[MD80]

I knew coming into yesterdays crit I had to keep my self in the pack, out of the wind. I didnt recover well from Saturday's strenuous ride but I thought I could handled the race. This was my first time racing on this particular course. About half way into the race, I felt ok and some how I found my self ending up at the front chasing down couple of guys who broke away. I dragged the whole pack for about a lap and a half and almost caught these guys. Then I was smoked. I shot back to the back and there I stayed for the few laps. I couldnt move up. If it was a flat course I had a chance, but there was a sharp turn in the course which immediately went up hill. Yoyoing was pretty bad at the back, combined with scrubbed speed and going up hill, I was done. I didnt get dropped. I quit. pain was too much, which I havent felt in couple of years when I was a weaker racer. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! That was my thinking on my way to my car. If I had stuck to my plan, hiding in the pack, I would have survived the race but no, I had to chase. Thats why I am a four. Did I learn my lesson? Probably not for long.

 

[Sub]

Not a big deal, atleast you know where your fitness is at now. It could be worse, I went off the front in a crit going for the last preme and about 15 yards off the front of the pack my right foot came unclipped and I did a flip over the handlebars. Luckily everyone missed me but my bike was trashed after getting flung through the air and landing upside down. Worst part was that lap was mine, and I doubt I would have finished worse than 2nd watching the finish.

 

[TurboTurtle]

It's hardwired. Like dogs when a bike goes by - we have to chase. TF

 

[hans]

I didnt get dropped. I quit. pain was too much

This is the wrong attitude for a bike racer. When it hurts, you suffer. Don't quit.

Besides, usually you only have to hang on for a little bit, and then the pace eases so you can recover.

It's hardwired. Like dogs when a bike goes by - we have to chase. TF

This is why there are so many Cat 4 "lifers", who will never (or should never) move up, and why you have to race the lower categories different from the higher ones. No offence to the original poster, but when I was a Cat 4 I knew to ignore every break as there was always someone willing to sacrifice his own race to bring them back. It's easy to outsprint someone when you have the fresh legs.

Remember that every effort should be calculated. Work backwards from the finish and determine your best strategy to win the race. In the 4's, the best strategy will rarely be to get in a break, unless you or your breakaway companions are total monsters. And the best strategy will never be to drag the pack up to the break and give everyone else a free ride.

Negative racing in Cat 4 is something you should learn to use to your advantage.

 

[Rollo Tommassi]

Your day will come!

Hey, don't sweat it, I think you rode a good race - for an early season race, what was your goal? Obviously you felt strong enough to sleddog at the front, so good! Someone has to make the race happen, otherwise, what are you doing?

Teammate could/would help, or at least be aware of what teams are in the break and what teams are trying to close it down. Sometimes at Cat 4 it is just all rabid adrenalin with no true tactics.

You just have to live and learn, and make that sleddog effort at the finish! Or maybe you'll be driving the break, not the bus.

Good luck!

 

[Spunout]

Yup, 'rabid adrenalin'.

Who were you working for at the front?

"There are many reasons to be at the front of a bicycle race. Don't get caught there without one".

 

[dawgcatching]

Hey, at least you got a good workout! It should pay off during the next race. If you could have gotten into the top 1/3 of the race once you had blown, you may have found it much easier going than at the back, trying to recover. Slowing and accelerating is much tougher than riding a steady pace at 10th wheel or so. Often safer too. And yeah, don't be forced into working for anybody you don't have to work for.

Our race experiences here with the 4's were different than some in the thread: usually, if you were smart and went off the front at the right time, you would win or be in a winning break.. I attacked with 1 1/2 laps to go in a crit last year, right when everyone had slowed, and nobody wanted to chase-the same thing happened earlier in the year when I attacked shortly before the finish: everyone just looked around waiting for somebody else to pull me back. I think if you want to attack, you should stay in good position but off the front until the attack, have a plan of when you are going to move, and then put everything into it.

