Man doping

[PYO]

I assume it's me you're talking about as I won the 70km race and your wife placed 3rd.:-) I don't feel that I need to defend myself at all, but I would just like to make the following points. There was only one start batch for men and women and no rules stating that men and women aren't allowed to ride together. So effectively you were allowed to ride with your wife as well. The fact that there was a prize (which we didn't know about until prize giving), for the first husband and wife to finish together, obviously suggests that the organizers anticipated that men and women would ride together. Secondly, the race was majority singletrack, so I couldn't benefit that much from wheel sucking as you suggest... Yes I agree, mentally it helps to ride with someone stronger than you, but in MTBing, other than with road racing, the rider still has to do most of the work, whether you sit on a wheel or not. I didn't hold onto my husband's shirt nor did he push me at any point... We were about 6 riders that got away within the first 5km, but we unfortunately took a wrong turn when we got to a gate that should have been opened, but it hasn't yet. So we lost at least 5-10 mins there. If I remember correctly there was one other lady, who came 2nd, with us on the wrong route. So I had to work really hard to get back. Anyway, I passed most of the female riders on the way up WTF or just after that, which was very early on in the race, so up to there, there wasn't much room to sit on other wheels anyway... The reason why I also won QOM for the Strava challenge on WTF on the day... But each to their own... I've been on the podium in several races, road and MTB, individual and mixed categories on stage races with my husband... The lady who won the 110km race also rode with her husband... Just saying... :-) But you're entitled to your opinion...

[Scalpel]

I for one cannot believe this. The husband in question here is not strong enough to ride in front of his wife the whole race!! She is just so much stronger than him! She also wears the pants in the house!!! ;)))

[Bonus]

Ok so not only was it allowed for a wife to draft her husband. (assuming that he's the stronger rider of course) but it was actually encouraged in the form of a prize for "first husband & wife who finished together".

 

That answers the OPs question.

 

Edit: of course drafting your husband and then claiming the "solo effort" prize would be pretty low.

Edited December 5, 2016 by Bonus

[Wil6]

Curious now. If the aggrieved rider does lodge a complaint after the race, how does something like this even get investigated or proven?

its easy, all you need is a witness that will back up your story. So somebody that rode with you when you saw it. Otherwise its hear say and the commissaire will not take any action

[Gen]

Ok so not only was it allowed for a wife to draft her husband. (assuming that he's the stronger rider of course) but it was actually encouraged in the form of a prize for "first husband & wife who finished together".

 

That answers the OPs question.

Ja that pretty much sums it up and end of discussion for the issue during this particular race.

 

Sounds like a lekker event with a lot of fun sub categories.

 

Edit..

 

Perhaps it would've been better to say if you want to qualify for this category then you are automaticall not eligible for the other category. But this event really sounds more like a fun trap around given the sub categories.. but yeah people will always race hey.

 

PS my opinion that racing for podium in an individual category is still the same

No assistance from other category riders.

Edited December 5, 2016 by Gen

[jcza]

You have 30 minutes after finish to lodge a protest.

 

If there was no pushing or holding onto shirt I don't see much wrong.

 

Ladies sit on mens wheels all the time. Go watch the 947 highlights and see how the Elite ladies closed down the lone breakaway rider by sitting on the 50+ men.

[CogitoErgoSum]

I assume it's me you're talking about as I won the 70km race and your wife placed 3rd.:-) I don't feel that I need to defend myself at all, but I would just like to make the following points. There was only one start batch for men and women and no rules stating that men and women aren't allowed to ride together. So effectively you were allowed to ride with your wife as well. The fact that there was a prize (which we didn't know about until prize giving), for the first husband and wife to finish together, obviously suggests that the organizers anticipated that men and women would ride together. Secondly, the race was majority singletrack, so I couldn't benefit that much from wheel sucking as you suggest... Yes I agree, mentally it helps to ride with someone stronger than you, but in MTBing, other than with road racing, the rider still has to do most of the work, whether you sit on a wheel or not. I didn't hold onto my husband's shirt nor did he push me at any point... We were about 6 riders that got away within the first 5km, but we unfortunately took a wrong turn when we got to a gate that should have been opened, but it hasn't yet. So we lost at least 5-10 mins there. If I remember correctly there was one other lady, who came 2nd, with us on the wrong route. So I had to work really hard to get back. Anyway, I passed most of the female riders on the way up WTF or just after that, which was very early on in the race, so up to there, there wasn't much room to sit on other wheels anyway... The reason why I also won QOM for the Strava challenge on WTF on the day... But each to their own... I've been on the podium in several races, road and MTB, individual and mixed categories on stage races with my husband... The lady who won the 110km race also rode with her husband... Just saying... :-) But you're entitled to your opinion...

