I am reminded of one of the legendary figures in California cycling who was around when I first started riding seriously. Ed Delano, aka "Foxy Grandpa," must have been in his 70's or 80's back in 1972 when I rode with the Berkeley Wheelmen. Even then, he was still in many of the bike races, and I remember he was once asked if he liked doing the longer road races. His reply, "the longer they are, the better I like 'em!"
Luis