WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The road racer trying their first crit
You've raced road events but the tight corners, short laps and constant surging of a criterium are a different discipline entirely.
The fit rider who keeps getting shelled early
Your fitness is fine but you're consistently dropped in the first 15 minutes because of positioning, not power.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
Cory Williams has said plainly that most riders lose a crit through poor cornering, not poor fitness. The accordion effect through a tight corner means a rider at the back of the group has to accelerate far harder out of every single corner than a rider near the front, who barely has to touch the pedals. Over 40 laps, that compounding difference is the entire race.
First-timers almost universally make the same error: they brake late and hard into corners because it feels safer, then have to sprint back up to bunch speed. That pattern, repeated dozens of times, is what shreds their legs by halfway. The fix — braking earlier and carrying more corner speed — feels counterintuitive and scary at first, and it's exactly the skill that separates a rider who finishes from one who gets shelled.
The other quiet killer is not learning the course. Spend the first couple of laps studying where the corners tighten, where the road surface changes, and where the wind hits, rather than trying to race hard from the gun. Riders who know the course can carry speed with confidence; riders who don't are braking defensively all race.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Cory WilliamsProfessional cyclist, founder of Legion Cycling Team
The single biggest crit skill is cornering confidently enough to avoid braking mid-corner. Riders who brake early and smooth, then accelerate once through the apex, use dramatically less energy over a race than riders who brake late and scrub speed through the turn.
Hear it: Criterium Secrets: Get Ahead of 99% of Your Competition | Cory Williams
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Practise cornering at speed away from race day
Find a quiet corner similar to those in your local crit series and repeatedly ride it, braking earlier each time and carrying more speed through the apex. This is a trainable skill, not a fixed trait.
Hold a top-third position for the whole race
Rather than trying to stay exactly at the front, aim to always be in the front third of the bunch. This buffers you from most surges without expending the energy required to lead.
Use the first two laps to read the course
Note braking points, road surface, and wind exposure before committing to racing hard. A course you understand lets you carry speed with confidence rather than braking out of uncertainty.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKEBraking mid-corner out of nerves, then sprinting to recover the gap.
FIXDo all your braking before the turn-in point and let the bike roll through the corner. This alone removes a huge amount of unnecessary energy expenditure over a race.
MISTAKESitting at the back of the bunch because it feels less stressful.
FIXThe back is where the hardest accelerations happen. It feels calmer but costs more energy — move up even if it's uncomfortable.
MISTAKERacing the first lap at full effort to establish position.
FIXSettle into the bunch, learn the course, and save your hardest efforts for when they actually matter — late in the race or in a decisive move.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How is a criterium different from a road race?
What gearing should I use for a crit?
Is a criterium harder than a road race?
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