Racing | Stronger Cyclist

Mens Racing Category

posted on August 24th, 2010 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Reviews by Stephen

There was a question asked many times, about road racing categories and which category should a beginner cyclist join to attempt their first race? Hopefully, this will clarify some of these questions for beginners as well as give some racers a better idea of what to expect from teams and team strategies for racing in higher categories.

While this may seem like a basic question to the common racer, it is a often asked question from outsiders of the cycling racing scene.

I can only write about things that I have seen and experienced from racing in the categories and some USPro races in the South Eastern US.

Here in the US we have USA Cycling Federation that creates and enforces most regulations of ‘sanctioned’ races.
But as I look over their website, it seems based for riders that are into racing, not riders that are looking to get into racing. So, I thought I would compile the basic categories and some info on what to expect in each.

MEN Categories are as follows:

Beginners = Category 5, nearly all racers must start in this category. There will be 1st time racers as well as some folks that are used to doing group rides and are now starting to get the hang of what it is like to ride steady and finish a race.

Upgrading 5-4:
To’upgrade’ from this category you Experience in 10 mass start races. Mass starts are groups starts – IE. criterium or road races. NO Time trial starts will qualify.

Category 4 = These riders have competed in a minimum number of cat.5 races. There will be riders here that are still getting their feet wet, and some riders that like racing in this category and can win many races.
Expect the pack to roll along usually together, and chase most attacks from other riders, but usually no counter-attacks, Therefore, most races in this category will come down to a sprint finish.

Upgrading 4->3:
20 points in any 12-month period; or experience in 25 qualifying races with a minimum of 10 top ten finishes with fields of 30 riders or more, or 20 pack finishes with fields over 50. 30 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade

Category 3: These racers are really starting to get strong. These riders are usually frequent group riders. They will have fairly good bike handling skills. Some racers will want to stay in Cat3′s and not upgrade – for a variety of reasons.

Expect these races to be often aggressive, but many still only attack the climbs, then keep a steady tempo, and chase any attacks. Therefore, many races may come down to sprint finishes.
Expect to see some team tactics, both failed and ones that work well. This is where team strategies will start to play a factor in the outcome of ‘some’ races.
Expect more climbers to show up at hilly races & more sprinters are flatter races.

Upgrading 3-2:
3-2: 25 points in any 12-month period
40 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade

Pro1,2: These races are where the racing really hits the fan!
These are the guys that have ridden 100-200 miles each weekend over the winter. Some maybe moto-pacing. On group rides, they are the guys that are either chatting at the back of the group (because they know they won’t get dropped) or on the front, pushing the pace. These guys can ride tempo on the front of a group at 20 mph and still hold a conversation with you about drinking last night.

Upgrading:
2-1: 30 points in any 12-month period**
50 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade

Attacks are the norm for this category! expect most races come down to a sprint – a sprint of who is still left in the break! Sometimes, the break gets shattered and the riders will come-in 1-2 at a time due to the speed, attacks, heat, terrain. Sometimes chaotic, sometimes controlled, the pace will vary based on who and if any Pro’s show up that weekend.

The pace may slow down just in time for you to breathe, but usually before you actually recover, someone will be flying off the front again!

Expect team-mates to be organized and team-members that are not afraid to be a sacrificial domestique for their team leader & chase anything down that they don’t like.

Master’s categories: In most Master’s races you can expect a steadier pace than in a Pro1,2 race. The attacks are there, but usually not quite as aggressive – these guys all know they have to go to work on Monday – they usually have families and don’t take some of the chances that the lower categories may try. The racing team tactics can be fierce! Expect the pace to be only slightly slower than a Pro1,2 race.

Some fields require a Master’s fields have 2 requirements:
A) ‘racing age’ over the category. So, if you are turning 35 in December or earlier you racing age for that year, then your ‘racing age’ is 35.

B) to be a cat4 or higher (no cat 5′s) but each race may have different rules.

I hope this helps clarify the questions about where to start off as a new racer, and a little of what to expect in each of the categories, and the differences to expect once you upgrade.

Is Rubbing Racing?

posted on July 22nd, 2010 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Reviews, Ride Reports by Stephen

There has been some debate recently about whether or not ‘rubbing is racing’ in the cycling world. Although it may seem that rubbing is not (or should not) be involved in cycling and racing, the fact of the matter is that it is involved, and the reasons may not be what you would think…..it’s for safety!

on the right you can see 2 guys bump in this sprint finish of a cat4 race

Ever watch a big stage race on TV, and see the overhead shots of riders along the narrow streets. They seemed like they are packed onto the road in a sardine container. They are so close to each other that 1 potential slip would cause a pretty serious crash, which often happens when you get about 180 cyclists on the road. Tension is high. Riders are moving around the pack, domestics are dropping back to get bottles, jostling for position before a climb, riders have to grab feed bags as they go through the feed zone, there is a rotation of riders at the front of the peleton that are doing the most work, teams have to gather and organize for sprint lead-outs.

