"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Your most embaressing racing moment?

My first race ever, I'm friggn stoked. I put all my gear on and noodle over to my then mentor's car so I can show off how awesome I am. Nevermind that its 40* out and raining and I don't even have a pair of tights or a long sleeve jersey; I'm wearing calf-high wool socks and a long sleeve shirt underneath my jersey, and my legs are covered in hair longer than the hair on my head. When I pull up to his car, I go to stop but don't unclip in time, and wind up falling over at his feet while the whole field i'd be riding with watches me flop around like a fish out of water.

Runner up: Stage 3 of the GMSR, I'm placed 5th on the GC. The peleton is about 3 minutes down on a 1 man break, and we aren't gaining any ground. I'm pulling the peloton into a nasty headwind/crosswind and am getting fed up that nobody else is working with me. I go to pull off multiple times, but the #2 guy sticks on my wheel. I flick my elbow, nobody comes around. I'm pissed. I yell "Anyone else going to pull? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?" Nobody responds, so I throw down the hammer and gap them a bit, then let them catch me and fall back into the peloton. As I'm settling back in, the yellow jersey taps me on the shoulder and goes "hey man, you're supposed to peel off into the wind." This explains why nobody would come around me, as each time I tried to peel off I was peeling off away from the wind. :roflmao:

Good times :D


edited for lucidity

I fumbled a water bottle last year, it wasnt a race, but I was in a group ride with a bunch of cat 2's & 3's. a lot of apologies went around after that one, no-one got hurt.

NOT MINE: But at the Philly race two guys from Penn State (Cat. D divison 1) had a pretty embarassing moment.

At the circuit race these two guys lined up in the Divison 2 Cat. D (divison @ under 15,000 students) start position which was suppose to go 5 minutes after D1. Well, 3 minutes after the D1 field took off the announcer said "uhh, Penn State you are D1.."

The two guys fumbled to their pedals and took off sprinting. BUT even more embarrassing was the one guy slipped out of his pedal 20 yards from the start (in trying to sprint away) and crashed over his bike in front of everyone.... That was pretty embarrasing for him.

I once took an awsome flyer leading up to what I thought was the line, only to hear the bell ringing!

On one of the strongest days I've ever had on a bike, 1/2 district crit champoinship. Bridging up to a 4 man break when my bottle cadge came loose and jammed into my chain rings, right at the start/finish. Embarassing because at the time I had a pretty good rep as a wrench.

Saw Davis Phinney pull his foot out going for a prime at Fitchburg in '92. But he saved it....somehow.
But at one point, he was looking back at his knees from under (and in front of) his handlebars.

Mine: I gave up in the sprint because I thought they were only paying to 5 places. I got passed by 5 people. They were paying to 10, and I got 11th.

Chantilly Crit, Cat 5, last fall. Unleashed the greatest sprint of my life to decisively win the sprint... to the bell. I went out a lap early.

NC State Championship Crit last June.

Very technical course, and it was raining. After a gnarly crash in another rainy crit in Raleigh a little more than a month before that race I was kinda nervous. 3/4 of the way through the race, and I'd been letting myself get gapped going around a tight, downhill left - and sprinting back up to the field on the following uphill.

I eventually ran out of gas - and rode the rest of the race with another guy who'd crashed. Worst part is, I had some team mates watching.

Sucking while nobody I know sees it, okay sure I'll take it.

Sucking while people I know can watch how much I suck is like the adult version of a six year old having his mom yelling at him, giving him a big wet kiss - and insisting he wear his unicorn pattern galoshes and hello kitty backpack - in front of all the kids in his 1st grade class.

Chantilly Crit, Cat 5, last fall. Unleashed the greatest sprint of my life to decisively win the sprint... to the bell. I went out a lap early.

I think it was Corey Burns that I saw do that in the cat2 field at Fitchburg last year. He still managed to take 2nd in the real sprint a lap later, and took 1st on GC.

