[Event] Bouckaert-Soenen Road & MTB 2014

[sharkysa]

I ride D-E, the group seemed slow rolling to the climb and then took the climb really slowly allowing everyone to get back on. There were 5-6 guys working hard in the second half and one rider that had bees in his head and took us on an interval session for 20min.

 

By agter Paarl the group was tired and the pace slowed only to hot up in the final sprint by guys I had not seen all day. I have no issue with wheel suckers that appear for the bunch sprint.

 

I just need to get back up to B-C to suck those faster wheels....

[Scotticus]

I was in that first couple of guys racing towards the finish. Looking back I just cannot understand why our group wasn't a bit faster starting? The D/E group guys flew along in a much bigger group?

I fully agree.. Besides the few D and E guys that worked in our group. Not many shared the work load.

[Velouria]

But you're not A or yesterday's A-C, but CAT 2, right?

 

(Point taken though)

I haven't raced league in ages, so I'm back with the racing alphabets (my last road race prior to yesterday's ride was the Fun Ride World Champs last year).

 

A-C was decent racing - a couple of good attacks, a break, a chase, shredding the deadwood up the climb, chasing and catching the CAT 3 bunch. Certainly not a TTT all singing Kumbaya as someone suggested.

 

The large CAT 3 group on the other hand - I've seen more competitive and aggressive racing at the Argus Nappy Race for under 2s.

[Thor Buttox]

My ride in D-E was actually quite fun, and even put in some work at the front until I got dropped when a guy's chain came off at 85km and I was left stranded off the back.... and then I "bonked"

 

Rule 1: eat breakfast and on the ride, you stupid chop!!

Rule 2: don't ride at the back of the group in case something unforeseen happens

 

Lost 11 mins or so in 40km, but F-G at least didn't catch me... but the worst thing is that my Hub-name is horribly appropriate today I better get new bib-shorts.

[andydude]

I was one of the B/C riders in the D bunch. I rode there with my mates for fun as they had a E seeding. There were not that many B/C's in the group maybe 5 and they did not do a lot of work on the front. So the theory the group was pulled round by higher seeded riders falls a bit flat.

 

Next week we are starting in F-G with some more mates cause PPA do not use the DC for seeding, so have no rides to use for seeding. These rides are for the vibe

Just yanking chain as I dropped a few groups to D-E to get some lower intensity training in and support a buddy.

All within the rules.

 

When higher seeded riders influence the race in lower seeded groups, I think it's uncool. Against etiquette.

Against the rules and regulations of PPA, I reckon not.

 

All cool, but then never complain about seedings!

[Kimma]

72km race was fun started in A-H, large group and so very few of us working at the front.

Caught up with CAT groups passed them (not sure which CAT groups) some people in a Toyota Corolla hooting the whole time, what an @ss no one can concentrating while your hooting and shouting and cheering, sounded like some Cape fish wife supporter(maybe a CAT race director) driving next to the bunch. End was pretty scary high speed, cones and all.

Good race will do the 72km again next year.

[kjind]

I used to race in B a few years back, but due to a very social racing calender the past couple of years i dropped back to R.... Every race is a time trail for me now HAHA. Cannot wait for the re-seeding next month.

[andretraut]

I haven't raced league in ages, so I'm back with the racing alphabets (my last road race prior to yesterday's ride was the Fun Ride World Champs last year).

 

A-C was decent racing - a couple of good attacks, a break, a chase, shredding the deadwood up the climb, chasing and catching the CAT 3 bunch. Certainly not a TTT all singing Kumbaya as someone suggested.

 

The large CAT 3 group on the other hand - I've seen more competitive and aggressive racing at the Argus Nappy Race for under 2s.

Just wondering why you guys did not leave the slow Cat 3 rides behind like you did with the previous 'dead wood' bunch?

[Velouria]

Just wondering why you guys did not leave the slow Cat 3 rides behind like you did with the previous 'dead wood' bunch?

We tried, at first we couldn't get past and being the whiteline rule abiding riders that we are we just waited until we could safely get around that bunch. When we did get to the front suddenly there were people interested in racing. I thought the league guys were supposed to let us go, but instead they welcomed the pace and hooked on.

[SL7]

 

 

We're you the guy that came to join my little break off the front of the bunch just before the start of the climb?

 

Yes that's me. It was a good plan...if it worked I'm sure we'd have finished in top 3

[usxorf]

I haven't raced league in ages, so I'm back with the racing alphabets (my last road race prior to yesterday's ride was the Fun Ride World Champs last year).

 

A-C was decent racing - a couple of good attacks, a break, a chase, shredding the deadwood up the climb, chasing and catching the CAT 3 bunch. Certainly not a TTT all singing Kumbaya as someone suggested.

 

The large CAT 3 group on the other hand - I've seen more competitive and aggressive racing at the Argus Nappy Race for under 2s.

 

Even the "deadwood" came in faster than CAT3

[lucmccann]

 

 

Yes that's me. It was a good plan...if it worked I'm sure we'd have finished in top 3

 

I'm not the strongest climber so my tactic was just to get a jump on the climb while the rest were watching their direct competition...worked in getting me over with the front bunch so I was happy.

[SL7]

Here's mine: started in Cat3, pace was okayish from the start. One guy right at the back touched wheels and went down hard. No one else involved. Took a turn of pace which seemed to last forever leading up to Botmas. Before the climb broke from the group to join Luc McCann. The plan was to crest with the front riders. Half way we were caught and passed by guys which seemed like they were on scooters. Anyway, hr went up another 5 beats trying to stay with mountain goats, had to back off.

 

Solo A group rider caught us sometime later, guy was all legs! Joined by another A rider a few mins later, and then there were many of them.

 

Finish was fast and dangerous!

 

Roller coaster will be interesting

[Hearts*]

Lekker seeing you again. Next will be nice if you can fix my saddle en route. I enjoyed sticking with the H-I (J/K) bunch. No one was tense and the pace was not uncomfortably fast but also not so slow that you can just chill all the way. Highlights was trying to slip the truck up Botmas and the last 10 km where me and couple of big guys used our weight in front. I usually hate it when people do it, but as I was sittig 3rd wheel I couldn't resist sprinting for position nr. 347....I struck a high speed of 64 which I'm extremely proud of.

I was 4th in that sprint as well H-I, my clock hit 68km/h (I came in from the back)...I also don't like dashing for the end, but it was alot of fun...

['Dale]

All cool, but then never complain about seedings!

 

It was a tongue-in-cheek comment, andydude.

Should've have inserted a smiley so you could see I wasn't seriaaas.

 

Complaining about the seeding system is like complaining about the weather.

It doesn't help. Just ride your bike. Hard.

['Dale]

I haven't raced league in ages, so I'm back with the racing alphabets (my last road race prior to yesterday's ride was the Fun Ride World Champs last year).

 

A-C was decent racing - a couple of good attacks, a break, a chase, shredding the deadwood up the climb, chasing and catching the CAT 3 bunch. Certainly not a TTT all singing Kumbaya as someone suggested.

 

The large CAT 3 group on the other hand - I've seen more competitive and aggressive racing at the Argus Nappy Race for under 2s.

 

Oraait.

I agree. Noticing the A bunch and thereabouts results over the last few races.

There's some good intensity in there. Respect!

 

About the CAT 3, with respect as mine is an outsider view, the criteria is D-F seeded riders (as opposed to strictly Vets) if I'm not mistaken.

Surely this impacts the quality and nature of racing.

 

In Vets, 2012-2013, there was nothing relatively timid about the category. I've shed many a tear behind my Rudys.