Tour of Cambridge

cycleclinic

racing is like that. Surging is part of it. In a race you have to be fit enough to react to the changes in pace or you get spat out. It take training to do that. If you enter a race and cannot cope with the pace then dont complain it is a race not a disiplined club ride with a no drop policy.

In normal U.K road races you race in a pack of 50+ on roads with traffic which can be dicey at times. I like this event because I can race on closed roads and I can assure you it is far less dicey. There is no way unless I become a pro which is not going to happen that I can race on closed roads. A closed road sportive like ride london is not the same thing not even close. So I think step83 you entered the wrong event. nothing wrong with the event though.

step83

thecycleclinic wrote:

racing is like that. Surging is part of it. In a race you have to be fit enough to react to the changes in pace or you get spat out. It take training to do that. If you enter a race and cannot cope with the pace then dont complain it is a race not a disiplined club ride with a no drop policy.

In normal U.K road races you race in a pack of 50+ on roads with traffic which can be dicey at times. I like this event because I can race on closed roads and I can assure you it is far less dicey. There is no way unless I become a pro which is not going to happen that I can race on closed roads. A closed road sportive like ride london is not the same thing not even close. So I think step83 you entered the wrong event. nothing wrong with the event though.

Wow thanks, think ill take your advice sell all my bikes and take up dominos...

mpatts

u-turn:

I read their statement and - I think - they have answered the questions well. Cancelling the podiums is a shame, and I'm sure they will work it out for next year, but given the chance again I'd still prefer it went ahead than not.

Hopefully they'll learn from it!

964cup

thecycleclinic wrote:

racing is like that. Surging is part of it. In a race you have to be fit enough to react to the changes in pace or you get spat out. It take training to do that. If you enter a race and cannot cope with the pace then dont complain it is a race not a disiplined club ride with a no drop policy.

Sure, but it wasn't a crit, it was a road race. You'd expect (and we got) some fannying about at the start to shell out the weak, but then you'd hope for some discipline to keep a bunch rolling and provide a chance to reel in any breakaways. Then you'd expect some more fannying about in the last 20k or so. This should be particularly true of any group *not* at the front of the race, since the job there is to work together to make the junction. I found some groups that were trying to do this, but towards the second half (having lost touch with the front group) there just wasn't the experience, or discipline, or willingness, or something, for people to really get it together. I think I left about 20 minutes on the table as a result, looking at segment splits. I had the legs to work with a group, but not to bridge ahead on my own.

Denmark was much harder work overall, but the group disciple was better, I thought. Admittedly the front bunch dropped everyone else even before the end of the neutralised zone, but thereafter people worked together more effectively.

foot_loose

I was in the challenge event. Finished in 4h35m. I enjoyed the event, the second closed road one I have done (London Surrey last year). My main gripes were the apparent lack of toilet facilities (though I found more nearer the start when I was in the pen) and the cost of parking which I thought was a rip off given the cost of the event. Consequently, I got there before 8am to avoid paying and then had hours to wait before the start with not a lot to do. I appreciate that registering 8,000 people takes some time but even so.

cruff

964Cup wrote:

thecycleclinic wrote:

racing is like that. Surging is part of it. In a race you have to be fit enough to react to the changes in pace or you get spat out. It take training to do that. If you enter a race and cannot cope with the pace then dont complain it is a race not a disiplined club ride with a no drop policy.

Sure, but it wasn't a crit, it was a road race. You'd expect (and we got) some fannying about at the start to shell out the weak, but then you'd hope for some discipline to keep a bunch rolling and provide a chance to reel in any breakaways. Then you'd expect some more fannying about in the last 20k or so. This should be particularly true of any group *not* at the front of the race, since the job there is to work together to make the junction. I found some groups that were trying to do this, but towards the second half (having lost touch with the front group) there just wasn't the experience, or discipline, or willingness, or something, for people to really get it together. I think I left about 20 minutes on the table as a result, looking at segment splits. I had the legs to work with a group, but not to bridge ahead on my own.

Denmark was much harder work overall, but the group disciple was better, I thought. Admittedly the front bunch dropped everyone else even before the end of the neutralised zone, but thereafter people worked together more effectively.

