Cypress

The two day three stage race held in various parts around Missoula is arguably the largest road cycling event in Montana. It began on Saturday with a 15 mile time trial (almost 800 feet of climbing), followed by a 27.5 mile road race that afternoon. Sunday had a 46 mile road race with a healthy amount of climbing.

The TT was one of the most painful things I have ever done in my life. I ended up getting second but not for lack of trying. The stretch from 2nd to 5th spanned only 13 seconds. Luckily this stage race was in an omnium format, so the 47 second lead 1st place got wasn't horribly important.

After waiting roughly 4 hours after the TT, the short road race began 30 mins late. It was non-stop attacks the entire way, minus on the uphill portions. I made sure to do my equal part of the work and pulled on the big/steep climbs. I have devised that pulling on climbs makes Cypress feel better than pulling on flats. On flats, the other riders hardly have to work when I am pulling, but on an uphill, they suffer almost as much as I do. It's a mental thing. The final kilo had a short steep climb followed by rollers and the line on top of one of the rollers. I pulled up the short climb then at the top a guy pulled up next to me and said "go get 'em tiger" in a horribly sarcastic way so I did what any young angry man would do... I took off. From 600 meters Cypress was never caught.


On a sad note, the guys in the back of the small pack in that picture tried to sprint for 7th place (?) and ended up meeting with me 50 meters AFTER the finish line. They swerved into each other (?) and one of them blew out the spokes on his front wheel on the other guy's rear dropout...Both stayed upright and were uninjured. The USCF official blamed me (?) for the whole affair, and placed me in 10th (?) place. I guess the next time I have a group of 9 guys a ways behind me I'm supposed to sprint 400 meters past the finish line so I don't get blamed for someone else's mess.

I found out about the 10th place shenanigans the following morning when I checked in for the last stage. When I asked the official if it was really necessary to do what he did with the results, he yelled at me. I'm not talking about stern talking either, he flat out yelled at me. He told me that I had caused a crash, one guy lost his front wheel and the other guy got a flat tire because of my ignorance. I explained to him that he wasn't my father and that he shouldn't be yelling at me like he was. I feel fine about the whole situation due to almost all of the riders in the race (all cats) telling me that it was a bull**** call and that I won the race no matter what the results say.

Going into the last stage, Cypress was full of anger and hate. If you have read any of my other race reports that usually means someone is going to be shamed. Many many attacks were thrown during the race because of category grouping. Turns out, there weren't enough lead/follow cars so the cat 3's were thrown into the pro/1/2's and the masters were put into the 4/5's. No matter who attacked, everyone went batty trying to recover the attacker. The finish was located on top of a steeeeep hill that covered about 700 meters. My GF told me later that she was driving up to the finish in first gear and having problems keeping the car moving. We came blasting through the 90* corner onto the bottom of the hill and in flashy spiteful Cypress style I took off. I was angry and it showed. I didn't shift to my small ring until halfway up the hill, and even then I was told that it looked like I wasn't climbing.
In the picture on the far right, you can see 3rd and 4th place. 2nd place was 15 seconds behind me.



Sadly the USCF Official that sacked me the day before was not there to see me win, then keep going another 100 meters past the uphill finish line with everyone looking at me like I was crazy.

No idea how I placed in the GC due to the 10th place, but I'm pretty sure it was at least top 5.

TheKillerPenguin

Alright!!! way to make with the soul crushing!

merlinextraligh

I think what got you relegated was taking both hands off the bars. looks like it had nothing to do with the crash, but Officials will call that, and when a crash ocurred you were the easy scapegoat.

Cypress

One of the guys on the backsaid he saw the whole thing. It was a mess of things that added up to the perfect situation for disaster. Car narrowed the road, people made it worse, then the two guys involved were still sprinting well past the finish.

sverrefehn

That relegation is pretty unbelievable. One of the stupidest things I've heard. At least you were able to put that anger to good use. Great job on that climb the next day! You will be a 3 before you know it.

alpe d'issaquah

Perhaps "der Cypress" was also provoked by the spitir of Jan. Good job too

Dead Roman

you killed it, way to go.



I get the feeling that cyling is a bunch of old hack *******s telling young talented riders that they cant enjoy thier victories. Any sport that penalizez(sp?i know thats way wrong) you for a celabration can kiss my ass. If some guys in the back cant watch what they are doign they shouldnt be racing.

voltman

I love your race reports.

GuitarWizard

Dude, this is America....the land of "blame the other ****in' guy for what I did"....

