Darley Moor road racing

underthesun

Hi,
I would like to do some road racing at Darley Moor next year but I haven't got a clue how to go about it. I don't know what cat rider I am as my main discipline is MTBing. I got two silver standard sportives last year and came 9th out of 90 riders in the SITS 24 hour MTB race in August.

Can anyone offer any advice as to how to go about doing a bit of racing at Darley Moor and lend any tips to riding etiquette during the races etc.

Cheers.

Bronzie

Have a read of this thread which will cover a lot of your questions I hope:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12614107

Pokerface

That's a great thread with lots of useful info.

Basically - you'd be a Cat 4 racer to start. Get in touch with British Cycling next year to purchase a racing licence and membership if you don't already have one. (Memberships run 12 months from purchase date - racing licence runs January to January, regardless of purchase date).

Darley Moor is harder than it seems due to the wind on the course - but the racing there is friendly.

Various clubs will run races there throughout the year (and you can find events on the BC race calendar on their website). You may also want to check out: www.theleagueinternational.com as they hold events there also - and you don't need a membership or licence to race in their events.

Be prepared for some pain and suffering and possibly even to get left behind or lapped, depending on your fitness. Racing is MUCH different than sportive riding. But stick with it and good luck!

(Also might want to consider joining a cycling club and going on group rides to get used to riding in a bunch if you haven't before as that is definitely a skill you will need.)

Slow1972

I'd echo Pokerface's comments. For Darley Moor in particular:

- you will get bunches of 100+ in the Cat 3/4 races if this year is anything to go by so you need to be comfortable with racing in a bunch, in particular holding your line in and out of the tighter bends (particularly the hairpin)

- it will be 24 laps or thereabouts with hard accelerations out of the corners (again particularly the hairpin) so you'll find there's more full on efforts than you would perhaps find in a roadrace over a 6 or 7 mile road circuit. So make sure you've done your interval training before you go as these are the places where you are likely to lose touch with the bunch

- don't lose contact with the bunch if you can avoid it, the headwind that always seems to be blowing up there means it will be unlikely you will get back on

fun though, enjoy it

Pokerface

Slow1972 wrote:

don't lose contact with the bunch if you can avoid it, the headwind that always seems to be blowing up there means it will be unlikely you will get back on

That headwind is a KILLER!!!

Stay near the front/in the middle of the bunch and the bunch will protect you and carry you along.