All of this moving around with in the pack, this pack that is in constant motion, not only externally, but also internally is another reason that rubbing is racing. In both racing and many group rides, riders often bump into each other, but I would bet that crashes per bump ratio is pretty low. In fact, I would be willing to bet that riders bumping into each other causing crashes is much more rare than when riders over-lap wheels!

photo by Jon Woodruff - www.TwoToneAtl.com

As you become a Stronger Cyclist and ride more group rides and especially if you race, you will at some point either be bumped or bump someone else. Riders may bump for several different reasons. The difference is A) how hard someone is bumped. If a rider is crashing, there isn’t much you can do. If a rider slowly shifts left or right then you may get bumped. B) the intention and C) the way it is handled.

The Intention: Often times, riders will simply shift slightly left or right and if you happen to be on that side of a rider, then you may bump into each other. Usually the little bump is neither planned nor intentional. The riders merely touch, separate and that is the end of it.

Sometimes this is a safety measure to let the person ahead of you know that you are on that side of them.

Sometimes in racing someone will bump into you attempting to move you over and/or take your position. Although this is more intentional, it is a legal move as long as their hands stay on their handlebars. In fact, this is a very common practice in a Velodrome race called the Keirin. (And much easier to take pictures of!)

photo by Carleton Hall - http://www.flickr.com/photos/carleton_hall/

If you ride in a group, you will more than likely get bumped. So here are some guide lines of how to handle it.

Guide Lines of getting Bumped:
A) Try not to freak out.
B) Do NOT slam on your brakes!
C) Attempt to hold a straight line

photo by Carleton Hall - http://www.flickr.com/photos/carleton_hall/

If you want to practice bumping, it is best to talk it out with a friend ahead of time, so you both know it is going to happen. Start by cycling in the grass, as you get close, try to barely touch elbows. Your goal is not to hit them or move them, but to just make contact.
Next time try to reach out with your elbow and attempt to touch the other person’s hip.

If you are not used to be bumped while cycling, there is a good chance that it will freak you out the first time. But if you handle the situation well, it really will become 2nd nature after a while. After a while you may find that like I did, I would bump my friends that I know how to handle the situation and I knew don’t mind, so much that eventually I would bump them and with out them seeing me, they would say ‘Hi Stephen’.

Bicycle Racing Tactics

posted on July 18th, 2010 in Cycling, Cycling Tips, Ride Reports by Stephen

If you have been watching the Tour de France you will see some of the top climbers use all kinds of racing strategy (or at least carry-out the directors strategy via their ear-piece). But if the more you know about what is going on the more clear it becomes why some riders make certain moves, which the commentators are so eager to speculate on.

For instance in the 2010 stage 13 of the TdF, in the mountains Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador allowed Menchov to attack them and gain valuable time, while the two of them eyed each other. It’s hard to say what they each were thinking, strategy wise. But as one person put it on twitter:

Strange day. Andy seems happy w/ 30 sec. on Bert, and Bert happy to give time to Menchov and Sanchez. Blunder for both, or smart riding?

The reason that this is so important in the TdF is that they will be facing a Time Trial coming up, where their team-mates will not be able to help, and Menchov will be strongly favored over Schleck and Contador.

It’s amazing to watch the strategy of each racer in the tour as the days go by. Sometimes the strategy changes very quickly from winning to surviving. But rarely the opposite happens. The strategy of a multi-stage race has many differences and similarities to a single day race. A good team will know how to use their strengths for an advantage, and to avoid having a team mate in a tough spot.

This is part of what it is like to be able to ‘read a race’. Knowing how a race is going to unfold before it happens. Two of the best at it that I’ve seen were: at 45 years old 1996 Olympic alternate, Kent Bostick, and Jittery Joe pro, Jeff Hopkins.

Hopkins became notorious for telling a racer on the velodrome that they would be the next one out, then make it happen. He knew the race and the dynamics so well, that it was hard to combat his combination of strength and strategy. He is somewhat infamous for sitting at the back of a local Pro NRC criterium, and crashing because he was waving at some ladies – gets put back into the race banged-up and bloody – and rallies his team to get him into the top 5 for the finish. Later, his team mate said ‘when a guy like Hoppy says get me up there, you do it!’

As I raced with Bostick he would ask people if they were happy with 2nd and if you said no, he would just attack you. He made it in your best interest to say ‘yes’ and gladly work with him to get you to the finish line ahead of the main field. He would make sure that everyone in the break took a turn of pulling and then watch to see who was stronger and who was getting tired. Bostick knew how the race was going to unfold in his mind before it even happened. Even if he was the oldest guy in the Pro1,2 field and maybe not the strongest, he was able to use strategy to overcome his opponents.

1) Create a strategy. Some good ideas for strategy is to have a team meeting before the race starts. See who has the legs and strongest desire to win that day.

2) Plan the outcome. Next figure on a plan that will have the race unfold as you would like to see happen, and a back-up plan in-case it doesn’t.

3) Action. Next, when the time comes, take action! Act upon the plan that the team has created as best as you can.

4) Learn. Regardless of the outcome, always try to learn from what happened and improve your teams results.