Professional Cycling For the Fans - Nevada City? Spoiler!

Armstrong FTW....he is looking pretty lean in the velonews photos. I predict he'll finish top 10 at the TDF with a stage win.

Worse than that, he won it. He and Leipheimer lapped other groups more than once.
LA, LL, and CH should not have been there. :wtf:
Give other guys who aren't going to the TDF a chance to win something.

So LA proves he can beat up on amateurs.
Greg Lemond won it as a junior, now Lance has to prove something as an old man.
Could be the last race he will ever win.

So LA proves he can beat up on amateurs.
Greg Lemond won it as a junior, now Lance has to prove something as an old man.
Could be the last race he will ever win.

Yup. and like Greg Lemond said, LA has no conscience.

I read somewhere that the race organizers invited Lance to get more publicity. It's not surprising that he won. Riding against mostly slower cat 1 and 2 racers. But I wonder if it means he is stronger than Levi right now.

Worse than that, he won it. He and Leipheimer lapped other groups more than once.
LA, LL, and CH should not have been there. :wtf:
Give other guys who aren't going to the TDF a chance to win something.

Who do you think would have won if LA and crew hadn't showed up? Probably BJM - would have been a nice line on his resume but I doubt he holds a Lance grudge over this. I'm sure the other 120 or so P12's enjoyed the experience. The race organizers were certainly happy about it.

Who do you think would have won if LA and crew hadn't showed up? Probably BJM - would have been a nice line on his resume but I doubt he holds a Lance grudge over this. I'm sure the other 120 or so P12's enjoyed the experience. The race organizers were certainly happy about it.

So you've spoken to BJM and all the other riders?
And they all agree with you?
Well then, I guess that settles it.

Seriously, the race organizers are not the ones out there spinning their butts off to try to get a podium finish.

Seriously, the race organizers are not the ones out there spinning their butts off to try to get a podium finish.

It was a P12 race - do you really think there are any riders who are pissed off because the competition was too tough? It's not like these guys are sandbagging to not cat-up before Districts.

It was a P12 race - do you really think there are any riders who are pissed off because the competition was too tough? It's not like these guys are sandbagging to not cat-up before Districts.

Did you speak to them too? Did they say that they trained really hard the past 6 months and are happy to see with LA and his crew that they absolutely no chance whatsoever?
I think you're right though... the majority of competitors, in any competition for that matter, don't believe they can win; they just participate to get some fresh air.

Bottom line: 3 riders who rode in the Giro participated in this race. The results are self-explanatory for why they should not have participated.

Boy this seems to be a lot of whining about a race that almost no one in this forum would have mentioned or cared about if LA and Co hadn't participated. He got invited, he wanted to blast out a short run, he showed up, and people actually noticed the race because he went. Sorry, but i am willing to bet the guys who didnt podium because they were there can now say the only guys who beat them were in the Giro.

Boy this seems to be a lot of whining about a race that almost no one in this forum would have mentioned or cared about if LA and Co hadn't participated.

Well the race did happen, and LA and Co did participate, so what's your point?


He got invited, he wanted to blast out a short run, he showed up, and people actually noticed the race because he went.

And unless LA and Co return every year, then the race will return into oblivion.


Sorry, but i am willing to bet the guys who didnt podium because they were there can now say the only guys who beat them were in the Giro.

You're right. 120 guys went home and told their wives that they would have won if LA and Co had not have been there.

Did you speak to them too? ...

Did you?

Well then, stop putting words in other people's mouths.

:notamused:

Did you?

Well then, stop putting words in other people's mouths.

:notamused:

Agree.

I would see this as good news/bad news. Hey. If I were a cat 1 or 2 racer, I'd be tickled to say I raced with those guys. True, they may have taken a few loaves of bread out of some of the pro's mouths, but hey, a pro rider is a pro rider.

And unless LA and Co return every year, then the race will return into oblivion.



This race was never in oblivion - Armstrong himself raced it 20 years ago... got his @$$ handed to him by the pro's. Obviously it didn't get a lot of national attention though.

It's not unusual for pro teams (Rock Racing, BMC etc) to show up at relatively unimportant local races around here.

Floyd's racing a criterium in Benicia next weekend - http://www.beniciatownrace.com/

This race was never in oblivion - Armstrong himself raced it 20 years ago... got his @$$ handed to him by the pro's. Obviously it didn't get a lot of national attention though.

It's not unusual for pro teams (Rock Racing, BMC etc) to show up at relatively unimportant local races around here.

Floyd's racing a criterium in Benicia next weekend - http://www.beniciatownrace.com/

20 years ago LA was not the name he is now. Other big names have shown up and raced it at times too, but before they were truly big names. LA mentioned some big name dropping by to race it in '71 even.

It was in oblivion to most racing fans.

20 years ago LA was not the name he is now. Other big names have shown up and raced it at times too, but before they were truly big names. LA mentioned some big name dropping by to race it in '71 even.

It was in oblivion to most racing fans.

Sorry, that's just not true, it was the biggest race in Northern California for many years. Greg Lemond won three times, Alexi Grewal won many years after his Olympic gold, Levi won in 1998... None of these guys were at the peak of their careers but they were definitely big names at the time. Hampsten, Prehn, Huber, both Stetinas, Jeff Pierce, Steve Larson, Chris Carmichael - all raced the NCC. Cat 1's and domestic pro's who show up for this race don't whine when the celebrity riders line up.

