Handicapped Races V Categorised Races
JesseD
Posts: 1,961
What are the benefits of the different types of races put on, in particular handicapped races V categorised races.
I just had a conversation in my LBS whilst buying some gels etc in prep for this Sundays race which is handicapped and the conversation turned to the race and the time difference the different groups were going to be set off at. The course has been used for years and the usual is to allow 30 seconds between groups per lap, therefore a between each group should be 5 mins, however the gap has been set at 2 mins which means the lower 2 categories stand virtually no chance of a result even if they work together as a group for the majority of the race as they will be swept up within 4-5 laps by the faster groups. The reason for this is citing safety as a concern as they don’t want 40 riders all sweeping into the final corner together, now that I understand, however if the course doesn’t lend itself to handicapped racing then just make it categorised?
In my head a handicapped race should be staggered so all groups come together on the last lap to give everyone a fighting chance or what’s the point of a handicapped race, you might as well just ride it in categories?
Race organisers – your thoughts as I must be missing something here?
I just had a conversation in my LBS whilst buying some gels etc in prep for this Sundays race which is handicapped and the conversation turned to the race and the time difference the different groups were going to be set off at. The course has been used for years and the usual is to allow 30 seconds between groups per lap, therefore a between each group should be 5 mins, however the gap has been set at 2 mins which means the lower 2 categories stand virtually no chance of a result even if they work together as a group for the majority of the race as they will be swept up within 4-5 laps by the faster groups. The reason for this is citing safety as a concern as they don’t want 40 riders all sweeping into the final corner together, now that I understand, however if the course doesn’t lend itself to handicapped racing then just make it categorised?
In my head a handicapped race should be staggered so all groups come together on the last lap to give everyone a fighting chance or what’s the point of a handicapped race, you might as well just ride it in categories?
Race organisers – your thoughts as I must be missing something here?
Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!
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Comments
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Well the organisers didn't go with 2 mins between groups as was being bandied about, but we still caught the group below us in 5 laps and we were caught on the 7th lap and got blown apart by the faster group.
3 went off the front straight away as soon as we were caught, half our group managed to hang on with the faster guys till the end and the rest got shelled pretty quickly.
Its the first time I rode that particular course and it doesn't lend itself to a big bunch sprint which in my head means that it should never have been a handicapped race but catagorised.
The final corner was just mental, it rained on lap 8 so the roads were greasy and everyone was trying to find gaps where there weren't any, I yielded or the lunatics on the final corner despite being 4th wheel approaching it as I didn't want to be brought down racing for 4th position as the break stayed away. Finished top 10 in the end which was ok.Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!0 -
We have a local handicapped race series and it works very well...some weeks the scratch group catches some they don't....keeps it all a bit mixed up and makes the first couple of groups work harder than they usually would!0
