How do cycling sprints work, they go all slow then suddenly race, I don't get it and why do they look at each?

Question

How do cycling sprints work, they go all slow then suddenly race, I don't get it and why do they look at each?

Answer 1

if you go flat out from the start you don;t have the stamina at the end of the race to win in the final sprint, you can get out ahead , but then the others go quicker and will pass you . the reason to look at each other is if the others all take off and you don't you will be left behind , so you have to be aware of the other riders pace.

Answer 2

Only the last 200m is timed, so the first bit is a strategy game. The cyclists will try to cause their opponents to move ahead of them, so they can draft them, using less energy, and then overtake them with a burst of speed in the last 200m

Also to a previous poster who mentioned coasting. The bicycles used in Sprint races are Track bikes, which have no freewheels, so they cannot coast.

Answer 3

Cycling sprints work on the basis that they go all out, then the coasting/lower extreme riding allows you to rest and get ready for the next, this in turn allows you to ride longer and faster, the reason they look back is to size up the competition, check who's comming up, then to check on teammates.