Chantilly Crit, Cat 5, last fall. Unleashed the greatest sprint of my life to decisively win the sprint... to the bell. I went out a lap early.


Hopefully you can slice and dice better than you count. :D

ok just kidding...

Giving up.

I was caught behind a crash, and was the first guy to get around the pileup. Couldn't bridge back up to the main field, as they had accelerated like hell after the crash. Put in a pretty good solo effort and got pretty close, like 50m to the tail end, and then ran out of juice. The next lap, I came across the line and made the "cut me" signal. Race official scratched me off.

Three laps later, a chase group of guys who had been BEHIND me caught the main field. One of them ended up in the top 3.

That was one of three races my parents have come to, and I have never been so ashamed.

I've not had any embarassing raceing moments yet, but I did have one in an equestrian competition when I was about 10. The horse I was supposed to ride that day had gone lame for some weird reason and my instructor put me on another client's horse at the last minute. The horse was huge, much larger than anything appropriate for my size (I was a tiny kid at the time). Anyhoo, I entered the ring and made it over the first few jumps when the horse shot out as if it had been stung by a hornet. It raced around the arena with me hanging on for dear life. How we managed to get over all the other obstacles was beyond me. Well after we made it over the rest of the course, the horse ran out of the arena with everyone watching!!! I was literally hanging onto its neck and then ended up getting dumped on the ground in the parking lot when the horse made a sliding stop into a row of trailers.


By miracle of miracles, I ended up with reserve champion in my division mainly because I made it over
all the obstacles which only half the field ended up doing. That partially helped offset the ego crushing nature of my exit from the arena and "dismount' from the horse. lol.

Hopefully you can slice and dice better than you count. :D

ok just kidding...

The race organizers took a lap off to get back on schedule, then added it back on mid-race because we were making good time.

So...

http://www.einsteinatoz.com/images/einstein_tongue.jpg

:D:D

I told mine the other day and erased it because I blushed.
here goes nothing.
I had an awesome run, fast time. Bike leg was even stronger. On the last part of the race, I ran cross country, missed a mile marker and got lost in the woods.:o

Waiting to start a pursuit (velodrome time trial) I accidentally let my front wheel flip down track. My holder couldn't counter it and I was already clipped in. The fall was fairly soft thanks to my holder's leg, which got a rookie tattoo in the process. After watching the official roll his eyes, I got back on and nodded my readiness.

... They were paying to 10, and I got 11th.

Just like the 20 other guys I talked to after the race.;)

Giving up.

I was caught behind a crash, and was the first guy to get around the pileup...

OT, but never ever do this. If you are the first guy behind the crash come to a stop, ride to the wheel pit with the crashers, change a front wheel, take a free lap and re-enter the field.

OT, but never ever do this. If you are the first guy behind the crash come to a stop, ride to the wheel pit with the crashers, change a front wheel, take a free lap and re-enter the field.

Freaking brilliant! Last time I got caught behind a crash, I spent a couple minutes in the hurt locker bridging back up to the field - and ended up burning a lot of matches and puking a little bit...I shoulda just pulled over :lol:

Thanks for the tip :D

no no, he said "never do this" ;)

NOT MINE: But at the Philly race two guys from Penn State (Cat. D divison 1) had a pretty embarassing moment.

At the circuit race these two guys lined up in the Divison 2 Cat. D (divison @ under 15,000 students) start position which was suppose to go 5 minutes after D1. Well, 3 minutes after the D1 field took off the announcer said "uhh, Penn State you are D1.."

The two guys fumbled to their pedals and took off sprinting. BUT even more embarrassing was the one guy slipped out of his pedal 20 yards from the start (in trying to sprint away) and crashed over his bike in front of everyone.... That was pretty embarrasing for him.
Yeah, i saw that. the worst part was he then locked his chain up and then pretty much disappeared. He should have just started with us and at least done the race.

