shovelhd

My racing age is 55 this year. I will race M55+, M45+ (mostly), M40+, M35+, and P/1/2(3).

Not all in the same day.

agoodale

You ought to post this over in the "competitive edge" thread. I'm not saying you did anything wrong here. It's just something I've noticed in the attitude of some of the more successful racers I know. They get "hot" about situations to a much higher degree than myself.

I've been crashed out 3 times in similar circumstances to this incident. My response has been more along the lines of "whatever" or "sh*t happens". Each time the offender came to apologize & I appreciated that they at least realized what they did. Maybe I'm just to easy going but it's something I can't change (I'm not sure I even want to).

Some of my more successful teammates aren't so easy going when it comes to racing. You can't even talk to them after a race where they came in top 5 instead of winning. And if they were crashed out? Watch out! They obviously have put much more emotion into the race than I have. And it's not like I'm not aggressive either. I can get very worked up in a race. Just not to that level.

Again, don't take this the wrong way. I don't think your response was incorrect. Just something I noticed that's different and may be part of the whole "competitive edge" formula.

Racer Ex 

That was a beautiful ride.

Homebrew01

Wimp ...

rkwaki

+1 = a real man would do it....

rkwaki

Great post.
True story that I am not so proud of. I was in a crit and with 4 laps to go I was fighting for a wheel (the rider's wheel is a former world champion on the track) with another accomplished rider. Coming up the front straight the rider I was fighting with came by and elbowed me in the ribs and said get off Joe's (names protected) wheel and that it was his. Little more pushing and showing and on the next corner he came across and took my line forcing me into a curb at around 28, I hit the sidewalk flew in the air (did not go down) and when I landed I popped a tire. Free laps were gone so I ran back to the start but it was too late the field had already gone by. The head commissaire asked what happened and I expressed my thoughts. He said that he would call him out next lap by. My wife and kids were there at the start and I had worked my way over to them. Well when the rider was called out I saw red, the one thing I remember was my wife wife yelling "rkwaki don't do it, let it go" well I did not listen and stormed across the course and into the rider's face. After some choice words were exchanged as well as me threatening to knock his head off the commissaire calmed me down. I subsequently wrote a letter of apology to USA Cycling, the commissaires and tried to contact the rider. If you are on this board I do apologize for my behaviour, it was uncalled for.

It was not until a few months ago that I apologized to my wife for my ego and some of my behaviour. As she is a competitive athlete as well she understands getting fiesty but cannot understand my internal drive and some of my actions.

I very openly say that I am an extremely nice guy with a heart of gold unless you come between me and success (or my food)

echappist

well, at least you didn't do this


effing Keough, the person who had the most serious of injuries wasn't even Bahati.

waterrockets 

+1

I heard somebody talking about it a couple months ago. His legs are probably still twitching.

rkwaki

That is pretty much what the guy did to me. Came in about 3 feet on the corner...
I would have knocked Keogh's block off fo sho'

shovelhd

From what I hear Bahati's no saint in the field, either.

Doggus

My legs are still twitching.

Interestingly enough, it almost happened again this year at Walburg except it was the 3's instead of the 4s this time. Myself and Richard Wharton got off with 6 miles to go. I couldn't believe it was possibly going to happen again. Unfortunately the pack caught us with 5 yards to go to the line. 6 got around me for 7th If I had the same motor as a 3 that I had as a 4, it would have been a done deal.

echappist

of course not, especially with his sunglasses shenanigan later in that race.

most unfortunate part was that the casualties were mainly amateur racers. i guess this is the bullying pro's way of saying: don't eat my lunch.

rkwaki

I hate to say it but I believe that any accomplished crit rider/sprinter is part cyclist - part pitbull - part egomaniac

Jancouver

Not sure where do you race but at least in SoCal you are not getting away in any Cat 4 race even with superior TT skills. Just ask fellow member danahs who is a state TT champ if he won any races with his super strong TT skills. I did quite a few races as a Cat 4 this year and I cant recall anybody getting away. I cant even recall any break unless it was some hilly road race. Basically in crits and flat RR you are not getting away in SoCal or any other competitive region.

Doggus

Incorrect.

TMonk

except Tait at Barrio Logan...


P.S. he left u guys and joined us at Spy.
Muahahahahahahaha.

Jancouver

Well, we dont chase down our our teammate ....

BTW I'm not on that team for 2012 either so you can laugh all you want

TMonk

well there were other teams in that race you know, although as usual you guys were the largest component.

who are you riding with next season?

kindablue

While we are on the topic... I plan on doing Gila this year. My first stage race, first TT, second season racing.
Anywho, I figure I need to suck it up and buy some gear to give me a TT position on the road bike.
I'm torn between the Specialized TT helmet and the Rudy Project one. Both prices (right now) are similar. Any suggestions?

Fat Boy

There's something to this. I'm sure he's no saint, but I've never seen him take anyone out, either. There's a line to be drawn at some point between being a hard-nosed racer and just plain dirty. I don't really know where he falls in a pro race group. I've ridden with the guy a couple times in small groups and he's always been a class act.

I do know he had _a lot_ riding on that Dana Point race. Remember, it wasn't long after that race his team folded. It was a pressure cooker situation.

agoodale

Don't forget his teammate (and former teammate of ours) Jorge Alvarado was killed by some drag racing teens just a few days prior to the race. I remember reading that some of Keough's teammates said Bahati was riding crazily aggressive in the race. That didn't surprise me considering the amount of emotion & stress that he must have been feeling. But, that doesn't excuse either of their actions of course.

Debusama

I figured out in my first season that you can only get away with that once. I jumped off the front expecting someone to follow, and hoping to start a late breakaway. When I looked behind me, nobody was on my wheel, but I also noticed that the gap was huge. I put my head down, stuck my forearms on the bar-top, and pumped out the last few miles without getting cought. That only happened because nobody knew who I was or took me seriously enough to bother to chase me, and because I had a lot of teammates in the pack who sat up as soon as I was off the front. As long as there are people in the pack who remember that race, I'll never get away with it again.

danahs

I was able to win one race by TTing off the front this year... but doesn't really count as it was in Ohio in May. I had an unfair advantage since I had been training/racing throughout the winter and spring (and was peaking for state TT) and those guys were just getting onto their bikes. I won by around 2minutes.

btw that was a really awesome circuit/crit course! defiantly recommend if you are ever in that part of america.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=#post12610547

plantrob

Doesn't sound unfair to me

Racer Ex 

Incorrect.