re with, or you don’t have solid skills yourself, don’t do it.” Sadly, we aren’t all blessed with the abilities that Armstrong and Contador possess. As recreational riders, an innocent attempt to ride on the wheel of another cyclist can lead to serious injury. Average cyclists should take heed and ride cautiously back from the rider’s wheel before them in most instances.

Do you really want to ride like a pro? Then act like one and learn how to ride in a paceline or peloton safely. Start with “Paceline 101” and work up from there. It takes practice, discipline and skills earned over months or even years of riding. For some excellent articles on how to participate in pacelining, please visit Planet Ultra’s website and read Maynard Herson’s Paceline 101 and Fred Matheny’s How to Ride in a Paceline. Also, check out BC Randonneurs Cycling Club member, Tom Hocking’s, Pacelining for Dummies. For an informative article on paceline etiquette written by Deb and Brian Bowling, go here.

As for tomorrow, let the pros show you how it’s done as the tour rolls full steam ahead.