Penguin, Corey won Fitchburg because the gent who was in first chased down a TNM rider who thought it was the final lap, while Corey sprinted for the time bonus on the proper lap for second and the overall (or something like that). The guy that lost...he was embarrassed.

Mine was the Providence 3/4 race, miss counted, blasted through the bell lap thinking it was the last. That wouldnt be horrible cept my boss/race announcer got the crowd all excited saying that I was intentionally attacking the field on the last lap. Crowd enjoyed it, and when I lined up for the 4/5 race afterwards quite a few guys came up to me and congratulated me for the ballsy move while I was just trying to forget how I had screwed myself...(redemption was 4th place in the 4/5 race)

Penguin, Corey won Fitchburg because the gent who was in first chased down a TNM rider who thought it was the final lap, while Corey sprinted for the time bonus on the proper lap for second and the overall (or something like that). The guy that lost...he was embarrassed.
Ahhh ok. I got my story screwed up.

You just brought back a memory...I was standing next to Corey's dad during the crit, and when he saw all the guys sprinting on the bell lap and didn't see Corey, he thought it was the final lap and thought Corey had lost the race. He went from nearly having a heart attack on the bell lap to nearly fainting after the final sprint when he realized his son had clinched the stage race. It was awesome seeing how proud that guy was of his kid.

well, my first race was terrible (loose cleat, fell off the back in less than 5 miles) but i was saved from being too embarassed by another guy at the race.

the guy was probably around 40, riding an... interesting 1980's era schwinn complete with flat pedals. he was wearing a mountain bike helmet, a t shirt and khaki shorts. the course had a .75 mile neutral start that included a brief descent and a somewhat steep climb to the start. so, going down the hill, the guy goes to his toughest gear, leaving him in a bad gearing for the climb. when he gets to the climb he throws both of the levers (top tube shifters). all you hear is clunk clunk clunk and then see his chain get spat out onto the bottom bracket. poor guy probably had his family there watching, paid his 20 dollar entry fee and his 5 dollar uscf liscence and he didn't even make it to the start.

live and learn.

well, my first race was terrible (loose cleat, fell off the back in less than 5 miles) but i was saved from being too embarassed by another guy at the race.

the guy was probably around 40, riding an... interesting 1980's era schwinn complete with flat pedals. he was wearing a mountain bike helmet, a t shirt and khaki shorts. the course had a .75 mile neutral start that included a brief descent and a somewhat steep climb to the start. so, going down the hill, the guy goes to his toughest gear, leaving him in a bad gearing for the climb. when he gets to the climb he throws both of the levers (top tube shifters). all you hear is clunk clunk clunk and then see his chain get spat out onto the bottom bracket. poor guy probably had his family there watching, paid his 20 dollar entry fee and his 5 dollar uscf liscence and he didn't even make it to the start.

live and learn.

Please please let there be more of these guys in my next race.

I never see these guys. Just a bunch of "Cat 5s" who all have race team uniforms and look like they have been racing for about 10 years....

Freaking brilliant! Last time I got caught behind a crash, I spent a couple minutes in the hurt locker bridging back up to the field - and ended up burning a lot of matches and puking a little bit...I shoulda just pulled over :lol:

Thanks for the tip :D

Just dont tell em that I said to do this, I'll deny, deny :) (but it does work).

Most embarising moment: that would be today, twice. First climb on the first leg of the first lap on my first RR evar, I derail my chain off the little ring and come to a complete stop. Later in the race when I was again OTB for good, a girl pulls up to me, catches me and asks to share pulling. I puked a little in my mouth trying to keep up. :)

Thinking that there was one more lap to go, when I was in a 3 man break. Good thing that one of the othe two guys couldn't sprint his way out of paper bag. ;)

