Racing, Points and Categories

shockedsoshocked

Bit confused at the moment.

Starting racing on sunday as a 4th cat. Now, i'm in a race mixed with blokes right up to Elite standard.

Basically, what I want to know is, to get points towards moving up a category, do I need to beat everyone, or do I only need to beat the people in my category?

Edit: I realise this might sound a bit precocious...

celbianchi

Is it the Neil White pursuit?

If so the usual form for this race is that the scratch group catches the earlier groups and if a few don't get off the front, then a bunch gallop. (I am missing this race this year, thought the deadline was a week later!)

Anyhow - points go to the first x across the line irrespective of category. So if as a fourth you come 12th, but points only go down to 10th, then even if you're the first 4th, you don't get any points.

If you have a decent gallop you have a chance of points in any Stokesley race as it is pretty rare (especially in 2/3/4) for big sprints not to be the outcome.

shockedsoshocked

Yeh that's the one. I got on the with Fietsen Tempo team (Kev Byers, Stuart Morris and them) at the beginning of winter and have came on massively, and I've actually developed a pretty good sprint, so if I'm up there at the end going to go for it.

Thanks for the help anyway.

PS You doing the Chapters Road Race?

celbianchi

I will miss chapters as am away in France for 10 days.

I have a couple of hilly TT's in March, first RR this season will be the Phillip Russel on 5th April.
I'll look out for you on the startsheets.
Mr Byers still has a decent finish on him.

shockedsoshocked

Byers has a decent start and middle as well haha. Him and Stuart can still motor when they want to.

The Phillip Russel is one of the ones I want to do, so will certainly see you there. I think i'm entering all the ones at Stokesley anyway.

wheeler585

Hey, hows it going? Im racing there at the weekend, the start sheet doesnt seem to bad, only 3 elites, mainly cat 4 and 2's. See Kev dawson is in the reserves!! What bike you riding, i will keep a look out for you, i know the kit.

shockedsoshocked

A Scott CR1 team. I've got a Union Jack saddle if that helps

And some terrible, terrible bar tape

Yeh the start sheet makes the race look pretty open, some of the big hitters that usually come over are racing else where apparently, so I can see it being a good race.

What cat are you wheeler?

wheeler585

Yeah should be good, slightly worried as went out for a spin today and legs felt dead ha!! Im a cat 4 at the mo, i will be riding a addict with carbone wheels, if i see you i will say hello!! All the best, hope weather stays good!!

shockedsoshocked

You'll have to watch the cross wind over the top with those carbones :twisted:

wheeler585

ha i know! I intend to stay on the inside, and let everyone else shield the wind away from me.

shockedsoshocked

Hey, we can't all be sitting in :P

wheeler585

1st 2 laps im doing nothing, ha then might try a suprise attack if i feel good, fancy it ha. There again i might just stay tucked in!!

shockedsoshocked

Don't know about that haha! First race and all, been told not to try anything stupid. Been doing a few circuits round there on my own and I think you'd have a hard time keeping away unless you were really flying. Maybe a small group but that's all I can see.

Anyway I've got a lead out train! (Apparently!)

wheeler585

Team mate of mine last yr attacked on the 2nd lap of the chapters race, and got caught with a lap to go by Dean downing and co. If you get away and its quite windy, you have a good chance of staying away, especially if there is a couple of you all working together. See they added 2 extra laps hey.........Nice ha!

shockedsoshocked

I know, the internet only said 45 miles! We'll see what happens anyway. I'm just going to use the race mainly to get my "racing brain" so to speak. Just a word of warning, the two sharp left handers (towards Hutton Rudby way) were a bit greasy this morning, so take care.

Anyway, off to demolish a bag of wine gums and a bottle of coke and watch Coogans Bluff 8)

celbianchi

Shocked , wheeler, how did you find it then.
I saw the start sheet on Friday when my mate Wardy (rides for MTS) came round for a few beers. I predicted that Dan would win and was pleased to be right!

Did you both hang on ok when the scratch guys caught you?

Shocked - you will HAVE to get an entry in for Carlton Bank in October this season! A real mans event!

shockedsoshocked

It went really well for my first race. Never really struggled and had a dig on about the third lap which was fun. Turned around and me and the lad i'd chased were quite a bit ahead. Got caught once the Elites started came through (and stormed off up the road) mind you so just had fun chasing after people trying to get away from the main group.

Although I thought the fifth lap was the last lap and worked hard down skutterskelfe/the run into the finish, which meant I slipped right back on the bank and ended up going off the back of the group once the cross wind hit So apart from my atrocious numerical skills it was the most fun i've had on a bike in ages

Yeh, might have a go at the Carlton Hill Climb. My bike (at the moment) climbs like a dream, you start putting the power down and it takes off!

celbianchi

Good stuff. what have you got next then Chapters? Or are you doing the Wansbeck pursuit?

I am mixing my season up a bit this year and doing about 70% RR and 30% TT's. first race of the season is a TT this Sat over in Carlisle. then I miss 2 weekends whilst over in France (with bike).

