Bouckaert-Soenen

[MTB_Roadie]

  On 1/30/2012 at 9:01 AM, stratus5 said:

From your hub posts and general appearance, I put two and two together and realized you must be "Tiny" earlier in the race. Had a good laugh!

 

You are lucky you are large, any smaller and I would have mugged you for that half bottle of energy drink you still had left as we turned off the R44. I had run out by this stage and was starting to over-heat and dehydrate quickly. Would have killed for an ice cube!

 

I stopped at the last waterpoint for a quick refill...haha...they had ICE there, so filled bottle with ice and water...felt like victory when I tasted that!

[Tiny K]

  On 1/30/2012 at 9:01 AM, stratus5 said:

From your hub posts and general appearance, I put two and two together and realized you must be "Tiny" earlier in the race. Had a good laugh!

 

You are lucky you are large, any smaller and I would have mugged you for that half bottle of energy drink you still had left as we turned off the R44. I had run out by this stage and was starting to over-heat and dehydrate quickly. Would have killed for an ice cube!

 

:clap: :clap: Yeah, I went in expecting the heat and had sipped half a bottle before the race. Took two full bottles of juice and a 500ml of water - just to spray in the legs when I overcooked (which happened often). Still had a half bottle of juice at the finish

[nuge]

  On 1/30/2012 at 8:16 AM, rpedro said:

Jip I was in that same group :-) "Complete Cyclist" kit

i was in club100 kit, trying to do some damage on the front for the first 40km without any luck!

 

pity though, felt strong, but that climb was just enough to put me back far enough that i didn't see the break again. bummer

[stratus5]

  On 1/30/2012 at 8:57 AM, MTB_Roadie said:

Yes I was that unlucky break away one where you guys pulled the whole bunch back catching me....however we worked very well from there.

 

There is a few STARS riders who don't work at all, but always claim top3...I think it is time we sit on their wheels a bit from now on...

So now you have to ask yourself WTF you are doing in the STARS group?

 

They rode a sad time of 3:41 on Sunday, got caught by the G/H group, had the D/E group take 12min out of them and more than 20 min by the A/C group. This means that for seeding purposes, the STARS are riding at I/J level times. I understand the frustration because I rode CAT3 last year.

 

Your seeding is not going to improve, you are unlikely to get a podium because of the sprint specialists, and when you do break away, G/H will pull them back.

 

Join D/E group. Your times will be faster and your seeding will improve. The load at the front may even be more equitably shared.

[Tiny K]

  On 1/30/2012 at 9:16 AM, stratus5 said:

So now you have to ask yourself WTF you are doing in the STARS group?

 

They rode a sad time of 3:41 on Sunday, got caught by the G/H group, had the D/E group take 12min out of them and more than 20 min by the A/C group. This means that for seeding purposes, the STARS are riding at I/J level times. I understand the frustration because I rode CAT3 last year.

 

Your seeding is not going to improve, you are unlikely to get a podium because of the sprint specialists, and when you do break away, G/H will pull them back.

 

Join D/E group. Your times will be faster and your seeding will improve. The load at the front may even be more equitably shared.

 

Agree 100% here. I heard they got caught again yesterday. I think the Stars bunch should start later i.e. after the G/H lot - if they are going to ride for position and points rather than time they don't need to start before faster guys riding for time. Just my 2c.

[grant10]

  On 1/30/2012 at 9:16 AM, stratus5 said:

So now you have to ask yourself WTF you are doing in the STARS group?

 

They rode a sad time of 3:41 on Sunday, got caught by the G/H group, had the D/E group take 12min out of them and more than 20 min by the A/C group. This means that for seeding purposes, the STARS are riding at I/J level times. I understand the frustration because I rode CAT3 last year.

 

Your seeding is not going to improve, you are unlikely to get a podium because of the sprint specialists, and when you do break away, G/H will pull them back.

 

Join D/E group. Your times will be faster and your seeding will improve. The load at the front may even be more equitably shared.

 

Yep, totally agree. I'm in Stars with Mtb_Roadie and was hoping by joining to really improve my times and move up from F, but have realised that for one large club in the group it's about points and position, not time. And so they control the pace and bring back the breakaways. Which I am not necessarily disagreeing with, they are perfectly entitled to go for the wins/points etc. Just a bit frustrating for the rest of us. So it's not the group to improve your times!

