Bike Racing: The Team Individual Sport

Why would an amateur sacrifice for a teammate?

Amateur riders don’t get paid for helping each other, but they often cooperate anyway. Different teams motivate this behavior differently. Some commit to a prize split, spending any winnings from team members on pizza for everyone after the race, for instance. This approach gives every team member an incentive to help whoever has the greatest chance of winning. Some teams base race fee reimbursement on teamwork, which makes them similar to pro teams.

Many teams have some riders who are simply willing to help others because, for one reason or another, they aren’t racing for the win themselves. Sometimes these are riders who don’t like to mix it up in the sprint. Other times it’s riders who really are selfless, or who have raced long enough to know that they are not going to win, but who still want to be part of a team win—or of sticking it to the riders on other teams. Some teams carry mutual support to a self-destructive extreme, with stronger riders sacrificing for weaker teammates. This approach ensures that all riders will feel welcome, but that no rider from the team will win the race.

What if you are on a team where all of your teammates want to win, but you yourself are early enough in your racing career that you still want to win as well? Is a fragile non-aggression pact your only option?

No! You and your teammates can take turns being the star, and still have a serious chance of winning. Not ready for that? At least make the non-aggression pact, but also help each other before races. Share the work of driving, preparing bikes, registering and so on. Stand in line and pin each other¹s numbers. Let one teammate pump tires, while another checks bottles, and another holds race licenses in the reg line. The time each of you saves by not having to stand in line is enough to allow each rider an extra potty stop or a longer warmup—either of which could make or break your race.