Most embarising moment: that would be today, twice. First climb on the first leg of the first lap on my first RR evar, I derail my chain off the little ring and come to a complete stop. Later in the race when I was again OTB for good, a girl pulls up to me, catches me and asks to share pulling. I puked a little in my mouth trying to keep up. :)

really? i could think of an even more embarrassing (http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/hiromian/?action=view&current=7abddd51.flv) moment. :D

really? i could think of an even more embarrassing (http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/hiromian/?action=view&current=7abddd51.flv) moment. :D
you'd play this any chance you'd get, wouldnt you:p
btw thanks, makes me laugh every time!

really? i could think of an even more embarrassing (http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/hiromian/?action=view&current=7abddd51.flv) moment. :D

"Aiyaah... Oh no...." :D

It's a classic, hiro. :beer:

"Aiyaah... Oh no...." :D

It's a classic, hiro. :beer:

who needs anesthesia when there's "Aiyaah... Oh no...."? :D

who needs anesthesia when there's "Aiyaah... Oh no...."? :D
just doesnt come out sounding the same no matter how I try.


( and what are the two of you doing up this early???):p

just doesnt come out sounding the same no matter how I try.


( and what are the two of you doing up this early???):p

GMT+1

Track race - Leading a Madison, up on the field by a lap with 10 laps to go, feeling great, partner riding well, no one's attacking. Thinking it's in the bag here and I'll have the trophy in my hands, passing some back markers, lose concentration thinking about what a great ride we've done and touch wheels, hit the track. :mad:
Partner carries on sitting in the bunch, as you have to finish a team of 2 the marshals send another rider onto the track to partner him for the last few laps. I go to hospital, bike has 2 bent wheels, (it's one I borrowed from a friend, he was OK about it :) and thought it was funny).
get out of hospital and no trophy, as the 2 riders that finish get their names on the trophy :mad:

really? i could think of an even more embarrassing (http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/hiromian/?action=view&current=7abddd51.flv) moment. :D

God I love that video, the guy filming sounds lke mario.

botto kills me with that video every time.:beer:

I feel like I could write a book on this question. I've mucked up the lap count in both directions, wondered why the dude in front of me was raising his arms and congratulating himself; also, been geeked about a win only to hear the last lap bell was ringing. Oh, then there's the time where I was in a 3 man break that lapped the field only to crash in the last corner while lining myself up to sprint around the other 2.

But the winner for me is during a hilly road race, Cat 3/4, I was a new-ish 4, 2nd climb I dropped my chain shifting to the small ring, couldnt get it back on so I reached down with my right hand to try and put it back on the ring. As I was reaching down, someone shouted at me to put my hand up if I was having a mechanical. Instinctively I put my left hand up and crashed going about 12 mph. When I got back to the pack, people were laughing at me, deservedly so.

Pace Bend this year: strung the pack out on a climb to get the tempo up, corner at the top, looked back there to see if anyone was going to help, not realizing I wasn't cornering sharp enough, I rode into the far-side ditch. Being the top of a climb, I was only doing about 20mph, so I just got my bearings and kept riding until I was able to ride out of it. That only put me back about 4 spots, but I was red-faced for sure.

Track race - Leading a Madison, up on the field by a lap with 10 laps to go, feeling great, partner riding well, no one's attacking. Thinking it's in the bag here and I'll have the trophy in my hands, passing some back markers, lose concentration thinking about what a great ride we've done and touch wheels, hit the track. :mad:
Partner carries on sitting in the bunch, as you have to finish a team of 2 the marshals send another rider onto the track to partner him for the last few laps. I go to hospital, bike has 2 bent wheels, (it's one I borrowed from a friend, he was OK about it :) and thought it was funny).
get out of hospital and no trophy, as the 2 riders that finish get their names on the trophy :mad:

That's kinda weird rules. Normally you just have to finish with one guy on the track, and after your last turn racing would stay on the apron. If one guy crashes out, the other guy has to finish alone. I've seen it done this way a bunch, including Master Nats (a friends partner crashed out, so me and my partner towed him around until it was called due to rain) and World Cup morning qualifier-- French guy crashed out (by another team sliding down the corner in a bad exchange). French guy broke his collarbone and his partner stayed on the track for about 18 laps, and finished well enough to qualify. He couldn't race the final because his partner couldn't ride, and they were the two who qualified.

