Road Bike Racing - Is this guy lying? (Masters 30+ cat 4/5)

Yesterday, a guy I know said he won the Masters 30/40+ cat4/5 race in a road race in Illinois. What is strange is that he said he crossed the line 3rd, but was the "first 30+" rider to cross. He said he got a gold medal and stood on the podium and all that.

Do racers in 30/40+ cat 4/5 races get placed this way? My thinking is, if you crossed the line 3rd in a 30/40+ cat 4/5 race, like any other race, you win bronze. I congratulated him but later I started thinking how can you cross the line 3rd and win gold in one race.

I'm assuming it was the oakbrook road race on Saturday. Yes, the 30/40 Masters were in one field but the registration was seperated into 30+ and 40+ cat 4/5.
The race was iffy, the motorcycle to enforce the centerline rule broke down and quite a few people used that to their advantage.

Maybe they ran the 30+/40+ 4/5 AND the Senior 4/5's together, but scored seperately?

Or just a 30+ 40+ race scored seperately?

I'm assuming it was the oakbrook road race on Saturday. Yes, the 30/40 Masters were in one field but the registration was seperated into 30+ and 40+ cat 4/5.
The race was iffy, the motorcycle to enforce the centerline rule broke down and quite a few people used that to their advantage.

Hey thanks!! That clears it up.

This was actually one of the races where lots of yelling in the back ensued. It was irritating and funny at the same time.
"slowing!!!" "close the gap" "left turn" "right turn" "lets go lets go"

I was just thinking to myself, shut the f up and race your f'n bike you morons and close the damn gap yourself.

I was just thinking to myself, shut the f up and race your f'n bike you morons and close the damn gap yourself.

+1.

Scummer
I agree with you to some extent, it can be annoying. Unfortunately, there are some racers out there that don't seem to be paying much attention. I've seen many times how a little communication has gone along way to avoiding accidents, at all cat levels. Some words of caution just seem to wake some racers up.

I "won" a race like that once. Charleston Criterium in 1996 They ran all the 4/5s together, but had two categories, one for over 35. Last lap guy takes a flyer, I bridge up to him thinking the two of us can make it stick. Shortly after I catch him, I realize he's toast, so I'm hosed. I put my head down, go for it, but am caught by a six man group, get 3rd in that sprint.

I thought well 3rd's not bad,and at least I went for it. Only to find out I'd won the 35+ race.

I'm wary of races that are advertised as combined fields, especially in the Chicago area.
They (Chicago Special Events) have a habit of calling it a 35+/45+ race, but only paying out one prize list despite having a decent enough camera to sort it out.
Very annoying to be sprinting for what you think is a paying spot only to find out otherwise when they post results. Why the extra risk?

This was the Illinois Road Race Championship in Oakbrook yesterday and Scummer and myself were in that exact field. It was 30+ 4/5 and 40+ 4/5 both running together. They registered them separately up to a "combined" field size of 75 (more 40+ than 30+) and then run us all together on the circuit at the same time as 2 other fields (Elite 4's and Masters 50+ and 60+) in front and behind us.

There were two prize lists listed for our field of 30+ 4/5 and 40+ 4/5 and they specifically stated in all literature and tech guide that they would be run together but scored separate. The primes were together though for obvious reasons....same field.

I was able to witness the finish ....as a spectator....because I suck, but a guy I ride with on my Tuesday Night group ride came in second and was geeked because he thought he won the 40+ - assuming the guy who crossed the line first was 30+. Turns out the first guy was a 40+ as well.

So....knowing the top 2 were definitely 40+ that would put your friend crossing the line 3rd, but at the front of the 30+ field. Tell him congrats....and if he *****es about me and my teamate holding the field on the first lap - tell him I paid for it anyway.

This was actually one of the races where lots of yelling in the back ensued. It was irritating and funny at the same time.
"slowing!!!" "close the gap" "left turn" "right turn" "lets go lets go"

I was just thinking to myself, shut the f up and race your f'n bike you morons and close the damn gap yourself.

My favorite was when I was popping and about 1/3 way back and a xXx'er kept yelling, "pedal up front!" because we were stuffing up behind the front row practically running over them.

He said it like 3 times then yelled, "IT'S A F'N BIKE RACE! NOT A B___J__!"

....to which I replied, "THIS ISN'T A BJ??!!! DAMNIT! I FILLED OUT THE WRONG FORM!....AGAIN!"

That one was good for some laughs. Good field. Some bad apples, but meh.

I raced the 4s and suffered an abnormal level of suck. Someone was f-ing with the pace in our field. Either purposely or not there was a great slowdown after we started the slight downhill after turn 1. Annoying as all hell as I seem accelerate down hill at a greater rate than most people.

