Inside The Match Sprint With National Champion Joakim Albert
The cycling series offers race explanations for viewers, and an inside view from the athlete’s perspective.
Guest Writer Joakin Albert writes about the match sprint. Joakim Albert is a 17 year-old cyclist and speed skater fromQuebec. Originally, he took up cycling as a summer sport. After winning 4 Junior National Champion titles and competing at the Junior Track Cycling World Championships in 2011, Joakim has moved his focus to cycling.
- 2011 Junior National Champion in Match Sprint, Keirin, Kilo, and Team Sprint.
- 2011 Junior Worlds in Moscow, Russia, finishing 12th in the Scratch race.
- Winner of the first edition of the “Tour International de la Relève de Rimouski” in 2010.
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The match sprint is a very exiting event. Based on a 200m time trial qualifier the quickest cyclists move on to the sprint tournament. The best time races the slowest time, and the 2nd best time races 2nd slowest, and so on. The race is usually 3 laps, on a 250m track. You race the same person a few times, and must eliminate your opponent by winning two out of three rounds. Then, you proceed to the next level and start again, until the final. To win, you just have to finish your 3 laps before the other cyclist. You can have many races in a day, so it’s always better if you can beat your opponent in two rounds, so you conserve more energy than if it goes to a third.
Mental Strategies
The match sprint is very intense, physically and mentally. You have to be focused and motivated, because every second counts. There is no room for error. It helps to know yourself well, and to know your opponent well. If you do, you can use your strengths and their weaknesses to win. Personally, I know that for a sprinter I have a good endurance. It affects my strategies. I come to the start ready.
Race Preparation
Joakim at the start line.
Before the race, you sit on the chairs next to the start line, right next to your opponent. Sometimes you speak, but mostly you try to portray confidence, and scare your opponent a bit. I like to take deep breathes while I wait, relax and visualize myself sprinting. There is a draw for who will start up track and who starts at the bottom. I make sure I look happy no matter what position I get, always portraying confidence to my opponent.
Racing Tactics
Most of the time, the first lap is slow, and the cyclists observe each other. You may fake an attack just to stress your opponent. When you are in front, you look behind you and you want to block your opponent. At any time, you can start your sprint and have the best lane for yourself. When you’re behind, you try not to get blocked, and you try to surprise your opponent. Some cyclists have patterns, and knowing them makes it easier to overcome them. When you start your sprint, you have to give it all. No time to look behind and see how far the other one is.
Joakim Albert at Worlds (This is not a match sprint photo.)
The best way to learn how to race the match sprint is to practice and race it as much as possible. Time will give you strategies, if you’re able to look back at your races and analyze them, and see what was good and what you could change for the next one.
-Joakim Albert
