Purple Patch

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Purple Patch [colloq. ~ winning streak] (1). cycling high-performance period; a.k.a. peak form, flying, on fire, bombing, untouchable); (2). any part of an athletes training program where the top form is so good that it seems unexplainable (traditionally color-highlighted in 'purple' on the schedule sheet).

Experiencing a 'purple patch', as it has been called in recent decades by those before us, is a period of 'peak form-fitness' best known as racing form on the bicycle, and most typically lasting 2-3 weeks. The lucky Purple Patch rider is characteristically observed executing seemingly untiring turns at the front of fast bunches, leading out race-finishes as well as sprinting, recovering quickly enough from attacking that they can counter-attack themselves, repeated surging while climbing at high speed, and the ability to pedal any gear ratio at any rev range at any point in the ride.

Creation of a Purple Patch is most often possible when a rider gets the correct combination of training intensities and volume of kilometres done over an 8-12 week fitness-building phase. Note that as intensity of riding goes up, the required volume of that workload is proportionately less and less - such that 'power-riding' intensity makes up approx. 10% of weekly riding volume. When training mixtures are designed properly within sessions, during the week, and across the year, the possibility of more Purple Patch riding form is greatly enhanced.

The balanced 'mixture' of training intensities such as endurance (blue zone), strength (green), power (orange) and high performance riding (red) in their required proportions is cleverly depicted in the Ridewiser Training Pyramid (pictured) which governs the deisgn of all Ridewiser Ergo sessions.

Important Note: real Purple Patches must be distinguished from other types of momentary super-performances, such as a flow-state or drug-induced performance. Flow states are more of an 'easiness to cope' with and recover from challenges presented, and occur as one-off occasions of supreme mental competence (mind-over-matter) rather than physical peaks.

Rob Crowe OAM

Olympian Motivator Speaker
www.twitter.com/ridewiser
http://www.ridewiser.com.au/

> Ergo Session Bookings (03) 9534 7785

What is a Handicap Road Race?

Handicap road races are most famously run by Australian cycling event organisers and clubs, just as the English are best known for running time-trials, and Belgians for their kermesses.

Basically, handicap cycling races are a conglomerate of all the entered riders on the day racing together toward the same finish line, but from staggered start-times, like mini-graded bunches all leaving at different times.

There’s a lot that can be said about handicaps that distinguish them from other racing styles:-

Type of race:      track racing or road racing handicaps

Race rules:          separate prizes for Fastest Time and for 1^st Place

Racing skills:       riding in echelons from the start; everyone works to catch the group ahead

Critical prep:       warm up is critical because the race usually starts as a chase, at high speed!

Strategy:              you are obliged to work, but cannot work too much or too hard; guile is the key

In every detail, handicap road races in particular are quite different to all other road racing styles, unless you compare the experience to that of being in a breakaway group, all of the time!

How It Works

Basically, the better riders on the start-list will leave later in the field’s spread of start times, such that in a typical club weekend handicap road race - you might have 6 groups of riders leaving at 6 time gaps:-

E.g.: 0secs, 2mins later, 3.5mins, 6mins, 7mins and 8mins later.

·         The first group to go is called LIMIT or the LIMIT-MARKERS (departing at 0secs)                                 

(beginners, new to handicaps, older riders or just not as fit)

·         The last group to go is called the SCRATCH GROUP, or BACK-MARKERS (departing at 8mins)

(fastest & most experienced or elite riders)

·         The second last group to go are colloquially called the CHOPPING BLOCK (departing at 7mins)

(often the first guys to be caught by the ‘Scratch-Men’, but not always…)

Chopping Block

I believe the reason for the CHOPPING BLOCK name comes from the handicapper’s method to bundle all of the top-end (A Grade) riders into a 'back-marker list', and then ‘chop off’ a sub-group of the names from that list which is made up of the bottom end of the back-marker list.

By ‘chopping’ the strongest rider group into 2 groups, the handicapper creates a fairer race of it all by not leaving all of the best riders working together in one gang from the gun (which in cycling terms would effectively give an unfair advantage to wiser riders who might all collude well to travel very fast (like over 50kph average speed for ~ 2hrs as a typical 75-100km club racing distance).

The Real Objective

The challenging objective for the handicapper is to create a scenario where all riders MUST work hard together in order to ‘GET UP’ to the next bunch ahead to then build strength in numbers and eventually have a chance to catch the front end of the race – the LIMIT riders. Ideally, having all levels of rider racing together in one race, all with a chance at the prize monies, the most exciting outcomes are when the bulk of the bunches come together within the final 5km, creating a spectacular finale.