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Explainer: how to win a Tour de France sprint

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By Bryce Dyer, Senior Lecturer in Product Design

The final dash to the line in a Tour de France sprint finish may appear to the bystander to be a mess of bodies trying to cram into the width of a road, but there is a high degree of strategy involved. It takes tactics, positioning and, ultimately, power.

The perfect sprint

In a perfect race, the best execution of a sprint win does not always come down to one rider. It is often the result of the work of teammates too. The back story to a winning sprint may have started hours before the finish line is in sight.

Jack Bauer in tears after the agonising stage 15 finish
Yoan Valat/EPA

During the stage, riders who have little chance in the finale will try their luck to beat the pack by being part of a “breakaway” – they jump clear of the peloton and then hope to outrun the others to the line. But if any team wants the stage to end in a mass sprint, it will check the speed of this breakaway and typically calculate how quickly the riders in it could be reeled in. Catch them too soon and new attacks may go clear (meaning more work for the interested teams to chase down), leave it too late and the breakaway wins. In stage 15, this approach got tested when New Zealand rider Jack Bauer spent all day in the breakaway. He finally was caught just 20 metres from the finish line by the sprinters. The sport can sometimes be very cruel.

Commentators typically suggest that on flat terrain, the ideal controllable gap is roughly one minute per 10 kilometres between a breakaway and the chasing pack. Towards the end of a stage, the interested teams supply riders to power into the wind and slowly close this gap down. The breakaway should then hopefully be caught with a handful of kilometres left to go.

At this point, the sprint-orientated teams deploy what is known as a leadout “train”. This train is made up of as many riders as possible from the same team. Each team member on the front then rides at a maximum effort before peeling off. The team’s designated sprinter is at the back of this train and is intentionally sheltered by the efforts of those riding in front to save his energy. It has been demonstrated that with four cyclists riding in a line, a rider positioned four men back only has to produce 64% of the power of the rider at the very front.

Mark Cavendish and Mark Renshaw execute the perfect lead out and sprint on the Champs Elysee in 2009
Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

If the leadout pace is high, the racing will be fast enough to discourage any late attacks from other riders. When viewing overhead TV footage, if the speed is high, the head of the main pack will have a pointed arrowhead-like shape to it. If the speed is at its highest though, you’ll see the peloton instead strung out into a very long, thin line. This is hard work for everyone but actually provides a safer and more controllable path for the riders through the final kilometres.

The penultimate rider in a sprint train is referred to as the leadout. This person puts in the last effort to position the sprinter sheltering behind. Ideally, the sprinter is then finally only exposed at the front with around 200 metres to go. When this happens, a winning sprinter like Mark Cavendish will cover this final portion in around 11 seconds.

Freelancing

If a sprinter doesn’t have the use of a leadout train – which does happen – he can “freelance”. This makes the opposition teams do the work before the sprinter leapfrogs around the group, hopefully ending up directly behind another sprinter with enough time to beat him to the finish line. In this case, a sprinter from one team effectively becomes the leadout for another.

On some occasions, no single team is able to control the final run to the line at all. From the air, the shape of the peleton in this case becomes broad at the front and spread across the full width of the road. When this happens, the chances of crashes are higher as rival leadout trains jostle for position and riders leap from wheel to wheel looking for shelter.

First week desperation

The first stage of this year’s Tour de France was unusual as it was likely going to result in a bunch sprint. The first rider past the post would not only get a stage win for their team but would also get to wear the yellow jersey as overall leader. With such a prestigious prize on the line, this meant more riders were involved and willing to take the risks, ramping up the chances for a crash.

Crashes normally occur when riders touch the wheels of other riders around them or lose control of their bicycles. In stage one this year, aggression played a part as Mark Cavendish and Australian Simon Gerrans battled to follow the wheel of Slovakian sprinter Peter Sagan. Sometimes riders realise they have nowhere to go and have to delay their sprint or wait for a gap to open up. Some opt for more punchy tactics though, using shoulders, elbows or heads to force gaps to open up between them and other riders. In stage one, Cavendish was boxed in, tried to force his way out and took both men down.

One of the most dramatic examples of a sprint crash is the first stage in the 1994 event when a policeman who was manning the finish straight barriers decided to lean out to take a photo of the finish.

