Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/09/2021 03:47 PM |
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Rambling thoughts on US cyclocross nationals.
Masters age categories start at age 30.
That's always seemed crazy to me.
In my opinion it ought to start at age 40
Under 40? You're racing Open.
Some age groups limit racers to Cat1/2/3 (30, 35, 40, 45, 50)
We don't want you squirrely Cat 4/5's messing up the race."
Once the age group hits 55+...
"Uh... oh... We need more bodies to fill out the start grid, go tell grandpa to get over here."
I think they need to add subcategories in the 60+:
Retired and Non-retired
Conversations pre-race at the last few races I've been at.
"Say buddy, you're looking good. You retired yet?"
"As a matter of fact I took full retirement last January."
{oh.... crap... I'm going to get smoked}
PanAm Championship a week ago in TX then US Cats this week in Chicago. That's a long trip for amateurs. The fields at PanAm looked pretty small
Ex and current pro's won their age categories- Jake Wells, Gunnar Shogren, Katie Clouse.
I'm not sure how I feel about a current pro racing but former? Have at it. My first CX Nat race was in KC and I had the privilege, along with several others, of seeing Ned's back tire... twice. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 12/09/2021 06:23 PM |
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| Which category has the beer handups? |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 12/09/2021 06:24 PM |
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| “Getting enough starters” rings a bell and shows how far US cross has come. I completed in what I think was the first US cross nats in 1982. It was an open event. My second cross race. Used a modified touring bike. Hardly trained, I was busy with my education . I made sure to stay out of the real racers’ way. Cost me a lot of time but it was just for fun and I needed a breather anyway. Got lapped by Roy Knickman and some cross specialists but did not get pulled. It was fun, an innocent time in US cyclocross racing. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/09/2021 07:49 PM |
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Speaking of Cat 5's and I am still laughing at this conversation a dozen years after it happened.
Local guy, mid-30's, just getting into riding seriously... starting to train, asking a ton of questions, enters a few local cx races. Nationals that year was... Vegas? I don't remember. Anyway, he's pulling up the rankings when a couple of us are discussing whether to make the trip out to race cats or not and he blurts out that he definitely has to go! "I looked at the rankings and I'm ranked #2 in the Cat 5 Masters 30-35, I HAVE to be there!"
We were rolling! My buddy quickly deflated his ego by not so gently telling him nobody cares about Cat 5's and they dang sure don't award a Cat 5 National championship jersey. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/09/2021 07:50 PM |
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Posted By Orange Crush on 12/09/2021 06:23 PM
Which category has the beer handups?
Back 1/3 of every race |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 12/09/2021 07:59 PM |
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| Via FB I get to “see” the local races a 10 year old son of a friend does in NL. Hard fought races every weekend with a pretty deep competitive field. That critical mass of competition is just simply not going to happen around here. Hence the beer comment haha, the next best thing. Was at a local race recently, one of the women was in Tokyo for team Canada, she managed a triple beer handup one lap, great technique. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 12/09/2021 08:16 PM |
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Retired and Non-retired
Back in the day, we used to joke that for the Industry Cup race at Sea Otter, the categories needed to be based on your status w/ United. No status? You are racing Cat. 1. 100K? Cat 4’s.
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 12/09/2021 09:42 PM |
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Lost me there. So if you fly a lot you are slow, but if not you are fast? Sorry to be dense.
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/10/2021 01:39 AM |
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Lots of travel = less time to train, more having to eat at restaurants/ less healthy lifestyle.
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 12/10/2021 09:41 AM |
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So if you fly a lot you are slow, but if not you are fast?
Exactly....lots of product guys are spending a crap ton of time in Asia, so training options are limited.
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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