If you want to improve your sprinting, you need to work on technique and coordination. You need to carefully consider how much power you can produce, as well as how long you can sustain it. Sprint workouts are a great way to get in a quick burst of activity. They're especially effective during the off-season since you can fit them into your schedule easily. Specificity is key to improving speed. You should train your weaknesses, but also focus on improving your strengths. Improving your form is essential in order to generate more power from your legs.
This article will examine some useful techniques for becoming a faster sprinter. The best sprinters have mastered the art of standing up and getting out of the saddle when sprinting. This gives them more leverage to accelerate. All this is done while keeping your back as flat as possible, which will be discussed below. It's vitally important to keep your elbows bent to help you move with the bike and to avoid becoming too tall on the bike. Remember to always look up and have a target in sight so you know where you are going without getting distracted amid the chaos around you.
Get low low low
To increase speed, it's important to get your head lower than your body so as to beat the wind and reduce drag. You can have the most powerful sprinting legs in the world but it will be no good if your back is acting creating unnecessary wind resistance. The front-end setup of your bike can assist you with this. Sprinters go for a long and low front-end setup to assist them with their sudden bursts of speed. This technique requires practice and sufficient build-up. You are likely to hurt yourself if you try doing too much too quickly. Aim to have the saddled brush the sides of your thighs during the sprint and keep your elbows in for increased aerodynamic efficiency. The sprint position isn't the most effective position for longer rides. Save it for short intervals.
Make the shift
As you are preparing for your sprint, you should be shifting into harder gears while you are seated. This will help you generate more power when you stand up. If you're sprinting, you may find your cadence is getting too fast and your power output is leveling off. To keep accelerating, make sure you continue to shift into harder gears. If you are shifting while in the midst of your sprint, make sure your gears are in tip-top shape and you have a new chain on your bike to avoid any surprises during maximum attack. Consider investing in a sprinter shifter that will allow you to maximize your grip & control during the sprint.
Don't hate, accelerate
Acceleration is the fundamental key to successful sprinting. The ability to accelerate at high cadences is a skill that can be developed. And it's not about the power you can produce, but rather the cadence at which you can produce it. Once you are up to speed quickly, it's important to maintain it en route to reaching your top speed. This is a combination of your form, cadence, strength, and aerodynamics. It's hard to keep up the momentum forever but with training, you can improve your fatigue resistance which is the ability to resist a decline in power over time when sprinting compared to your Pmax (max power output for at least one revolution of the crank).
Sprinting is a skill that takes time to master, just like with all other aspects of cycling. Keep your head down, back straight and remember that to finish first, first, you must finish. Keep something in reserve for the end of the race.
