How to climb slowly during a race
Step 1: Charge
Jenny Trew’s strengths are sprints and criteriums, not climbing hills. To compensate, she sometimes tricks the pack into helping her climb more slowly with a seemingly counterintuitive attack at the hill’s base. By starting a hill at the front of the pack but cresting it at the back, a technique known as sag-climbing, Trew can take 15 to 30 seconds longer per climb than the rest of the peloton without getting dropped and with more energy to attack later in the race. The technique works better in bigger packs because there is more time between the front and back of the peloton, and thus more opportunity to rest.
How to: Before the bottom of the climb, charge past the front of the peloton.
Step 3: Speed up
Speed up just enough to stay with the back of the pack, where you can always move to the front for an attack when it suits you.
Step 2: Relax
Once the hill begins to steepen, find a comfortable pace and relax. Resist the urge to match the pack’s pace as it overtakes you, allowing yourself to be swallowed.