 

MTB_Roadie, even though you weren't feeling good, you were still a machine up front!! Good work.

[FanieFiets]

  On 1/24/2012 at 8:08 AM, FanieFiets said:

Ek was by die huis, besig om vet en lui te raak :-) Also not looking forward. Pretty sure the following will happen (in the order)

 

1. Get dropped on the bump or before! Check! But only but 15 meters. Rest of the way 5 of us suffered on our own. Only lost 13 minutes to the 'lead' bunch so I think that isnt to bad.

2. Run out of water. Drank last drink 20 minutes before end. Didnt suffer to much!

3. Cramp No cramps.

 

Even it was a very slow time I think I'm pretty happy with training and all that. Riding in the small group was definitely tougher than sitting in the big bunch. Will see you all at the 99'er again.

[MTB_Roadie]

  On 1/30/2012 at 9:16 AM, stratus5 said:

So now you have to ask yourself WTF you are doing in the STARS group?

 

They rode a sad time of 3:41 on Sunday, got caught by the G/H group, had the D/E group take 12min out of them and more than 20 min by the A/C group. This means that for seeding purposes, the STARS are riding at I/J level times. I understand the frustration because I rode CAT3 last year.

 

Your seeding is not going to improve, you are unlikely to get a podium because of the sprint specialists, and when you do break away, G/H will pull them back.

 

Join D/E group. Your times will be faster and your seeding will improve. The load at the front may even be more equitably shared.

 

Good point of view, however at the Tour de PPA we rode in the D-E bunch...I agree we have a hand full of riders that actually work, if I did not have a off day I would have made sure the bunch pushed themself more...as in previous PPA groups I worked my ass off to climb the rankings...I currently have a E seeding already but want to get the racing experience.

 

  On 1/30/2012 at 9:21 AM, Tiny K said:

Agree 100% here. I heard they got caught again yesterday. I think the Stars bunch should start later i.e. after the G/H lot - if they are going to ride for position and points rather than time they don't need to start before faster guys riding for time. Just my 2c.

 

I don't agree there, problem is you have quite a few riders from G/H that came past, sure...there was about 8? We caught a few C, D - F riders....tour de PPA is a good example again as we managed to catch the D-E bunch...the bunch wern't as fast as I am sure 70% never raced that far before...I for once had a terrible time but it is all a learning curve...

 

  On 1/30/2012 at 9:39 AM, dailycrank said:

Yep, totally agree. I'm in Stars with Mtb_Roadie and was hoping by joining to really improve my times and move up from F, but have realised that for one large club in the group it's about points and position, not time. And so they control the pace and bring back the breakaways. Which I am not necessarily disagreeing with, they are perfectly entitled to go for the wins/points etc. Just a bit frustrating for the rest of us. So it's not the group to improve your times!

 

MTB_Roadie, even though you weren't feeling good, you were still a machine up front!! Good work.

 

Thanks man! Next weekend I will enter the race with a different game plan, which rider are you btw

Edited January 30, 2012 by MTB_Roadie

[grant10]

  On 1/30/2012 at 10:06 AM, MTB_Roadie said:

Good point of view, however at the Tour de PPA we rode in the D-E bunch...I agree we have a hand full of riders that actually work, if I did not have a off day I would have made sure the bunch pushed themself more...as in previous PPA groups I worked my ass off to climb the rankings...I currently have a E seeding already but want to get the racing experience.

 

 

 

I don't agree there, problem is you have quite a few riders from G/H that came past, sure...there was about 8? We caught a few C, D - F riders....tour de PPA is a good example again as we managed to catch the D-E bunch...the bunch wern't as fast as I am sure 70% never raced that far before...I for once had a terrible time but it is all a learning curve...

 

 

 

Thanks man! Next weekend I will enter the race with a different game plan, which rider are you btw

 

Haha it's Grant. The other deVere guy who stopped with you for water is Austin.