A good event is the Teesdale MTT which I have done the last couple of seasons in Mid April (it does clash with a RR I recall).

another good hilly event is the Tyneside Vags 47.2m mountain time trial which is mid may.

And a decent hilly 3/4 race is the Ballantyne around the 11th May. Usually takes in Coldrife and the like.
The derwentside RR has 3 trips over the Ryals and is a good hard circuit.
The divs this year are being put on by us (VC Azzurri) and are on a killer course.

Finally if you can squeeze a trip up here in midewek there is a 20 week series of Tuesday night pursuit races under TLI regs around and about Northumberland (normally within about 10 miles of Ponteland)

shockedsoshocked

I'm supposed to be doing the Eddie Soens this weekend, then Wansbeck, then Chapters. I had a look at the divisionals but I think I have to be a 3rd cat to enter. I'm going to stick an entry in for Ballatynes too, and hopefully I can tag along with some of the other lads if there's no racing around here.

There's a TLI thing up at Croft circuit starting in April so I think i'm going to be doing that mid week, although they're apparently considering adding Thursday and Saturdays too.

wheeler585

Race went well, was a bit slow at the start like, untill the elites and 1st and 2nd cats hit us!! Well happy the rain kept off, you couldnt of asked for a better day for racing, even the wind wasnt that bad at the top of seamar. Oh yeah and i won the first prime sprint which i was happy about, paid for the race anyways!!

Regarding races, there is a series of races, down Derby way, starting this weekend at Darley moor, cat 3/4 ponts points points!!!. Then a seperate race for 1,2,3 and 4's

p.s Ballantyne is a really hard race, there was a fast pace last yr, loads of steep longs digs to get your ass over, and i suffered ha!!. Plus the weather was hot, and half of the riders were more like cat 1/2's, which sucked!

celbianchi

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

I had a look at the divisionals but I think I have to be a 3rd cat to enter. I'm going to stick an entry in for Ballatynes too, and hopefully I can tag along with some of the other lads if there's no racing around here.
.

The divs are open to all in the division. I am pretty sure of that.

Ballantyne is a good circuit, it is an out and back rather than laps, and the first long hill is within about 3 miles of the flag dropping. It's usually carnage and the bunch splits very early.
Last season there were only about 16 of us at the front end by the halfway point, no-one got away between there and the finish though until Chris Herbert attacked in the last mile and we all looked at one another!

shockedsoshocked

celbianchi wrote:

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

I had a look at the divisionals but I think I have to be a 3rd cat to enter. I'm going to stick an entry in for Ballatynes too, and hopefully I can tag along with some of the other lads if there's no racing around here.
.

The divs are open to all in the division. I am pretty sure of that.

I may have been looking at the North East Regional Road Race Championships. Can't see the divisionals on the calender!

celbianchi

Shocked - that's them, the divs. And you're right the BC calendar says E/1/2/3 but I am sure that 4ths can ride as the event is supposed to be open to all licence holders. I'll check with our club sec.

shockedsoshocked

Congrats by the way wheeler on winning the first prime. I went for it as well, then hit the little kick after the finish line an thought i'm not doing that five times haha.

@ Cel. Apparently I might be able to sneak in if we put a team entry in, but i'll see what happens. We were considering doing it for the Easter 4 Day but I don't think it would be wise :oops:

celbianchi

The 4 day is one hard race. Sometimes get a good number of elites and the better 1ats who aren't at the Girvan for whatever reason. I did it a couple of years back and was almost pleased to crash on stage 3 and end the miserable suffering.

Marcin Biablocki won it that year and he rode like a train.

wheeler585

Thanks so shocked, tell me about it, after that sprint, i wish i never did it as i could of done without that hill afterwards, i just see myself getting slowly towards the back!!! Was gunna go for the 2nd but got stuck on the inside, by the tall bloke wearing a specialized top, dirty tactics me thinks mwahhh

Your riding eddie soens this weekend eh, didnt gibb win it last year?? Im off down to Derby to Darley moor for some closed circuit action to. If your not totally booked into soens and are enterinjg on the line, i have a spare seat in the car if you fancy Darley moor?

Chapters race should be good on the 22nd, might pay off to try and get out of that slow group at the start, no wonder we got caught on the 3rd lap, no one was working together.

Seacroft race on the 29th, which is over Selby way, cat 3/4, might stand some kind of chance ha! Get yourelf booked in

celbianchi

wheeler585 wrote:

Chapters race should be good on the 22nd, might pay off to try and get out of that slow group at the start, no wonder we got caught on the 3rd lap, no one was working together.

Chapters race I don't think is a pursuit is it?
If it's not then you needn't worry about the pace from the start as with the E/1's in it there will be people jumping about from the flag going in. Much more attacking racing than a 3/4 race by and large.

shockedsoshocked

No I don't think Chapters is a pursuit.

Thanks for the offer wheeler but i've got a proper entry for the Soens (feels good being on the same list as some of the big hitters!). If I can't make it for whatever reason there's a team training weekend up at the Chapters hotel anyway, so i'll be heading to that.