When racing with your cat and maybe the one above, is it normal to be dropped every now and then, even though your trainings going fine?
Yup. Sometimes it's just not your day!
I used to.....not anymore
Yes. Sometimes the course isn't for you, sometimes you're not good enough, not feeling good, not fit enough or just make a mistake.
I get absolutely caned on any tight twisty crit like circuit, just don't have the balls to keep the speed up in close quarters with others when things get tight. Generally fine on the open road though.
haha, just wondered if it was me being utter crap. I finished the same race last year in a decent position, this year see ya....
training more (not over trained) so just expected to turn up and finish
To much time chasing breaks.....
Not been dropped yet, done around 6 races this season. Got my cat3 last week as well 🙂
Alright! :o)
TH my first season racing I didn't get dropped once, got my 3rd cat licence in 3 races. Last year I was a lot fitter, faster and thinner, got dropped more often! Possibly picked tougher races though
Enter a few E,1,2's to get used to the feeling 😀
Depends what cat you're racing and what your strengths are. I never got dropped racing 3/4 - can't say I can ever remember being in trouble. But then I was never a good enough sprinter to get points in sprint finishes to get myself upgraded (and not actually quite good enough to be able to get off the front very often in more attritional races, nor did I ever ride many races which didn't end in a bunch or large group sprint). I suspect if I'd raced cat 2 or higher raced I would have been dropped at some point.
Thinking of racing LVRC this season, so might test that theory I suspect.
Same Hammerite - Got my 3rd year before last, last year I entered a few 2/3rds for experience, what I leant most is that I'm not fast enough to be knocking around with 2nds!
In the same effort I entered a E,1,2 last year - I lasted 15 minutes!
I pay much more attention to my warm up these days.
Seriously, I'm not that bad! :o)
Coming from a MTB background though the skill set is a lot more different than I'd imagined, I can knock out a decent TT effort but my sprints terrible! Hence me chasing anything that looks like it'll stay away as to avoid a sprint finish - burnt to many matches doing that today....
Yep so many factors can go against you.
In the vets there are no points, and only the top three are placed. That means there's little or no point in saving yourself for 10th place. Sadly that all to often means going out in a blaze of glory.
On the other hand you might be racing hard and blowing out, it's very very early in the year to tell and the races are packed with 4th cats turning up to get their 3rd.
It's not been a case of flying in January, dying in April?
It'll come good. What race by the way? Westerly?
Yep so many factors can go against you.
In the vets there are no points, and only the top three are placed. That means there's little or no point in saving yourself for 10th place. Sadly that all to often means going out in a blaze of glory.
On the other hand you might be racing hard and blowing out, it's very very early in the year to tell and the races are packed with 4th cats turning up to get their 3rd.
It's not been a case of flying in January, dying in April?
It'll come good. What race by the way? Westerly?
Oooohhh yes.
I got dropped a million times when I was racing, largely because I never saw the point of sitting in a bunch of 3rds and 4ths and juniors just to finish. I'd batter myself for me or for my team at every race just for a laugh.
Later on, when I learned how to sprint I was a bit more sparing with my efforts and didn't get dropped at all.
Then we went off to race in Belgium and I got used to not even getting to the last lap all over again.
Ah Crikey, were on the same page! It's had to unlearn, I find it really hard to just sit around 2/3rds down the bunch. In my first year I'd have club mates shouting from the bunch 'get off the front!' 'spose you can get away with it as a 'good' fourth.
Noel Jones over in Wales oldgit, I should have stuck with the plan to sit in after seeing the start sheet, some quite handy 2nds turned up.
Hopefully not Oldgit re blowing up, trip to Majorca feb took a bit of getting over but I'm sorted after chucking in a non-planned rest week a while ago (hopefully)