[emoji107]

 

There will always be a justification.

 

Yes, we do get it that you and hubby are absolute specimen of the human race.

 

Yawn, whatever

 

I am with the OP on this. Especially with the arrogance showed ("hey I didn't make the rules, I can bend it then")

 

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Edited December 6, 2016 by AnythingBut

[Patchelicious]

I assume it's me you're talking about as I won the 70km race and your wife placed 3rd.:-) I don't feel that I need to defend myself at all, but I would just like to make the following points. There was only one start batch for men and women and no rules stating that men and women aren't allowed to ride together. So effectively you were allowed to ride with your wife as well. The fact that there was a prize (which we didn't know about until prize giving), for the first husband and wife to finish together, obviously suggests that the organizers anticipated that men and women would ride together. Secondly, the race was majority singletrack, so I couldn't benefit that much from wheel sucking as you suggest... Yes I agree, mentally it helps to ride with someone stronger than you, but in MTBing, other than with road racing, the rider still has to do most of the work, whether you sit on a wheel or not. I didn't hold onto my husband's shirt nor did he push me at any point... We were about 6 riders that got away within the first 5km, but we unfortunately took a wrong turn when we got to a gate that should have been opened, but it hasn't yet. So we lost at least 5-10 mins there. If I remember correctly there was one other lady, who came 2nd, with us on the wrong route. So I had to work really hard to get back. Anyway, I passed most of the female riders on the way up WTF or just after that, which was very early on in the race, so up to there, there wasn't much room to sit on other wheels anyway... The reason why I also won QOM for the Strava challenge on WTF on the day... But each to their own... I've been on the podium in several races, road and MTB, individual and mixed categories on stage races with my husband... The lady who won the 110km race also rode with her husband... Just saying... :-) But you're entitled to your opinion...

You drafted your husband to get an advantage on others.

[Patchelicious]

You have 30 minutes after finish to lodge a protest.

 

If there was no pushing or holding onto shirt I don't see much wrong.

 

Ladies sit on mens wheels all the time. Go watch the 947 highlights and see how the Elite ladies closed down the lone breakaway rider by sitting on the 50+ men.

Yes they do and some ladies in the ladies Vets cat got DQed for it.

 

I think there is two things here.

 

1: The rules and what they say.

2: Wether it's ok thinking that tagging your husband along specifically to get an advantage on others.

[jcza]

Yes they do and some ladies in the ladies Vets cat got DQed for it.

 

I think there is two things here.

 

1: The rules and what they say.

2: Wether it's ok thinking that tagging your husband along specifically to get an advantage on others.

Fully agree, if ladies start in own batch and they end up sitting behind men then DQ. If a single start batch then there's nothing more to do with them sitting slip.

[Skubarra]

You drafted your husband to get an advantage on others.

 

Yes, and your point is? Drafting someone to get an advantage on others was not against the rules in this race. 

[Patchelicious]

Yes, and your point is? Drafting someone to get an advantage on others was not against the rules in this race.

Read my other post about the rules as one point and the moral point 2.

 

Drafting "someone" in your own category is fine, drafting someone in another category isn't fine. Bringing someone to a race to draft specifically to get an advantage is even less ok.

 

If you don't agree with that, then that's ok.

[Skubarra]

Read my other post about the rules as one point and the moral point 2.

 

Drafting "someone" in your own category is fine, drafting someone in another category isn't fine. Bringing someone to a race to draft specifically to get an advantage is even less ok.

 

If you don't agree with that, then that's ok.

 

If there is a prize for the first husband and wife finishing together I can't see that this "not drafting between different categories" would have applied to the race in question.

 

I get that there is an unfair advantage when drafting someone in a "stronger" category, but unless starting groups are split and its specifically prohibited in the rules, that's just part of racing, nothing stopped the OP's wife from drafting behind stronger male riders.

[Pulse]

Weird how peoples 'interpretation' of right and wrong differs.

 

Is it againts the rules? No

Is it fair, and within the spirit of the sport? No

[Pulse]

... But I guess 'fair' and 'spirit' are irrelevant these days

[Patchelicious]

Weird how peoples 'interpretation' of right and wrong differs.

 

Is it againts the rules? No

Is it fair, and within the spirit of the sport? No

Unless the rules explicitly forbid it, I will be doing my next MTB event on an E-bike.