[nuge]

  On 1/30/2012 at 9:39 AM, dailycrank said:

Yep, totally agree. I'm in Stars with Mtb_Roadie and was hoping by joining to really improve my times and move up from F, but have realised that for one large club in the group it's about points and position, not time. And so they control the pace and bring back the breakaways. Which I am not necessarily disagreeing with, they are perfectly entitled to go for the wins/points etc. Just a bit frustrating for the rest of us. So it's not the group to improve your times!

 

MTB_Roadie, even though you weren't feeling good, you were still a machine up front!! Good work.

just remember, racing is not about time, it's about getting on the podium. i don't recall anyone ever messing on cippo for not doing his time on the front.

 

for advice on upping your seeding you may as well seek counsel from a sangoma. at the end of the day it's really a combination of:

 

1) getting into a good fast group while the ppa marshals group the seeding soup together as you're waiting to start a fun ride

2) hoping darren lill doesn't rock up for "training" and clean the floor with the elite bunch setting a ludicrous finishing time

3) trusting that whoever does the seeding has had a good morning coffee/shag/bm on the day they do the seeding run.

 

anyway, don't get too hung up on the time - racing adds another layer to riding with others which you just don't get in the seeding soup team time trial.

[stratus5]

  On 1/30/2012 at 10:06 AM, MTB_Roadie said:

Good point of view, however at the Tour de PPA we rode in the D-E bunch...I agree we have a hand full of riders that actually work, if I did not have a off day I would have made sure the bunch pushed themself more...as in previous PPA groups I worked my ass off to climb the rankings...I currently have a E seeding already but want to get the racing experience.

Bad example possibly as in the Tour de PPA the G/H outriders group, caught the STARS, pulled them up to you and then proceeded to ride/pull them through the D/E group.

 

What race experience are you getting in STARS? ... its nothing like the real league. No chilling on all the flats.

[MTB_Roadie]

  On 1/30/2012 at 10:18 AM, stratus5 said:

Bad example possibly as in the Tour de PPA the G/H outriders group, caught the STARS, pulled them up to you and then proceeded to ride/pull them through the D/E group.

 

What race experience are you getting in STARS? ... its nothing like the real league. No chilling on all the flats.

 

you got to start somewhere I didnt gain any experience in the other PPA bunches except learning that you get wheelsuckers everywhere. Some experience gained is bridging gaps, etc. I will get to REAL league eventually

 

We chill on the flats cause the normal work horses decided not to work anymore....real league you got a team...I am sure if there was proper teams in STARS it would increase intensity as the team will work together for a rider to take the win...

Edited January 30, 2012 by MTB_Roadie

[nuge]

  On 1/30/2012 at 10:31 AM, MTB_Roadie said:

....real league you got a team...

um, not necessarily. in sv there are about 5 full teams of 4 or 5 riders competing for overall honours - anderson, aurecon (a & b ), capestorm/complete cyclist, strandloper/pdit, then a couple of half-teams (two or three to a team) - brothers sport, cyclelab. that's only about 30 riders and the sv start group is 70 so most are riding individually.

Edited January 30, 2012 by the (other) Nuge

[Tiny K]

  On 1/30/2012 at 10:06 AM, MTB_Roadie said:

I don't agree there, problem is you have quite a few riders from G/H that came past, sure...there was about 8? We caught a few C, D - F riders....tour de PPA is a good example again as we managed to catch the D-E bunch...the bunch wern't as fast as I am sure 70% never raced that far before...I for once had a terrible time but it is all a learning curve...

 

All I am saying is that the STARS (and for your benefit), start a little later and rather catch bunches rather than be caught. This will prevent the 'Outriders Train' scenario happening and the true winners will surface i.e. the ones who work and pull away.

[Tiny K]

  On 1/30/2012 at 10:58 AM, the (other) Nuge said:

um, not necessarily. in sv there are about 5 full teams of 4 or 5 riders competing for overall honours - anderson, aurecon (a & b ), capestorm/complete cyclist, strandloper/pdit, then a couple of half-teams (two or three to a team) - brothers sport, cyclelab. that's only about 30 riders and the sv start group is 70 so most are riding individually.

 

so that makes you a free agent?

[nuge]

  On 1/30/2012 at 11:01 AM, Tiny K said:

so that makes you a free agent?

 

haha, yeah, although i will need a supply of jube jubes