Swarming behaviour in elite race bunch cycling: a case study

Waldron, Mark; Worsfold, Paul R.; White, Christopher; Murray, Stafford

dc.contributor.author	Waldron, Mark	*
dc.contributor.author	Worsfold, Paul R.	*
dc.contributor.author	White, Christopher	*
dc.contributor.author	Murray, Stafford	*
dc.date.accessioned	2016-03-22T16:10:01Z
dc.date.available	2016-03-22T16:10:01Z
dc.date.issued	2011-04
dc.identifier.citation	Waldron, M., Worsfold, P., White, C., & Murray, S. (2011). Swarming behaviour in elite race bunch cycling: a case study. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 11(1), 14-25.
dc.identifier.issn	1474-8185	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10034/603511
dc.description.abstract	The current study undertook a dynamical systems analysis of race bunch cycling, considering the 'sports contest' as a dynamical, self organising system (McGarry et al., 2002). Data from one international track racing event was used to analyse a potential non-linear aggregation theory of 'swarming' in the 'points race', with two objectives; 1) To identify a race profile of a basic swarm mentality within the points race; 2) To identify system stability and the possible perturbation of stability in relation to successful and unsuccessful breakaways. Stability was based upon a 'normal' profile of race behaviours, measured by three separate dependent measures, namely; Absolute Difference, Rate of Change and Phase Duration. Results showed; 1) The points race exhibits the quintessential 'attract and repel' elements that characterise the swarm mentality 2) One-way ANOVA revealed that breakaways of both successful (3.3±1.2 half laps) and unsuccessful (3.1±1.5 half laps) conditions tend to differ from the race 'norm' (2.1±1.3 half laps) in terms of phase duration (F(2, 228)=18.4, P<0.05), suggesting that breakaways perturb the system through longer attract and repel phases. Results are discussed in relation to the current and future effectiveness of describing race bunch cycling as a dynamical system.
dc.language.iso	en	en
dc.publisher	Cardiff Metropolitan University
dc.relation.url	http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/uwic/ujpa	en
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/	*
dc.subject	PERTURBATION	en
dc.subject	COMPLEX SYSTEMS	en
dc.title	Swarming behaviour in elite race bunch cycling: a case study	en
dc.type	Article	en
dc.identifier.eissn	1474-8185	en
dc.contributor.department	University of Chester
dc.identifier.journal	International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport	en
html.description.abstract	The current study undertook a dynamical systems analysis of race bunch cycling, considering the 'sports contest' as a dynamical, self organising system (McGarry et al., 2002). Data from one international track racing event was used to analyse a potential non-linear aggregation theory of 'swarming' in the 'points race', with two objectives; 1) To identify a race profile of a basic swarm mentality within the points race; 2) To identify system stability and the possible perturbation of stability in relation to successful and unsuccessful breakaways. Stability was based upon a 'normal' profile of race behaviours, measured by three separate dependent measures, namely; Absolute Difference, Rate of Change and Phase Duration. Results showed; 1) The points race exhibits the quintessential 'attract and repel' elements that characterise the swarm mentality 2) One-way ANOVA revealed that breakaways of both successful (3.3±1.2 half laps) and unsuccessful (3.1±1.5 half laps) conditions tend to differ from the race 'norm' (2.1±1.3 half laps) in terms of phase duration (F(2, 228)=18.4, P<0.05), suggesting that breakaways perturb the system through longer attract and repel phases. Results are discussed in relation to the current and future effectiveness of describing race bunch cycling as a dynamical system.