Good job, the Cypress. Especially for not yelling at the official after he started screaming at you. Some of us may not have been so calm. You should've asked him if acid rain, global warming, the space shuttle Columbia disaster, and his wife's second pregnancy was also your fault. Sure, you may not have been in the immediate area, but apparently that doesn't matter.

HillMut

Make em suffer! Congrats!

Starclimber

Anger and talent, excellent combo. Way to go, Cypress!

Bobby Lex

+1.


It's not like you didn't know about the rule. It was pointed out to you when you posted your previous race report.

Amateur racing is first about safety. When cat 4's and 5's take their hands off the bars to act like Tom Boonen or Robby McKewen it's a disaster waiting to happen.

Obviously you're a strong rider. And congrats. on your results. But I sense a little "Terrell Owens" syndrome here.

Bob

Cypress

Find the rule in the USCF rulebook for me. I scanned it and never found it.

On a lighter note, I won the GC even with my "10th place" finish.

voltman

Now THAT is impressive.

Maybe you can just skip the time trial next time? Or just walk it anyway?

Snuffleupagus

Good job man! It sounds like you're having a good year.

How big was the field?

Cypress

Looks like a feild of 25, then in the last race they added 20 more racers to the pack (the Masters).

Not huge, but a good size for Montana.

Snuffleupagus

Hey, as long as you've got the 30 required for upgrade points, anything more than that just adds problems

ovoleg

This had to be the best read on bikeforums in the past 6 months

RockyMtnMerlin

I am a noobie race official. So this was an interesting case study for me. The only reference I can find in the USCF rule book which might apply here is rule 4H8 (a) "Sprints." It is, "Failure to maintain line during a sprint or other irregularities." It is supposed to be a "$35 fine and relegation to the back of the group." Perhaps the official thought this was an irregularity. I could find nothing in the rulebook or on the USA cycling website for officials case studies or in the May 2006 rules changes which states that Cat 4/5 must have thier hands on the bars when crossing the finish line. Nor was there anything in the race bible. Of course I can't know if the Chief Referee empahsized this at the start of Cypress' race. I also did not look at the previous thread mentioned to Cypress. Obviously I was not there, but looking at the photo it seems to me that the gap between first and 7th and 8th is quite substantial and the fact that they were inattentive after crossing the finish line should not have been "blamed" on Cypress. As to the shouting thing, if it was as portrayed, it was uncalled for.

Now for the comment by Dead Roman. I am an "old guy" at age 54. I officiate races because I love cycling (having ridden nearly 100,000 miles) and enjoy racing (as a spectator - I have never raced). But more importantly, I officiate because where I live the USCF and ACA are begging people to be officials. In NM they are even saying they may have to cancel races. Not many people want to officiate because it takes so much time and effort. So if Mr Dead Roman can get a few of his young buck racer freinds to take time out from their racing/training schedules to become officials then they can take my spot and there will be one less "old hack *******" to interfere with his fun.

Finally FWIW, I have seen dozens of cat 4/5 racers cross the finishline without thier hands on the bars and not get relegated.

Bobby Lex

I race in Florida. Here's what our local USCF official has to say in the "New Racer's Guide" (third paragraph):

https://www.floridacycling.com/NewRacer.asp

I couldn't find it in the actual USCF rules, either. But there is a general "don't-do-anything-stupid-or-dangerous" rule. I guess this is one of the applications.

Bob

RockyMtnMerlin

I am for anything that makes the race safer for all concerned and still allows the race to be of value to the participants. The suggestion for racers to keep their hands on the handle bars during a sprint is a good one.

Bobby Lex

From the USA Cycling website rulebook:

1O6. No rider may make an abrupt motion so as to interfere with the forward progress of another rider, either intentionally or by accident [relegation or disqualification; possible 20 days suspension if a crash results].
1O7. Dangerous Rider. Any rider who appears to present a danger to the other competitors may be disqualified by the Chief Referee, either before or during a race.

Stage race rules:

4H. Penalties
4H1. Disqualification. Penalties for offenses identified elsewhere in Federation regulations generally apply to stage races, but certain penalties are modified as specified below. Nevertheless, the following offenses, among others, will normally result in disqualification from the race and are subject to any other penalties specified elsewhere:
(a) Behavior dangerous to the rider or other competitors;

4H8 Sprints
(a) Failure to maintain line during a sprint or other irregularities

(b) Extremely dangerous behavior in a sprint

The bottom line seems to be that taking one's hands off the handlebars in a sprint finish could be interpreted by an official as violating the "dangerous rider" rule.

Bob