By: The Hobbit | Average Rating: 3.88 | Game version: PCM13 The Hobbit's Sprint Guide
The sprint is one of the hardest to perfect in both real life and pcm, but with a bit of practise it can be done routinely and you can achieve several schools of though on the matter, some of which better than others, on a whole scale of difficulty levels, from man management to follow and hope.
Setting up the Train
The sprint train is one of the most recognisable sights in world cycling. In PCM you can set it up with relative ease. The size of a train depends on your strength and the orientation of your team. There are many guides on how to set it up, so I'll just quickly summarise.
Main Sprinter... Lead Out Man... Either another lead out man or someone with high flat... Other guys in order of descending flat stat. Each rider must follow the next one, using right click and the follow tool. But you can only follow within the last 18 flat km, so if there is a categorised climb or classified as a mountain stage then it will be much later. Try and get water for the team around 30km so they're all in good shape.
Normally use the gel at about 6.5-4 km out, and start sprinting from 2-0.75 km out, the wide range as it may be downhill or slightly uphill etc. if you can't get round then follow a stronger sprinter and wheel suck to the line, maybe he'll fade and you'll be fresh. Same goes for if one of the strategies below fails.
Using the train
As said before there are multiple guides on how to sprint, but I like to put my own twist on things. Lots of people say you should put the 4th man on at 7k, the 5th at 5k and start sprint at 1.2k etc etc However this is a load of rubbish. The exact speeds and distances vary greatly depending on wind, the gradient and width of roads and the attitude of other riders/ teams. There are ways you can better control things though, and this article is going to be summarised into 5 strategies, all with varying success levels.
1
The first strategy is the one most similar in real life, and the one most people will do as it is quite efficient. You need a strong train, but it's size varies on who's there, and the run in itself. Put your first rider on the dot and use his gels. Adjust his output level over time so that he is just about hanging in at the front, not pulling along the pack but keeping your man in a good position. Then, as he can't keep up switch to the next man. Pros
Can be done with a relatively weak team.
Efficient use of energy.
Most realistic
Can be done if you have a man in the break too. Cons
You can be swamped.
Easy for other teams to grab your wheel.
If your train burns out you're stuffed.
2
This one is highly unrealistic, but also quite effective. You need a very strong team, and a sprinter with a high flat stat. If you fail you will look really stupid and have no chance of getting a result. Put your rider on the dot and put him on very high effort, 90s even, use energy gels and push like crazy until 2.5km where your sprinter will hopefully not be too tired to sprint. Pros
This can kill everyone else's lead out and leave the sprinters isolated.
Some sprinters are on their own and have to try and keep up, so if you don't have the best sprinter you can eliminate the oppo.
you don't need a good sprinter. Cons
It is unrealistic.
You need a very good team.
Occasionally there is a weak link and your lead out splits.
Your sprinter may be too tired to sprint.
The man on your sprinter's wheel will have an even easier job and if they're decent they'll win, so I often stick some random guy there as ballast.
If you blow then your entire plan dies, you may even lose time.
3
This one is quite similar to number 2, and starts the same. Again it is quite unrealistic. Put you first riders on high dot, maybe even higher. This will have the same effect as last time, the other lead outs will fold and all the sprinters will compete for your wheel. Then slow down, or you rider will blow, the other lead outs will have given up so despite being slow you are in control and your sprinter has time to recover and then win the sprint. Pros
You only need a few high flat guys,
Your sprinter has time to recover and is put in a strong position. Cons
It is prone to late attacks.
If they aren't blown away in time then you're a fish out of water.
Your sprinter still needs to win.
4
This plan does not involve a lead out at all, all you need is a sprinter. Just get your rider to follow another favourite, then jump from their wheel and sprint. There are other guides on how to perform this. Pros
You can do it with a GC focused team.
Other sprinter's teams have to work, so you can try 2 or 3 later on in the tour. Cons
It is not in your hands, if they fail you fail.
You may lose the wheel and be in the wind or a long way back.
If you're behind a better sprinter you won't get round them.
5
This one is quite easy to execute and works just as the opposite of number 3. You set your smaller lead out train to just follow onto someone else's, and then, when the time is right or the pace slows then you stick your team on 99 pace one after the other and drag your sprinter to the line. Pros
You can do it with a small squad.
It keeps you relatively fresh as it's a short burst of effort.
You can surprise others as they have to quickly. Shift strategy to 4. Cons
You can be boxed in easily.
You sprinter may be red bar dead before the actual finish.Home | Submit a new Tip & Trick
What might work as well sometimes, but only if you are the only serious train, is leave a gap for your lead rider, so he will drive away from the pack. The others have to come from behind and aren't very likely to catch him.
A nice list of tactics for the sprint there
I mostly use 4 and sometimes 5, as I usually bring a GC team to every race.
Another tactic you could've added was the shadowsprinter. Where you let your main sprinter leave a gap to his lead-out, who's actually sprinting for the win. A lot of other sprinters will stay on your better sprinter's wheel and react too late, your lead-out is long gone to win the stage himself (he needs good sprinting too, though)
That's clever, so would you follow then just dot with the main man, or would you swap the roles completely. And have main man pretending to lead out his lead out, or (I sometimes do this) a GC man.
No mention of the "Dummy Leader". Stick another rider behind your sprinter. Anyone who follows is now further behind and gets delayed when he does not sprint.
Also no Lead Out Stealing. Tip can be found by Wiley.
Also whilst there is nothing wrong with writing pots of tips, several of them are just covering old good ground which already have several tips and even threads...
Nice Guide! I mix and match between those, but also tend to use #5 suggestion by sticking another rider following your sprinter.
If I have a long train and have numbers towards the end then I will drop someone back. It does feel like cheating though, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do...
Well I'd say that 1.6 kms out is a bit early for the main sprinter in PCM12, but that's my opinion. Something that is a fact, though, is that the effort bar has no effect on sprinting Wink
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