WP League first timer

[andydude]

48 minutes ago, Kelson Elena Da Cruz said:

Hi Andy , I see this races as a training opportunity my goal are ; SA champs , WC champs , Tour Du Cap and winning my age Cat on the Cycle Tour. I can’t get much effort sucking wheels on CAT1 or Cat2 and the distance are not suitable for my goals so CAT3 is a perfect distance and I rather be doing 320w for 2 hours than 190w on the draft 😉

Great, thanks for answering. All the best with your goals!

[Kelson Elena Da Cruz]

41 minutes ago, andydude said:

Great, thanks for answering. All the best with your goals!

👍

[Mamil]

1 hour ago, Kelson Elena Da Cruz said:

Hi Andy , I see this races as a training opportunity my goal are ; SA champs , WC champs , Tour Du Cap and winning my age Cat on the Cycle Tour. I can’t get much effort sucking wheels on CAT1 or Cat2 and the distance are not suitable for my goals so CAT3 is a perfect distance and I rather be doing 320w for 2 hours than 190w on the draft 😉

But maybe also, just a little bit, you enjoy hurting everybody - I know I would

[Kelson Elena Da Cruz]

8 minutes ago, Mamil said:

😂

Edited Monday at 01:18 PM by Kelson Elena Da Cruz

[Robo]

7 hours ago, Kelson Elena Da Cruz said:

Hi Andy , I see this races as a training opportunity my goal are ; SA champs , WC champs , Tour Du Cap and winning my age Cat on the Cycle Tour. I can’t get much effort sucking wheels on CAT1 or Cat2 and the distance are not suitable for my goals so CAT3 is a perfect distance and I rather be doing 320w for 2 hours than 190w on the draft 

Your reasons are valid from an individual perspective…however..here is my 2cents about racing a cat lower.

It changes the racing for the guys that are true Cat 3 racers that might have had a different experience matching with “similar strength” riders…learning tactical racing is somewhat lost if they are totally outgunned. (This league is most probably the only time of the year to be exposed to racing)

Looking at the foto it seems like you are putting the bunch in the gutter…so one might argue if it was only training ride why put them in the gutter?

Not a stab at you, but ultimately its a balance between individual and group goals.

Edited Monday at 07:13 PM by Robo

[Skubarra]

39 minutes ago, Robo said:

Your reasons are valid from an individual perspective…however..here is my 2cents about racing a cat lower.

It changes the racing for the guys that are true Cat 3 racers that might have had a different experience matching with “similar strength” riders…learning tactical racing is somewhat lost if they are totally outgunned. (This league is most probably the only time of the year to be exposed to racing)

Looking at the foto it seems like you are putting the bunch in the gutter…so one might argue if it was only training ride why put them in the gutter?

Not a stab at you, but ultimately its a balance between individual and group goals.

In the past Cat 2 was usually mainly Vets and Cat 3 mainly Masters + then the guys moving down from higher cats that are too strong for them.

So for me I have no problem if Cat 3 has a master riding there hurting everyone else....

[Kelson Elena Da Cruz]

One advantage when we become Master 59 that we can choose the Cat we want to ride 😉 on my training rides, I go for a Time Trial mode ,constant power output , no surges , so I not attacking the group , just keeping the speed high, if the group feels they want to learn racing tactics and don’t want suck wheels they can choose to let me go alone so I can have my training and the group can race as they wish is that simple but as you know they rather die than let me go alone 😉

[Mamil]

4 hours ago, Kelson Elena Da Cruz said:

One advantage when we become Master 59 that we can choose the Cat we want to ride 😉 on my training rides, I go for a Time Trial mode ,constant power output , no surges , so I not attacking the group , just keeping the speed high, if the group feels they want to learn racing tactics and don’t want suck wheels they can choose to let me go alone so I can have my training and the group can race as they wish is that simple but as you know they rather die than let me go alone 😉

If you doing 320 watts for 2 hours I WILL die if I go with you.

[Kelson Elena Da Cruz]

Time trial, time trial, time trial…. It’s a super weapon that every ride should have on the arsenal , able to hold power for long time it’s the best… unfortunately not many riders want to go there 

[Skubarra]

11 minutes ago, Mamil said:

If you doing 320 watts for 2 hours I WILL die if I go with you.

if you also do 320 watts while drafting him you are doing drafting wrong 😁

[BuffsVintageBikes]

4 hours ago, Kelson Elena Da Cruz said:

One advantage when we become Master 59 that we can choose the Cat we want to ride 😉 on my training rides, I go for a Time Trial mode ,constant power output , no surges , so I not attacking the group , just keeping the speed high, if the group feels they want to learn racing tactics and don’t want suck wheels they can choose to let me go alone so I can have my training and the group can race as they wish is that simple but as you know they rather die than let me go alone 😉

Then why not just ride alone anyway, why the need to race in a bunch slower than you?

They don't want to let you go because they want to try and podium in that category, that's why they're racing in it.

[Bub Marley]

6 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Then why not just ride alone anyway, why the need to race in a bunch slower than you?

They don't want to let you go because they want to try and podium in that category, that's why they're racing in it.

Because he wants to win. Let’s be honest here.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Exactly, let's not BS anyone here 🤭 I'd probably do exactly the same if I was that strong so I'm not judging but let's call it as it is.

[Skubarra]

Did anyone on here actually check the Cat 3 results before bashing the oke for being too strong for his Cat based on a mid-race photo?

[Bub Marley]

14 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

Did anyone on here actually check the Cat 3 results before bashing the oke for being too strong for his Cat based on a mid-race photo?

I think people are basing this off his results last year where he obliterated the field at every race. 

[Bub Marley]

I also think the CAT3 bunch was much larger than expected because most of the cat 2’s did not want to ride an extra lap. I think WP cycling are hoping that at the next race, a lot of the cat2 guys will go back to riding cat2 which then obviously weakens the cat3 bunch.