Video The 1994 crash

But he underestimated both how fast and how close the riders were to him. Belgian Wilfried Nelissen (who had his head down) crashed into him and was thrown nearly 50 metres down the road with multiple broken bones. Another competitor, Frenchman Laurent Jalabert took the crash full-force in the face and his bicycle was destroyed in the impact.

Ultimately the perfect sprinter is a rider who expends as little energy as possible on the day, is deposited by others in the right place at the right time and has the ability to make fast judgement calls as the shape of the peloton changes around them. Marcel Kittel and his Giant Shimano team have shown everyone else how it’s done so far in 2014, but the prestige sprint stage on the Champs Élysées this weekend will give his rivals (Cavendish excepted) a final chance to put the theory into practice.

The Conversation

Bryce Dyer does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.

This article was originally published on The Conversation.
Read the original article.

Festival of Design and Innovation returns for 2014

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Bournemouth University’s (BU) Festival of Design and Innovation returns in 2014 to celebrate the creativity of designs and prototypes created by students.

The annual Festival, which takes place from 20-23 June 2014, is an exhibition of final year projects by Design, Engineering and Creative Technology students. Students are encouraged to create designs and prototypes of their inventions and creations for display during the Festival.

This year, displays include a tunnel boring machine for laying cable, an atmospheric respirator, a trailer for use with hovercrafts and a product for treating jaundice in babies.

Students are encouraged to think about market need, function, engineering, sustainability and style when creating their product – to come up with something that is instantly usable and marketable to a wide audience.

Professor Jim Roach, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, said, “The Festival of Design and Innovation is where education meets industry and commerce, providing a showcase for our students’ skills in design and innovation.

“We take great pride in the quality of the project work and the ability of our students to employ the latest technology in the design of solutions to real problems. Many of the projects are the direct result of industrial collaboration, a successful placement year or are linked to one of our research centres. It is great to see our students working on a huge range of exciting, innovative and creative projects.”

Admission to the Festival is free and members of the public are encouraged to come along and have a look at the displays, engage with the student inventors and enjoy their work. Free tickets can be gained through the Festival’s website, where you will also find more information about some of the projects being displayed this year.

Previous Festival designs have gone on to be mass produced and sold in the UK – one such example is the Quick-Pitch pop-up tent, often called the ‘Festival tent’ for its ease of use, which was originally picked up by camping brand Gelert at the Festival of Design and Innovation.

The Festival takes place on Friday 20 June, Saturday 21 June and Monday 23 June, opening at 10am and closing at 4pm.

Bryce Dyer wins Isambard Kingdom Brunel award at British Science Festival

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Bryce Dyer gave the prestigious Isambard Kingdom Brunel award lecture to a full house at this year’s British Science Festival.

The lecture, entitled ‘Prosthesis, Disability and the role of Technology in Elite Sport’, gave an illuminating account of the work that Bryce Dyer has been conducting at Bournemouth University.

The lecture went into detail about the use of prosthetics in sport, more specifically Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, the types of prostesis available, and the advantages and disadvantages of using such technology.

Mr Dyer joins the ranks of previous award lecturers such as Professor Brian Cox, Professor Richard Wiseman, and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

After the lecture, Dyer, a senior lecturer in Product Design at BU, was awarded a certificate by the British Science Association to mark the occasion.

After the lecture Bryce Dyer said, “The feeling is one of immense satisfaction, to take what we have been working on for a few years and transfer that knowledge to an enthusiastic audience.”

Bryce continued, “You only have to look at the names  of people who have won this award before to know that it has real credibility and, as an academic, it gives me an immense sense of self-satisfaction. I don’t think in my wildest dreams I dreamt of giving the award lecture at an event like this. To be involved in a Festival of such history is a great experience.”

Bryce also appeared at the chat-show style cafe ‘The Exchange’ where he gave an overview of the subject area to the listening diners.

Bryce was not the only Bournemouth University staff member to make an appearance at the Festival, with BU’s Outreach and Liaison team also running daily workshops with local children to teach them about some of the work taking place at Bournemouth University.

The following blog post has more information about Bryce Dyer’s Award Lecture or you could read the story on the British Science Association website.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award lecture date for BU prosthetics expert

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The prestigious Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award lecture is to be delivered by Bournemouth University’s Bryce Dyer for his research and work with prosthetics at the British Science Festival 2013.

Mr Dyer joins the ranks of previous award lecturers such as Professor Brian Cox, Professor Richard Wiseman, and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

Each year, five academics from across the UK are selected to take part in the Award Lecture series, with each lecture encompassing a different area of science.

The Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award focuses on the fields of engineering, technology and industry. Mr Dyer will present “Prosthesis, disability and the role of technology in elite sport”.

The lecture will reveal the colourful history of limb prostheses, and progress into how they have been engineered to not only complete, but also to compete in physical challenges today.

Mr Dyer will examine the controversy surrounding the use of such technology in competitive sport, following the debates off the back the London 2012 Games, and look at what could be done to address such problems in the future.

The British Science Festival takes place in Newcastle from 7-12 September 2013 and is one of Europe’s largest celebrations of science, engineering and technology, with over 250 events, activities, exhibitions and trips taking place over a week in September, in a different location every year.

Mr Dyer said, “I am delighted to have this opportunity, and am looking forward to presenting this research. The British Science Festival is a unique opportunity to share scientific findings with the public, and it is an honour to be selected to give the Award Lecture.”

Ideas of tomorrow displayed at Festival of Design and Innovation

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A cake icing pen, a computer game controlled by brain power and a glamping pod were just some of the ground-breaking ideas and inventions on display at this year’s Festival of Design and Innovation (FODI).

The annual showcase of work by final year design and creative technology students at Bournemouth University ran for three days and was open to the public and industry, as well as pupils from schools and colleges who took part in special workshops.

More than 170 students from across courses including Product Design, Music and Audio Technology and Design Visualisation, showcased their designs, models and prototypes.

Among the work on show was a musical air hockey device, a lifting aid to transport heavy goods like washing machines easily and safely and an app to help school children learn their times tables.

Product Design student Coco Canessa has developed a precision cake icing dispenser, which is used like like a pen to prevent mess and waste while icing cakes.

“The idea initially was to relieve the pain and fatigue that people have to go through when they are doing it professionally.

“The more tired the arm gets, the less precise you are and the less control you have,” said Coco.

“Using this, you don’t have to get messy and the pressure is applied for you.”

Coco won the award for Most Commercially Innovative Product at the launch of FODI, where awards were given to students from each of the courses who have excelled.

“It felt brilliant to win the award – I was absolutely stunned and I’m so proud,” she said, adding that she had enjoyed exhibiting her work at FODI.

“It’s been great – lots of people have been asking for samples, and you learn what it’s like to present yourself and communicate your product.”

BA (Hons) Industrial Design student Maria Camila Fontalvo Delgado designed a glamping pod – a portable pod for people who want a luxury camping experience.

Maria who is from Columbia, has now been invited to display her idea at New Designers 2013, a London-based exhibition for emerging design talent.

“After lots of research I realised that glamping has been something that’s grown dramatically, but they still use the same types of accommodation, like tents and caravans,” said Maria.

“I wanted something that was very powerful visually so I made it like the metamorphosis of a butterfly, and it’s got a cooler, a sofa and a suspended hammock.

“I’ve had lots of interest and people saying they think it’s a real cool project.”

FODI is now in its 21st year, and attracted more than 1,000 visitors, including industry representatives and talent scouts.

Dr Bob Eves, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Product Design, said: “It gets the students going through the process and experiences of an exhibition and the opportunity of showing their work, which is great.

“There’s so much work that has gone into this and it’s really good to show the breadth of knowledge and experience that there is at BU.

“It just gets better every year.”

Find out more about FODI 2013 and the students’ projects

Bryce Dyer to be honoured at British Science Festival

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Bryce Dyer, Senior Lecturer in Product Design at Bournemouth Univesity, has been selected for the prestigious honour of delivering an Award Lecture, at the 2013 British Science Festival, which will be taking place in Newcastle from 7-12 September.

Bryce Dyer will deliver the Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award Lecture, and joins the ranks of previous award lecturers such as Professor Brian Cox, Professor Richard Wiseman, and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

Each year, five academics from across the UK are selected to take part in the Award Lecture series, with each lecture encompassing a different area of science.

The Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award focuses on the fields of engineering, technology and industry. Mr Dyer will present “Prosthesis, disability and the role of technology in elite sport”.

The lecture will reveal the colourful history of limb prostheses, and progress into how they have been engineered to not only complete, but also to compete in physical challenges today.

Mr Dyer will examine the controversy surrounding the use of such technology in competitive sport, following the debates off the back the London 2012 Games, and look at what could be done to address such problems in the future.

