canuckbelle

Has anyone raced this before? I've seen some go-pro footage of the course, and scouted the Strava segment, but I'm hoping to get some insight from someone who's ridden it: how significant are the rollers? ...remember that I train in a FLAT area.

Here's the segment for the course:
https://www.strava.com/segments/709430

And bear in mind that this course in Knoxville completely kicked my ass:
https://www.strava.com/segments/5158272

Thanks!!

tommyrod74

There are rollers, and one kinda-steep-for-a-crit hill, but you carry a ton of speed into all of them.

A better question is this: why do you think training in Charleston means you can't race hilly courses?

At MTB XC nationals there are always a (highly) disproportionate number of podium finishers from sunny Florida... and that race is usually held at a ski resort.

Some of the strongest climbers I know got that way from riding flat roads into a headwind for hours; watts are watts.

canuckbelle

Thanks

Because w/kg is w/kg...and my w/kg sucks.

tommyrod74

Still has nothing to do with living in Charleston

canuckbelle

I include that only because people's perspective of what counts as a 'roller' or a 'steep hill' often depends on their local terrain.

tommyrod74

Gotcha. I'll put it this way: breakaways don't often succeed on this course, because the climbs aren't really long or hard enough to create real separation, and the flatter side of the course is stupid-fast (the start/finish straight). As a high w/kg guy with no real sprint, I don't love it due to the 40+ mph bunch sprints that usually result.

canuckbelle

Perfect. That's my kinda racing ^_^

tommyrod74

Make sure you come out! It's a fun race.

jfmckenna

IIRC the Carolina Cup isn't really a crit course per se it's a bit longer. The rollers are insignificant. You will ride the big ring the whole time. IT seems to me it could be a good course to get away on. There are enough corners and it's in the woods that if you get off the front you might just get lost and let go.

tommyrod74

Yeah, it's like a 1.6 mile lap. More like a short circuit race.

It seems like a good course for a breakaway... but it rarely works except in the P/1/2 race.

TysonCook

Rollers, not hills. I've tried off the front a few times and been pulled back every time. The last half of the lap is downhill'ish to a flat and fast.