Race Report Thread

[rheicel]

Well done Stu!

[Xplora]

Very proud of you gretaboy, well done!

[toolonglegs]

Amazing gretaboy! ... wasn't expecting to see that post

Jules ... it was flat but very windy, plus small field, well small for here. It was certainly a lot easier than my previous grade which is always within 1km av of A grade. But then you need to understand the grading here ... even though I am in Cat 4 now, in theory there are still 6 or 7 grades above mine .

[zill]

when is the next Blackburn ITT?

Very good question which I don't have the answer for! Probably the 1 in 20 hill climb now?

Just out of interest and if you know, how is the standard usually in Blackburn crits at Casey Fields over the winter? Also is it a road bike race or a CX race?

[dalai47]

I haven't raced Casey fields for a number of years so can't say what the standard is like zill. You would have to review previous results to see field sizes and quality...

It is a road crit. Blackburn don't run any CX races.

[zill]

I haven't raced Casey fields for a number of years so can't say what the standard is like zill. You would have to review previous results to see field sizes and quality...

It is a road crit. Blackburn don't run any CX races.

How safe or dangerous did you find the course? Any tight corners?

[zill]

I haven't raced Casey fields for a number of years so can't say what the standard is like zill. You would have to review previous results to see field sizes and quality...

It is a road crit. Blackburn don't run any CX races.

How safe or dangerous did you find the course? Any tight corners?

[dalai47]

Like I said it's been a while. Pretty sure I was pedalling through all the corners, so safe enough. No sharp corners like the Hawthorn crit for instance.

[foo on patrol]

Bloody fantastic news, Gretaboy! [emoji106] [emoji41]

Foo

[jules21]

casey fields has no tight corners, just gentle curves you can pedal through. gotta give them credit for stumping up for a dedicated crit course, but i think the course designers missed the point of crits there. the whole point is to have challenging aspects. it is windy though so that makes up a bit for the lack of technical parts.

[zill]

casey fields has no tight corners, just gentle curves you can pedal through. gotta give them credit for stumping up for a dedicated crit course, but i think the course designers missed the point of crits there. the whole point is to have challenging aspects. it is windy though so that makes up a bit for the lack of technical parts.

Windy = breakaway opportunity!

Have you raced there recently and if so is it similar to say the Coburg crits in terms of hardness of the races/quality of the field?

Probably a good choice of race given the northern combine usually starts really early and is so far away!

[singlespeedscott]

Why would you want technical corners in a crit? It's dangerous enough as it is.

[jules21]

Why would you want technical corners in a crit? It's dangerous enough as it is.

because they put pressure on riders to the rear of the bunch, when accelerating out of corners. with no corners, you can just sit on the back for the entire race and let others work. of course, once everyone figures that out, soon enough there's no one driving on the front. then you have a slow bunch ride. i find that boring

Have you raced there recently and if so is it similar to say the Coburg crits in terms of hardness of the races/quality of the field?

the quality of field and difficulty of racing is more linked to the host club/series, than the course. I've raced there with Southern Masters and you can go from A grade (hard) to G grade (retired oldies floating around). Blackburn I've not done but it will be graded.

[lock_]

Why would you want technical corners in a crit? It's dangerous enough as it is.

because they put pressure on riders to the rear of the bunch, when accelerating out of corners. with no corners, you can just sit on the back for the entire race and let others work. of course, once everyone figures that out, soon enough there's no one driving on the front. then you have a slow bunch ride. i find that boring

Clearly not enough attacking going on Jules .

Racing crits with the Vets over the last few weeks has been interesting. No one works without purpose, no one sets tempo. Attack->Attack->Recover->Attack harder x 65min, then lose to the sprinter type who'd been in survival mode all race. Good times.

[singlespeedscott]

Why would you want technical corners in a crit? It's dangerous enough as it is.

because they put pressure on riders to the rear of the bunch, when accelerating out of corners. with no corners, you can just sit on the back for the entire race and let others work. of course, once everyone figures that out, soon enough there's no one driving on the front. then you have a slow bunch ride. i find that boring

Clearly not enough attacking going on Jules .

Racing crits with the Vets over the last few weeks has been interesting. No one works without purpose, no one sets tempo. Attack->Attack->Recover->Attack harder x 65min, then lose to the sprinter type who'd been in survival mode all race. Good times.

If the format of crit racing doesn't suit your style why not try a proper road race?

[queequeg]

Clearly not enough attacking going on Jules .

Racing crits with the Vets over the last few weeks has been interesting. No one works without purpose, no one sets tempo. Attack->Attack->Recover->Attack harder x 65min, then lose to the sprinter type who'd been in survival mode all race. Good times.

