"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Attacking the Neutral Feed Zone?

What the hell? Doesn't seem particularly sporting to me, especially on a hot day when we all need all the water we can get.

Am I being wussy?

happens all the time , just get use to it

very uncool to attack just before, in or just out of a feed zone. if game is on before hand though, game stays on, just grab a new bottle faster or carry what you need.

uncool, yes.
unexpected, no.
unprepared, you should not be.

very uncool to attack just before, in or just out of a feed zone. if game is on before hand though, game stays on, just grab a new bottle faster or carry what you need.

+1 The feed zone can be a dangerous place. Launching attacks there increases that risk. I was in a race last summer where an attack in the feed zone was a major contributing cause to a crash.

This was in a Cat 4/5 field (you probably could have guessed, right?), less than 50 riders, and this was a team effort. And they did it two laps in a row.

i call balony.

feeding is not allowed in a cat 5 race.

i call balony.

feeding is not allowed in a cat 5 race.

???

???

just checked the rulebook - I was wrong.

i call balony.

feeding is not allowed in a cat 5 race.

Bottle hand ups are allowed in TX races for 5's. At least they were when I was a 5.

i call balony.

feeding is not allowed in a cat 5 race.

There are neutral support feed zones for all riders. Its not for food, but water bottles.

In my opinion it is poor sportsmanship on their teams part. Any reason why they couldnt do it after?

Any reason why they couldnt do it after?

it's easier to do it during?

how long does a race have to be to have a feed zone?

just checked the rulebook - I was wrong.

In my experience, in particular races there may be no feed zone in a 4/5 race due the length of the race. Thus no blanket prohibition, but its not unusual for the officials to announce there's no feed zone at the beginning of the race.

how long does a race have to be to have a feed zone?

70km

Rules say you can't feed in the first 50 or the last 20 km.

Attacking the feedzone is a dick move. It may work well in the short term, but over the long haul it is a big negative.

70km

Rules say you can't feed in the first 50 or the last 20 km.

chief ref has discretion on this.

I recall racedays when it was obscenely hot and humid where "feeding" was allowed every lap.

This was in a Cat 4/5 field (you probably could have guessed, right?), less than 50 riders, and this was a team effort. And they did it two laps in a row.

Pfft there were attacks in the 1/2/3 feed zone this past weekend (with several teams that should know better). Its part of racing....

Pfft there were attacks in the 1/2/3 feed zone this past weekend (with several teams that should know better). Its part of racing....

And bike racers have a LONG memory. Karma is very much a b*tch.

Cat 5 "attacks" usually only last 10 seconds. Don't worry about it.

It's those 35+ attacks, and then the counter attacks, that you need to watch out for..

I have seen:

1. Attacking right after a large crash that caused anyone behind it to have to slow or stop.
2. Attacking right after an officially announced neutral road repair section when the rest of the pack is still behind the section.
3. Attacking right after an officially announced neutral STEEL DECK BRIDGE when the rest of the (see above)
4. Grand Prize: Attacking by crossing the yellow line as soon as an oncoming car is sighted, slotting in in front of the pack and then using the oncoming car to block anyone from coming around and jumping on the attack.

All of this in low-cat amateur races.

I have seen:

1. Attacking right after a large crash that caused anyone behind it to have to slow or stop.

this is pretty much standard operating procedure.


2. Attacking right after an officially announced neutral road repair section when the rest of the pack is still behind the section.

this is poor officiating.



3. Attacking right after an officially announced neutral STEEL DECK BRIDGE when the rest of the (see above)

Id.

4. Grand Prize: Attacking by crossing the yellow line as soon as an oncoming car is sighted, slotting in in front of the pack and then using the oncoming car to block anyone from coming around and jumping on the attack.



That truly is BS. Here, the officials enforce the centerline pretty rigorously, and they would definitely be relegated, and likely DQ'd. If the official didn't I'd take it on myself to engage in some "educational" efforts because that endangers the whole pack.

This was in a Cat 4/5 field (you probably could have guessed, right?), less than 50 riders, and this was a team effort. And they did it two laps in a row.

wrong.

is it a dick move to attack after a large crash? if the crash occurs next to you but you come out unscathed, should you stop, get off the bike and wait? Also, I have heard people that say when they hear a crash in close proximity, the begin to hammer so they wont get caught in the fray...seems to me like a rider wouldnt want to lollygag around near a crash because he may become a victim too....

is it a dick move to attack after a large crash? if the crash occurs next to you but you come out unscathed, should you stop, get off the bike and wait? Also, I have heard people that say when they hear a crash in close proximity, the begin to hammer so they wont get caught in the fray...seems to me like a rider wouldnt want to lollygag around near a crash because he may become a victim too....

I still havent decided the dickishness of it, but I do know that I've never been in a situation where a crash has occurred and the hammer didnt go down with folks shouting go!, go!, go! dont know if it's right or wrong, but do know that it is.