The only time I know of them putting in a new rider would be under six-day rules, but even then the newly formed team starts with the points and laps of whichever rider is doing worse (usually it's done after two teams each lose one guy). With 10 laps to go your partner should have just sat on the second place team and rode it out alone, leaving you named on the trophy. You wuz robbed.

Hopefully you can slice and dice better than you count. :D

ok just kidding...

Why do you hate humor?

Last year, my first race as a 4, its a 3/4 field. We're going up this crazy steep climb, like 15% for a few hundred feet in height, when I decide to little ring it. Naturally, I throw my chain, and I'm over near the double yellow. I can't get it to shift back on because I'm riding too slow, so I hop off my bike and start sprinting up the hill on my cleats, while guys around me yell at me to get over to the shoulder. After I get to the top of the hill, I have to chase for 5 miles before I can latch back on to the peleton. This cost me 20 miles later when we got to the same hill, as I was pretty fried from the last time. I got gapped, chased hard for 5 miles again solo, came within 50ft of the peleton, and then decided that if I kept up at that pace I'd get shelled once I latched on. In retrospect, that's one of the dumber thoughts I've ever had, as I would have been sheltered from the wind. Instead I wound up soloing in about 30 seconds behind them, working harder than I would have had to if I latched on, and for a lower placing.

bah.

botto kills me with that video every time.:beer:
That's my vidio, not Bottos. Shesh.:)

That's my vidio, not Bottos. Shesh.:)

correct.

speaking of videos:

Anyone ever see the video where a kid in a solo break has his hands up in victory, as he is about to cross the finish line when he falls!... and the guys 100 meters away ends up taking the win as the kid trys running to the finish line. That would be pretty embarassing.

*couldn't find video, if found please post.

speaking of videos:

Anyone ever see the video where a kid in a solo break has his hands up in victory, as he is about to cross the finish line when he falls!... and the guys 100 meters away ends up taking the win as the kid trys running to the finish line. That would be pretty embarassing.

*couldn't find video, if found please post.

good. we've already seen it too many times.

good. we've already seen it too many times.


no more then Hiromian's wreck... if the thread is truly about most embarrassing that would most certainly be top 5.

no more then Hiromian's wreck... if the thread is truly about most embarrassing that would most certainly be top 5.

Hiromian's is funny.

In fact it is hilarious.

In fact, the pleasure gained from watching it is a perfect example of schadenfreude.

if the thread is truly about the most embarrassing racing moments his video would easily be the winner. "Aiyaah... Oh no...."

That's my vidio, not Bottos. Shesh.:)

Oh I know it's you in the video. botto just posts the link to it occasionally and it's hilarious every time.

I was doing a crit around a car racetrack. I knew my fitness was down a little and I had a cold but I felt I could do it.

It was a Cat 4 race and for the first 2 laps I kept up easily and thought 'Hey, I can win this!!' But then the 200 metre 15% hill started to take its toll. My lungs felt like they were on fire. I was grinding up the hill when an old guy of around 60 overtook me.

I came last. :(

I came last. :(

I watched way too much Beavis and Butthead to let a line like that slide.

Once upon a time I was at the front of a criterium bunch when I put my head and the "hammer" down. After about 30 seconds I looked around to see no-one, and thought I'd smashed the field to bits, :) so I hammered for probably another 20seconds. Then I looked up and realized I'd taken a wrong turn and nobody had followed me -- nor did any of the arseholes tell me I was going the wrong way, incidentally!! :p

It was only a Sunday morning B-grade race with 20 young riders, so I was able to turn around and get back onto the bunch after about 10 mins! :)

I thought it was pretty funny, but when I got back to the bunch, some old dude really paid out on me, telling me I could've brought down the whole group