I've only done crit races so far. Only been
racing since April, and did the Sydney Road Titles and the Cervelo Masters.
I am not a super sprinter, so just letting it all end in a bunch sprint is pretty boring to me. I'd rather have a crack at something different, so I am always looking for who goes in a breakaway and I try to be there, or be the guy that starts it.
I took my first win in C Grade with a 500m solo break from the bunch, which started on Lap 2 with myself and two others in my club. I just went for 40min at threshold effort while my club mates motivated the bunch to stay put.
I got put up to B Grade after that effort. First time out it was bunch sprint where I finished somewhere in the top 10 after attempting a late solo break that I can up 40m short on. The following week I jumped in an 8 man breakaway and took 3rd in
the sprint, about a bike length behind the other two riders.
At the Cervelo Masters I managed 4th in C Grade After doing most of the work, and backing up from the Sydney Road Titles 2 days earlier. That was fun, as half the guys in my age group are A Grade racers, so I was happy to just finish in the bunch with 16th, 7 secs behind the winner.

[jules21]

Racing crits with the Vets over the last few weeks has been interesting. No one works without purpose, no one sets tempo. Attack->Attack->Recover->Attack harder x 65min, then lose to the sprinter type who'd been in survival mode all race. Good times.

If the format of crit racing doesn't suit your style why not try a proper road race?

lock is a former masters road champion at his club

[Pedaling]

Congratulations Gretaboy,
That is bloody unbelievable.
Here I am moping around with a few broken bones from racing at Heffron a few weeks ago.
Thanks for sharing, and inspiring.

Darrin.

[lock_]

Racing crits with the Vets over the last few weeks has been interesting. No one works without purpose, no one sets tempo. Attack->Attack->Recover->Attack harder x 65min, then lose to the sprinter type who'd been in survival mode all race. Good times.

If the format of crit racing doesn't suit your style why not try a proper road race?

lock is a former masters road champion at his club

Indeed, trophy and everything . I would like to get more road racing in though, this year I'll do 5-7, last year I managed 3, year before probably over 10. I'll race anything I can get to really; road races are hard in a single car family, with young kids and a partner that works weekends.

Anyway, think Scott just misread my intent. I'm saying the Vets do it properly, and the constant attacking type race suites me well. Crits are always the sprinters race to lose, and I just couldn't make anything stick for more than a couple laps... this time. It was just the counter type scenario to what Jules alluded too... I've raced many a B/C grade race where you'll get guys on the front tapping out 40km/h, pretty much nullifying any attacks, just because they can and not because it'll help them or a team mate win. I've even done it myself. It's not just Vets though, A grade was the same last season too, very rarely would it come down to a sprint finish. Unfortunately I just lacked the strength to go in those breaks (mostly).

My 15yo will often complain of boredom, of which I'll reply in a very dad-like manner "you need to learn to make your own fun". Same goes for crits, boring if you/someone doesn't make them fun.

[jules21]

let me know if you need a lift to Combine races lock.

[toppity]

casey fields has no tight corners, just gentle curves you can pedal through. gotta give them credit for stumping up for a dedicated crit course, but i think the course designers missed the point of crits there. the whole point is to have challenging aspects. it is windy though so that makes up a bit for the lack of technical parts.

Windy = breakaway opportunity!

Have you raced there recently and if so is it similar to say the Coburg crits in terms of hardness of the races/quality of the field?

Probably a good choice of race given the northern combine usually starts really early and is so far away!

I'm not racing at the moment, but have raced there a lot. It suits me, I'm one of those sprinter types. When I was tapering off I was able to race, but not win, at "B" grade masters (SMCC), but got dropped from "B" grade Blackburn after working a little too hard. Just like any course, it is as hard as you make it. But there is hardly any change in elevation.

[cerb]

Saw you in some photos on the top step of the podium Jules... congrats! Looked like a terrible day out there. Suits you down to a T

[Gunlock]

Saw you in some photos on the top step of the podium Jules... congrats! Looked like a terrible day out there. Suits you down to a T

Talk about a terrible day. I havent been warm since Saturday morning.

[jules21]

Saw you in some photos on the top step of the podium Jules... congrats! Looked like a terrible day out there. Suits you down to a T

I don't know about that Cerb! my hands were rendered useless for about 1/2 hour after the race, until I could get circulation back into them.. thanks though

i attacked with 2 of 8 laps to go. funnily enough, it was a small field (12 starters, only 8 of us left by then) - unsure why people chose to stay home

at least 3 of the survivors were club-mates who I suspect were a bit unsure of how to respond.. of course I knew that when I attacked. in all honesty, I thought I was most likely setting it up for one of them by pressuring others to chase, leaving them fresh for the finish when I was inevitably caught. but the weather had closed in right about that moment in time, and I think some riders had mentally checked out of the race.. they also got held up by traffic, but strava tells me I won comfortably by more than what they were held up for. so I cruised to the win. I don't win often but when I do I always feel guilty about it - small field, club mates, traffic - but I'll take it

[cerb]

haha... a win is a win! Everyone enters knowing it is a race!