Deception

de·cep·tion

n.

1. The use of deceit.

2. The fact or state of being deceived.

3. A ruse; a trick.

Deception is often viewed in a negative light, usually by the person being deceived, however a lot of racing your bike is deception.  To win a race you have to either have to be the strongest mentally, physical or be cunning enough to outsmart your opposition.  Last weekend, I experimented with deception as a means to win a title in a race.  As Larry previously blogged;

"Cleverly, Owen says "I know how to win that, I'll just sprint every lap right at the finish line and make it look like I'm riding this way the whole race"

Well, it worked, I managed to win the most aggressive rider title at the Land Park criterium simply because I deceived and outsmarted the competition and consequently, the officials.  When racers talk about "the pain face", what they actually mean is an expression that one pulls during a race to fool their opposition into thinking they are suffering.  This tactic is utilized from junior 15-16, pro 1/2 racing and all the way into the pro peloton.  The trick to a good "pain face" is doing it at the right time, too early and experienced racers will know it's a fake, too late and the other riders haven't tired themselves out.  If the pain face is utilized just right it can manipulate other riders to assume you are hurting and consequently use their energy.   More importantly, they will use their teams energy.  When the opposition have used their energy that is the time to strike. It is so successful because it can fool even the most seasoned pro even though it is such a simple tactic.  Strength and mental ingenuity are two of the most important traits in bike racing and figuring out the ways in which to deceive your opposition, might just be the skill that makes or breaks your abilities as a rider.





Owen Gillott