UCI MTB Events

[Rooi Vlam]

Hi Guys,

 

I would just like to share my opinion on something and hear if I am the only one that gets ticket off about this at our national events. Now please understand that by no means am I a pro or even close to competitive at regional or national level, I happen to fall in to the beloved BAFALO weight group and this puts me in the middle to back of groups on race days.

 

I enter the ULTRA races because for some reason that what is considered normal here in my town and as we all know they get a bit challenging if you’re not part of the elite men. Now at these races I've had some bad luck and missed the cut off a few times now(actually I'm just slow as ****) ,and each time I come in at around the 4:30 - 6:00 hour mark on the first 75km loops.

 

Now here is where my problem comes in, I am not the only one that is still racing at this time and allot of the ultra riders only come in way after 7:00 hours. By this time it seems like the race village is more of a packing up ground than a race village. At every National event I've been they seem to just start packing everything up, even though there are still plenty of riders finishing up and plenty of ultra riders and marathon riders than need to come in.

 

Am I the only one who feels this is unacceptable? Why are we paying all the money for entering these "prestige’s" events just so that when I get to the end it seems like I'm coming to a deserted start line? I find this so unprofessional and surely I have the right to enjoy all the goodies and race vibes that the rest of the field before me has enjoyed? Why aren’t these guys catering for all the riders who have entered instead of catering for the top half of riders?

 

Aren’t these events to be the best of the best? The best organized events in the country?

 

But please let me know if I just don't get the whole National thing. Or maybe there is some rule that I just have never heard of?

 

Please share your views on the subject.

 

Thanks

[Grebel]

Also known as biting off more than you can chew . I was followed in by a sweep vehicle and had my time logged manually on an occasion. No PA announcer, no medals, no finishline drink, come to think of it there was no finish line.....

 

I found the line that day and realised that I was on the wrong side....... Took a few steps back to where I belonged and much happier since then.