To me it seems less dickish in a crit where the fallen can get a free lap. In a RR, they're SOL.

is it a dick move to attack after a large crash? if the crash occurs next to you but you come out unscathed, should you stop, get off the bike and wait? Also, I have heard people that say when they hear a crash in close proximity, the begin to hammer so they wont get caught in the fray...seems to me like a rider wouldnt want to lollygag around near a crash because he may become a victim too....

If it's behind you then it's behind you. Why not just keep going at the same pace but not attack? THAT seems the safest move to my understanding.

i really cant see the level of dickishness after a crash...or coming up on a crash with an open lane to the right or left? why not sprint through and gain position? those guys are down, thats racing...you dont see NASCAR or F1 guys slow down until they wave the yellow flag...you dont see runners on a track slow down when a competitor pulls a hamstring....

is it a dick move to attack after a large crash? if the crash occurs next to you but you come out unscathed, should you stop, get off the bike and wait? Also, I have heard people that say when they hear a crash in close proximity, the begin to hammer so they wont get caught in the fray...seems to me like a rider wouldnt want to lollygag around near a crash because he may become a victim too....

hell no.

because there is a lot of karma in bike racing and we have to work together most of the time.

hell no.

+1...thats what I thought!!!!

because there is a lot of karma in bike racing and we have to work together most of the time.

Yes.

In motor racing the crashes that actually end up splitting the field leave enough crap on the course that they will pretty much always put out the yellow flag. If someone takes themselves out on a corner, they will be well off the course and into the gravel trap and it affects no more racers than those immediately involved in the crash. Plus, motor racers don't have the ability to jump like bike racers do. They are nearly always going as fast as they can.

In motor racing the crashes that actually end up splitting the field leave enough crap on the course that they will pretty much always put out the yellow flag. If someone takes themselves out on a corner, they will be well off the course and into the gravel trap and it affects no more racers than those immediately involved in the crash. Plus, motor racers don't have the ability to jump like bike racers do. They are nearly always going as fast as they can.

ok, good point...then what about guys in track and field running the 800m or the 1600m...if a competitor in lane 5 pulls up with a hamstring pull then falls into lane 3 and 4 knocking them down, should the guys in the outer unaffected lanes slow up? HELL NO....

Listen, if you really want to attack the crashes then go ahead. As we have established, it's standard procedure. I am just on the side of "those who think it's dickish". I prefer my karma good if possible. Besides, I am just am amateur racer. I already have a job.

Listen, if you really want to attack the crashes then go ahead. As we have established, it's standard procedure. I am just on the side of "those who think it's dickish". I prefer my karma good if possible. Besides, I am just am amateur racer. I already have a job.

im amatuer, poor, and im slow, so I would have to avoid crashes at all cost!! lol and if I attacked during a crash it would last for all of 5-10 seconds, so I think no one would notice! LOL

I've seen a situation where riders yell "go go go" immediately after a crash and another rider shout them down. screeming: "NO! DO NOT ATTACH A CRASH!" It worked. People actually listened and stopped the attack. Really weird, but also kinda cool.

baaaaa. baaaaaa....baaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

its shady world...lol

I've seen a situation where riders yell "go go go" immediately after a crash and another rider shout them down. screeming: "NO! DO NOT ATTACH A CRASH!" It worked. People actually listened and stopped the attack. Really weird, but also kinda cool.

baaaaa. baaaaaa....baaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

In the collegiate races I've been in that had a big wreck, the people at front usually decided to neutralize and let people who could get back on do so.

I've seen a situation where riders yell "go go go" immediately after a crash ...

In the few crashes that have occured around me it's been more of a "run awaaay!" rather than a "go go go". One happened right beside me. The 15 or so people in front of it looked like a covey of quail shooting out in all directions away from the noise behind them.

To me it seems less dickish in a crit where the fallen can get a free lap. In a RR, they're SOL.

It's racing, not the girl scout choir singing kumbaya. Would you slow down/stop when your opponents have a mechanical in a RR?

This was in a Cat 4/5 field (you probably could have guessed, right?), less than 50 riders, and this was a team effort. And they did it two laps in a row.

I'm pretty sure you're talking about the Modesto Road Race. I was in the 4/5 field as well, and I thought that was in pretty poor form. I wouldn't expect it, so I guess it was smart on their part. Either way, I thought it was pretty weak.

I ended up getting dropped from the main pack on the last lap, in part due to the attack through the neutral feed, and in part due to some dude slowing to a crawl and unclipping a pedal right in front of me to make sure he got the bottle. Note to self: never be near the back of the pack through neutral feed again.

I'm pretty sure you're talking about the Modesto Road Race. I was in the 4/5 field as well, and I thought that was in pretty poor form. I wouldn't expect it, so I guess it was smart on their part. Either way, I thought it was pretty weak.

I ended up getting dropped from the main pack on the last lap, in part due to the attack through the neutral feed, and in part due to some dude slowing to a crawl and unclipping a pedal right in front of me to make sure he got the bottle. Note to self: never be near the back of the pack through neutral feed again.

Yes. And while I'm all for trying to shred the group, isn't there a reason to call it the "neutral" feed? Like I said in the OP, it just doesn't seem sportsmanlike.