Tips.for holding the wheel

Hi looking for tips. I've had a few sessions at the velodrome, and one of the toughest things for me is holding the wheel. I'm 6 foot 2 and decent mind of power. And I find myself having to back pedal, quite as a line of us come up to the bends. The gap is a seems to be too big, or put on a bit more power and i'm almost overlapping, or having to go up. It feels like people in front a slowing down because I try and keep a constant cadence. Slowing it doesnt help. Should I be staring at the back wheel? Should I be looking up the line of riders? It seems such a basic thing but having trouble.