Finally, the lecture will examine how such technology attempts to restore the function of amputated limbs to people like elite athletes or the armed forces and ultimately how such innovations may change the face of both disability and sport as we currently recognise it in the very near future.

The British Science Festival is one of Europe’s largest celebrations of science, engineering and technology, with over 250 events, activities, exhibitions and trips taking place over a week in September, in a different location every year.

The programme of events offers something for everyone, with activities for families and schools groups, teens, adults, and stimulating debate for anyone interested in the latest research.

Mr Dyer said, “I am delighted to have this opportunity, and am looking forward to presenting this research. The British Science Festival is a unique opportunity to share scientific findings with the public, and it is an honour to be selected to give the Award Lecture.”

Bryce Dyer talks about advances in prosthetics on BMA website

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Bryce Dyer, senior lecturer in Product Design at BU, commented on the potential implications of human enhancement for an article on the BMA website.

A recent Royal Society report has explored how advances in science and technology could allow people to work longer into old age and return to work quicker after illness.

“Look at it in the same way as mobile phones,” said Bryce.

“Ten years ago they were like bricks but they’ve become cheaper, easier to produce and more available over time. The same will happen with prosthesis.”

He also raised concerns about with genetic engineering, which could correct faults in an embryo and enhance it physically or mentally.

“We could make someone super-intelligent but it could have catastrophic effects for society. The lines between natural and artificial and technological could blur.

“At the moment we let nature take its course, but as time goes on we can affect nature and attempt to control and manipulate it.”

Bryce’s primary research interest is with the application and development of technology within sport, and he predicts a dramatic improvement over the next 10 years, which could see it used to enhance function rather than just restore performance.

But, he adds, we must treat technology with care.

“It could become a race between engineers and surgeons instead of sports people. The concept of what it is to be human could change.”

You can read the full article here.

BU student creates best film about his placement abroad

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A Bournemouth University student has won a national competition for creating the best film about his placement year abroad.

BSc (Hons) Product Design student Martin Constantine spent his placement year in French town Charleville–Méziéres, working for Visteon – who design and manufacture parts for companies like Ford and Jaguar.

The film he created of his experiences won first prize in the Film Category of the British Council and Ecorys ‘Your Story’ Competition, which was open to all students who had undertaken an Erasmus placement abroad.

Martin, 23, who is now in the fourth year of his degree, has won £100 of Amazon vouchers and will attend an awards ceremony in London on November 15.

“I was just really surprised to win,” said Martin, who is from Woodbridge in Suffolk but lives in Winton while studying.

“I was really pleased to be able to tell my parents that I had won and the university as well.

“It is not really about winning the prize, it’s about the recognition of the work I put into the placement and the experience that I had.”

The video shows Martin at work, and some of the machinery he used during his placement, but also focuses on the experiences that he had outside of work – such as making new friends, learning French and kayaking.

“I got the opportunity to do things I would never have been able to do if I had stayed at home – like learning to play ice hockey,” he said.

“I was filming bits and pieces for myself anyway as I was going to festivals and historical re–enactments and I just wanted to keep a memento.”

He added: “I’m not really sure what the competition was like but I like to think that my film had a nice balance of the overall experience – so the work and the social side of things and engaging with the people in France and doing things with them.”

Erasmus placements are funded by the European Union and mean students from higher education institutions can spend a placement period of between three months and one year in another EU country.

Bournemouth University helps students to find the placement abroad and offers support throughout the year, making sure students are settled and happy.

Martin was in Charleville–Mezieres from last June to July this year, and said he learnt a lot both about industry and himself.

“I really enjoyed my placement and it was actually quite difficult to come back.

“I felt like I really had a lot of responsibility and the company took me very seriously, as if I had been there ten years and I wasn’t just a work experience student.

“Everybody went to a lot of effort to make me feel welcome and at the weekend, I was making friends and we would go out and do different things, and I had new experiences because of it.”

He added: “I think going abroad adds a completely different dimension to your placement year. By putting myself a bit out of my comfort zone, it helped me to develop much more.

“Now I can speak French and now I can say that I received an award for my film about the experience. It is something that little bit extra that makes you stand out.”

He said that the experience has also helped him decide what career path to go down after graduating.

“It has definitely given me the direction that I was never really sure about before.

“Now I know that I want to work in the automotive industry, as I found the whole experience so great.”

Watch Martin’s video