Exactly. In a crit, fair enough. But in a mass start race, with groups that should be about thirty or forty strong all helping each other out, there's no point stringing a bunch out unnecessarily through uncooperative riding. If there are genuinely stronger riders then they should bridge up to the next group (as happened a couple of times with the groups I ended up in before finding one going ast my pace and sticking with them for a longer period). No-one's proving anything or gaining any advantage by stamping on it out of corners with thirty miles to go.

step83

zebulebu wrote:

Exactly. In a crit, fair enough. But in a mass start race, with groups that should be about thirty or forty strong all helping each other out, there's no point stringing a bunch out unnecessarily through uncooperative riding. If there are genuinely stronger riders then they should bridge up to the next group (as happened a couple of times with the groups I ended up in before finding one going ast my pace and sticking with them for a longer period). No-one's proving anything or gaining any advantage by stamping on it out of corners with thirty miles to go.

That was my point, plus why surge a few hundred yards from a tight bend, as in the split point at Pondersbridge sure you may give it a couple of stamps to carry the speed into the rise before the bend.
Like you said the stronger riders should bridge up to the next group which usually tows along the other group rather than stringing everyone out. Makes sense to do it as well you get the benefit of easier riding an usually a better speed so therefore a better time.

paul2718

foot_loose wrote:

...and the cost of parking which I thought was a rip off given the cost of the event. Consequently, I got there before 8am to avoid paying and then had hours to wait before the start with not a lot to do. I appreciate that registering 8,000 people takes some time but even so.

I think last year they had queues back up the A1M, and the police and local authority said 'do something or else'. The result was the parking charge. And, AFAICT, it's worked. You do of course have the option of parking elsewhere and riding in.

So, rip off, but rip off for a reason.

Paul

paul2718

Step83 wrote:

Like you said the stronger riders should bridge up to the next group which usually tows along the other group rather than stringing everyone out. Makes sense to do it as well you get the benefit of easier riding an usually a better speed so therefore a better time.

But the qualification criteria is on your position* rather than your time. If you tow weaker riders around and they end up out-sprinting you, then you may lose out. Although I don't think this is actually the reason behind the surgery.

IME most riders in an event like Sunday's don't know how to ride in a group, don't know how to work together, don't know about the wind and don't know how to ride around corners. The answer is to get faster and ride with those who do... Easy to say.

Paul

*Position ordered by chip time, to be pedantic.

step83

paul2718 wrote:

But the qualification criteria is on your position* rather than your time. If you tow weaker riders around and they end up out-sprinting you, then you may lose out. Although I don't think this is actually the reason behind the surgery.

IME most riders in an event like Sunday's don't know how to ride in a group, don't know how to work together, don't know about the wind and don't know how to ride around corners. The answer is to get faster and ride with those who do... Easy to say.

Paul

*Position ordered by chip time, to be pedantic.

True I was in the Sport category rather than Race I think the only people I saw from the Race group had issues on the day.
I get what you mean with towing the weaker riders, it'll just come back to bite you at the end when you've hauled them along they've enjoyed a lovely tow an then they drop you in the last few miles.
I think you've hit the nail on the head about Sunday riders though a lot would have rocked up in leisure group which set off first then everyone else had to pass them.

dyrlac

paul2718 wrote:

But the qualification criteria is on your position* rather than your time. If you tow weaker riders around and they end up out-sprinting you, then you may lose out. Although I don't think this is actually the reason behind the surgery.

IME most riders in an event like Sunday's don't know how to ride in a group, don't know how to work together, don't know about the wind and don't know how to ride around corners. The answer is to get faster and ride with those who do... Easy to say.

Paul

*Position ordered by chip time, to be pedantic.

To be fair though, if you're strong enough to be towing people around who have the gas to outsprint you after 130-odd km, qualification (top 25% of age group) is not going to be a concern in any age bracket. Pretty sure the qualification cut off for 19-34M was around 3:55, or even a touch above.

on-yer-bike

My race group was fine. There where a few riders that spent too long on the front but they didnt have to. We even echeloned on occasions using the whole road.

buzzlightyear1

My race group was OK too. Wasn't much racing going on until towards the end though, but I think there was a significant minority who weren't really interested in that aspect :?

cruff

on-yer-bike wrote:

My race group was fine. There where a few riders that spent too long on the front but they didnt have to. We even echeloned on occasions using the whole road.

I tried to get an echelon going as we turned into a crosswind. I even shouted 'ECHELON!' Just got one other bloke interested and some puzzled looks from the rest of them

buzzlightyear1

Masters Age Group Race Results now published (first three positions in each cat.) http://tourofcambridge.co.uk/Tour_of_Ca ... _Fondo.php