So i'm confused here. seems like we have some cat 1's from earlier years who think current cat 1's aren't legit?
seems to me that regardless of where you are, it's extremely difficult to get the cat 1 upgrade.
whether the proportion has changed or not, i think it's folly to believe that current cat 1 upgrades are less legit because there isn't a forced ranking like the bygone days. Besides, during those bygone days, our currently fringe sport had an even shallower talent pool.
So all cat 1's regardless of era have rightfully earned their status.
And let's not forget, IMHO, given the sports hierarchy in America, the best (non-GC type) bike rider in U.S. history has probably never even contemplated racing bikes. Neither has the best soccer player ever kicked a ball.