Ygduf

I call that the Stefano.

mattm

I know of some questionable upgrades, but they were at least close-ish.

That's just sad.

Maybe we can all petition USAC to stop allowing just anyone to be cat 1!

tetonrider

could you provide a little more info? maybe a link to race results? (you can use this format: https://usacycling.org/results/?compid=first+last)

surely there must be more to it.

i've heard of early upgrades at all levels -- even the ones approved by CO springs -- but 6 points from someone who 'could not hang' as a cat 3 seems... unlikely.

spectastic

I don't want to post names on here, but check your pm

topflightpro

The speed-skating relay races were pretty insane too. It was like a madison on ice, as the out-going skater would push the new rider forward.

mattm

I understood that reference!

rubiksoval

There's certainly a deterioration... (probably said by every generation).

I think being able to use weeknight training crits for upgrade points is a copout for the upper categories (3s and up should have to get points in actual weekend races, in my opinion), but even that pales in comparison to using a few points from master's races as well. I mean, that's not even racing in a p/1/2 race (yes, I know many master's racers are 1/2; it's still not a 1/2 race).

furiousferret

Seems like a slippery slope...we have a lot of weekends where there is a big race all the names show up to and another that has a relatively light 1/2/3 field.

I get what you're saying though. A Cat 1 should get their points via premier events, but that also punishes some regions (and masters). Personally, I don't think there are enough Cat 1's out there for it to be an issue. Than again, I'm not a Cat 1.

TheKillerPenguin

Oh man, my coach has gone on so many epic rants RE: soft 1's in CCA and MABRA.

I will say that using training crits for upgrade points is not my cup of tea. I kinda wish you still had to collect em in a rolling 12 month period too. I am a glutton for punishment.

rubiksoval

Yes! With minimum field sizes!

I spent months traveling out of state to do races with sufficient field sizes. Up mountains both ways in the snow.

Now it's like, "here's 5 points for winning a 12 person master's field" or some such shenanigans.

mattm

Nobody's stopping you from doing that. =]

@Ygduf & I are old enough to remember that rule, and for the record upgraded to 1 during its reign. Hell I got like 50 points in less than six months.

Some of the crits I won/placed in were 2/3's crits. Someone once said I got to 1 "the easy way" - what's funny is they were in some of the same "easy" races, trying to do it the "easy way," and still couldn't get it done. They're still a 2.

But none of us new-age 1's are as hardcore as the olden days, when there were only like 200 1's in the US, and you had to keep getting points to stay a 1. Uphill both ways no less!

At the end of the day, I don't actually care that much about how someone gets to cat 1, even if it does dilute the awesomeness of being a 1. If they sucked on the way to their cat 1 upgrade, they'll continue to suck in races. All that matters is who wins & gets in the money. (to cat 1's)

TheKillerPenguin

No doubt, all in 12 months is what I'm hoping for! But I'm not above using the few I picked up last year if I have to

rubiksoval

I don't know about punishing regions. I mean, I didn't race much in TN the year I got my upgrade because we didn't have fields big enough at that point (even today, for most races). But I feel that kind of represents what a cat 1 is; a regional to national level rider. Winning local weekday crits is alright and everything, but it doesn't necessarily say anything about anything. You may be beating out national level riders, or you may be beating out local cat 3s who have never raced out of their city. There's a big variability there.

Having minimum races in a 12 month period or something like it used to be meant that you were hitting the road, seeking out the good races, and getting legitimate results. It was kind of a big deal. Now, eh.

At the end of the day, everyone pretty much knows what's up, of course, and you've got legit cat 1s and pretender cat 1s and it's pretty evident once the race starts, but still.

rubiksoval

Ha, yes! Those were the days to hear it told!

TheKillerPenguin

IIRC to be a 1 you also had to have a mustache, which at the time was the biggest difference between the domestic peloton and the euro peloton.

tetonrider

I agree about not posting names You could post the USAC # and then the name itself is not floating around (/searchable) but someone could find the results in question.

I looked at the PM you sent me (thanks) and spent a few minutes scanning the results. What stood out to me is that he was racing as a Cat 3 in June/July. He did well at Tulsa Tough as a Cat 3 (legit result in the 3s), and then on July 20th he won the Driveway Series Cat 3/4 field -- and on the same night also took 8th in the 1/2/3 field. He's listed as a 1 on those results.

Lots of his results are from that Driveway Series.

He only raced the 1/2/3 field on 7/13, so he didn't get a forced upgrade mid-way through the 7/20 races; that can happen sometimes.

Yeah... I don't see it. You need to get 6th or better to get points for a crit, even in a large field. He's done that a couple times.

In theory, results from a single series should not count towards an early upgrade. If a rider got a big result at 1 or 2 NRC races, for example, against national competition, that is more meaningful that 3rd, 6th, 9th , 8th, 3rd at a single local series. And if the rider did get those results at a couple NRC races, it is probably not a problem for them to get a couple more results.

I'm surprised. Perhaps there is more to the story. Otherwise, this doesn't appear to be a case of letting a point or 2 slide. Looks like there are maybe 8 points. Correct me if I'm wrong there -- I spent 5 minutes on it and could have missed something.

spectastic

he hasn't earned it, I know that much. it doesn't bother me or anything. like you, I'm just surprised and was wondering if this was common.

furiousferret

Wife was chatting it up with one of the Jelly Belly riders this morning, they're staying in her hotel in Carlsbad. I don't recall how many pro sports teams she's seen that way, but its a few.

carpediemracing 

Jellybelly team HQ is San Marcos, and their traveling riders have often stayed in Carlsbad. Team pictures are usually within 15-20 minutes drive of HQ.

Some good riding, even for the big guns, in that area. The hard group rides are ridiculously hard, at least to me.

furiousferret

That and some of the best riding in the world is only about 40 miles north.

tetonrider

upgrading from 2->1 on 8 points and from a local series (even if that series draws good talent) seems off.

TMonk

I spent my boyhood (years 2-10) on Lodgepole road in San Marcos, about 1.5 blocks from what I assume is the Jelly Belly HQ. I say this because I still ride through there from time to time for nostalgiac purposes and I always take note of this house with a huge Jelly Belly bus and team cars on Lake Ridge road.

topflightpro

This presumes that all of his results are posted to USAC. Some promoters fail to post results.

As far as becoming a Cat 1, on the track, USAC requires you have results from more than one Velodrome to move up.

carpediemracing 

That would be it, although I didn't know about the bus. This is maybe 12-13 years ago, putting racks on the cars.

furiousferret

There's a good chance it may snow at the Devil's Punchbowl for UCLA RR; since my race starts at 7am it'll be in the low 30's. Can someone from a region that actually snows let me know how they deal with this? Do they cancel it or do we race?