 

[Orbea_Carbon_Force]

[Guys, attacking and solo break do and can work racing cat4 because.......everyone is waiting for someone to chase. Usually, no one would pick up the responsibility. To chase and not to chase can also be a matter of team obiligation. If your team has more rider representations and none of the breakaways has your team mate in it, you just have to chase. At the risk of helping other riders to bridge.

I knew coming into yesterdays crit I had to keep my self in the pack, out of the wind. I didnt recover well from Saturday's strenuous ride but I thought I could handled the race. This was my first time racing on this particular course. About half way into the race, I felt ok and some how I found my self ending up at the front chasing down couple of guys who broke away. I dragged the whole pack for about a lap and a half and almost caught these guys. Then I was smoked. I shot back to the back and there I stayed for the few laps. I couldnt move up. If it was a flat course I had a chance, but there was a sharp turn in the course which immediately went up hill. Yoyoing was pretty bad at the back, combined with scrubbed speed and going up hill, I was done. I didnt get dropped. I quit. pain was too much, which I havent felt in couple of years when I was a weaker racer. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! That was my thinking on my way to my car. If I had stuck to my plan, hiding in the pack, I would have survived the race but no, I had to chase. Thats why I am a four. Did I learn my lesson? Probably not for long.

 

[MD80]

Well I found out yesterday, I probably only had a few laps before the finish. Realizing that, I certainly would have made effort to finish the race. I am unattached. I chase just for the sake of chasing, and also to say "Ha, Ha,you bastards are caught"

I did pretty well yesterday at the training crit, which is pretty competitive considering there are lots of strong fours here in southern Cali. I used a little self control to keep out of the wind this time.

I sometimes, Ok most of the time, cant stand sitting in the pack. If I feel good, I hammer. I sometimes hear during races, sombody yelling to the front, if there is a break, to pick up the pace and catch up. Here we are, sitting 5 or 6 deep, and you're yelling?!! Shut your mouth and get off your lazy ass and get to the front start working!! One thing that I have a good self control over is my mouth.

It wasnt a very important race last Sunday. Its just a countless crits we have down here in SoCal. However, a road race with a good amount of climbing is coming up this Saturday and I'll be ready!

 

[stihl]

Aahh..CBR series is this weekend. Are you doing all three?

 

[Spunout]

... I am unattached. I chase just for the sake of chasing, and also to say "Ha, Ha,you bastards are caught"

May you remain a cat 4 forever.

 

[tobu]

"Well I found out yesterday, I probably only had a few laps before the finish. Realizing that, I certainly would have made effort to finish the race. I am unattached. I chase just for the sake of chasing, and also to say "Ha, Ha,you bastards are caught"

I did pretty well yesterday at the training crit, which is pretty competitive considering there are lots of strong fours here in southern Cali. I used a little self control to keep out of the wind this time.

I sometimes, Ok most of the time, cant stand sitting in the pack. If I feel good, I hammer. I sometimes hear during races, sombody yelling to the front, if there is a break, to pick up the pace and catch up. Here we are, sitting 5 or 6 deep, and you're yelling?!! Shut your mouth and get off your lazy ass and get to the front start working!! One thing that I have a good self control over is my mouth.

It wasnt a very important race last Sunday. Its just a countless crits we have down here in SoCal. However, a road race with a good amount of climbing is coming up this Saturday and I'll be ready!"

I hate to say it, but that is not racing. As an individual, there are only three things you should do -- sit in, attack off the front, or bridge. Never ever chase. If you are strong enough to chase and run a break down, you should really be off the front, or if there is already someone off the front, you need to bridge with an explosive move to get to the break. If you want to hammer, do so, but do it in a way that doesn't ruin the beauty of the race -- get in the break and drill it but don't drag the whole pack around.

 

[MD80]

May you remain a cat 4 forever.

Why do you say that?

Aahh..CBR series is this weekend. Are you doing all three?.

Nope just the road race and the crit on Sunday. I havent done a TT as of yet and not really interested doing one.

 

[steel515]

MD80, where are these training crits? I would like to watch,

 

[MShaw]

MD80, where are these training crits? I would like to watch,

WATCH?? how bout RIDE em?! You don't get faster otherwise!

M