My personal hell came in the form of taking the hills too slow. While none were that difficult, but because I had no legs and was near the back I was forced to pedal at the pace of the dudes in front. I was never able to get my comfy pace for the hills in back, especially the last kicker before 31st St. I took them too slow, prolonging the pain and this (among other things) caused a premature leak in my legs. Soon I was in big trouble. First time I've been dropped. Ever. Sucks. The upside is that I know why I failed.

...but something else failed worse that I did. PREregistration.

I raced the 4s and suffered an abnormal level of suck. Someone was f-ing with the pace in our field. Either purposely or not there was a great slowdown after we started the slight downhill after turn 1. Annoying as all hell as I seem accelerate down hill at a greater rate than most people.




One thing I try to do in situations like that is use the downhill where I'm faster than most to move up to the front. If you're bigger and descend faster its a good way to get position with little energy expenditure, then you can ride your pace on the next climb, drifiting back a little, conserving effort.

My favorite was when I was popping and about 1/3 way back and a xXx'er kept yelling, "pedal up front!" because we were stuffing up behind the front row practically running over them.

He said it like 3 times then yelled, "IT'S A F'N BIKE RACE! NOT A B___J__!"

You know, I'm not the most experienced cyclist in the world.....but if the slow pace aggravated him so much, why wasn't he taking the bull by the horns and making everyone else work at the pace he wanted to go?

You know, I'm not the most experienced cyclist in the world.....but if the slow pace aggravated him so much, why wasn't he taking the bull by the horns and making everyone else work at the pace he wanted to go?

Because that would require work, duh.

This was actually one of the races where lots of yelling in the back ensued. It was irritating and funny at the same time.
"slowing!!!" "close the gap" "left turn" "right turn" "lets go lets go"

I was just thinking to myself, shut the f up and race your f'n bike you morons and close the damn gap yourself.

I don't mind people yelling slowing, left turn or right turn in a road race. I've seen people get pretty tired and focused on the wheel in front of them instead of what is ahead in road races. Anything to keep a race safe is welcome. The 'close the gap' and 'lets go lets go' yellers are just blow hards.

I don't mind people yelling slowing, left turn or right turn in a road race. I've seen people get pretty tired and focused on the wheel in front of them instead of what is ahead in road races. Anything to keep a race safe is welcome. The 'close the gap' and 'lets go lets go' yellers are just blow hards.

It was pretty much right after the start of the race when the yelling started. Everyone should be still pretty fresh with 25 miles to go and only 1 mile into the race. I mean, yeah, I can understand when you start suffering before you're blowing up and you put your head down and try to grind it out, but in the beginning of a race?

I raced the 4s and suffered an abnormal level of suck. Someone was f-ing with the pace in our field. Either purposely or not there was a great slowdown after we started the slight downhill after turn 1. Annoying as all hell as I seem accelerate down hill at a greater rate than most people.

My personal hell came in the form of taking the hills too slow. While none were that difficult, but because I had no legs and was near the back I was forced to pedal at the pace of the dudes in front. I was never able to get my comfy pace for the hills in back, especially the last kicker before 31st St. I took them too slow, prolonging the pain and this (among other things) caused a premature leak in my legs. Soon I was in big trouble. First time I've been dropped. Ever. Sucks. The upside is that I know why I failed.

...but something else failed worse that I did. PREregistration.

Ouch...I understand completely. That section on York after turn 1 happened to us to. Thing is the way the wind was coming and the layout of those streets there was actually a pretty decend head/crosswind right after that corner. We were in front on the first lap and even though that section was basically downhill the wind was making me it's biotch.

The slowdown helped me stay in contact on other laps so I didn't complain too much.

The last kicker hill is where I expected to see some attacks just for the same reason you mentioned - total drainer even though it wasn't that big. We launched ours there. Unfortunately I was not around to see others launched.

Because that would require work, duh.

Bingo.

Well....we were stacking up behind the front and there was nowhere to pass, but still....mostly just btchn.

EDIT: BTW - Podium shot of the Masters 40+. The guy I was talking about is in second on the right. OP...your friend should not be in this shot, but the guys that finished 1 and 2 in the field are in the 1 and 2 position on this podium - as 40+ riders.
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/7251/podiummasters40sv6.png

BTW - I follow that animal every Tuesday night:twitchy:

Also...nice pic of me and my team going off the front at the start. :D
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/7640/001iz0.png

I "won" a race like that once. Charleston Criterium in 1996 They ran all the 4/5s together, but had two categories, one for over 35. Last lap guy takes a flyer, I bridge up to him thinking the two of us can make it stick. Shortly after I catch him, I realize he's toast, so I'm hosed. I put my head down, go for it, but am caught by a six man group, get 3rd in that sprint.

I thought well 3rd's not bad,and at least I went for it. Only to find out I'd won the 35+ race.

Same here. Our state crit championships are open to anyone. I sprint and finish 4th, thinking "damn, just out of the medals". I go up to collect my $20 prize, and find out I'm state champion.... It was the easiest race of the day, so I didn't really have much feeling of accomplishment. My kids were impressed though because they didn't know any better !