Did you?

Well then, stop putting words in other people's mouths.

:notamused:

Re-read the thread.

Re-read the thread.

I did. I must be missing your point. It seems like you're saying the three Astana riders were big jerks for coming, ruined the race for everyone else, and the people who might otherwise have had a shot at winning are pissed about it.

What am I missing?

I did. I must be missing your point. It seems like you're saying the three Astana riders were big jerks for coming, ruined the race for everyone else, and the people who might otherwise have had a shot at winning are pissed about it.

What am I missing?

I didn't quote you.

Who do you think would have won if LA and crew hadn't showed up? Probably BJM - would have been a nice line on his resume but I doubt he holds a Lance grudge over this. I'm sure the other 120 or so P12's enjoyed the experience. The race organizers were certainly happy about it.


So you've spoken to BJM and all the other riders?
And they all agree with you?
Well then, I guess that settles it.

Seriously, the race organizers are not the ones out there spinning their butts off to try to get a podium finish.

xfimpg, you are talking out of your ass. I can't speak for everyone there, but yesterday my teammate who was in the race told me about his experience. He had a blast and thouroughly enjoyed the chance to to be in a race with riders of that caliber. I have another teammate who last year upgraded to cat 1 so that he could do Pro/1 NRC races with top pros, even though he knew he had no chance in those races. Think of all the people that clamor outside the team bus to get a glimpse of Lance, and these guys got to race with him, even if it was for only 3 laps before he attacked and blew the race apart...

Edit: FWIW, I was blown out the back of a crit when Tony Cruz attacked. I thought that was pretty cool :p

xfimpg, you are talking out of your ass. I can't speak for everyone there, but yesterday my teammate who was in the race told me about his experience. He had a blast and thouroughly enjoyed the chance to to be in a race with riders of that caliber. I have another teammate who last year upgraded to cat 1 so that he could do Pro/1 NRC races with top pros, even though he knew he had no chance in those races. Think of all the people that clamor outside the team bus to get a glimpse of Lance, and these guys got to race with him, even if it was for only 3 laps before he attacked and blew the race apart...

Edit: FWIW, I was blown out the back of a crit when Tony Cruz attacked. I thought that was pretty cool :p

If I worshipped LA, I'd probably agree with you.

If I worshipped LA, I'd probably agree with you.

I certainly don't worship him, neither does my teammate. But it is still an honor to race with riders of that caliber. I doubt very many of the participants were upset that he was there. Most would not have had a chance anyway with the likes of BJM and other top pros. In any given race most of the riders are packfill and know it.

I certainly don't worship him, neither does my teammate. But it is still an honor to race with riders of that caliber. I doubt very many of the participants were upset that he was there. Most would not have had a chance anyway with the likes of BJM and other top pros. In any given race most of the riders are packfill and know it.

LA and Co blew the race open after 3 laps to get rid of the deadwood.
Come on, how much racing with him was that?
Well, if you're satisfied with 3 laps, that's up to you.
I still don't think the Pro's should participate in those races.

LA and Co blew the race open after 3 laps to get rid of the deadwood.
Come on, how much racing with him was that?
Well, if you're satisfied with 3 laps, that's up to you.
I still don't think the Pro's should participate in those races.

It was a PRO / 1 / 2 race. Of course the pros should participate in that. Talking to teammate who has raced it in the past, that race always blows apart quickly. You are trying to make a big deal about something that just isn't an issue.

You are trying to make a big deal about something that just isn't an issue.

Of course it seems that way because you disagree, and you're entitled to.

Of course it seems that way because you disagree, and you're entitled to.

Do you race? It doesn't sound like it because you don't seem to have any concept of how racers think. You seem to believe that everybody there must have been upset that Lance came and dominated the race. People don't get upset over that kind of thing. That's what you get in a P/1/2 race, you race with the pros or you are a pro. They don't whine that somebody better came and beat them.

Did you speak to them too?Yes.


Did they say that they trained really hard the past 6 months and are happy to see with LA and his crew that they absolutely no chance whatsoever? Yes, they used the word "elated."

xfimpg, forget about this race for a moment... where do you draw the line? What level of pro is acceptable to show up at a local (for our purposes I will defined that as not UCI or NRC) race? It is not uncommon at all to have to line up against international or domestic pros, inlcuding stage winners from major tours. Levi and Horner have done many races throughout California, and many top names regularly race in the stacked Colorodo region. I'm not being argumentative here, I am very curious where you draw the line.

Do you race? It doesn't sound like it because you don't seem to have any concept of how racers think. You seem to believe that everybody there must have been upset that Lance came and dominated the race. People don't get upset over that kind of thing. That's what you get in a P/1/2 race, you race with the pros or you are a pro. They don't whine that somebody better came and beat them.

Sorry, I don't agree with you and don't think it was appropriate for TDF-level guys to participate in this race.
And if this were to become a new trend, then logic would dictate that your friend may as well stay home because he won't have a prayer of winning.

By your logic most of us packfill shouldn't bother racing because we know we don't have a chance. I've done plenty of races where I didn't have a prayer of winning, that's not really the only reason to do them.

Do you race? It doesn't sound like it because you don't seem to have any concept of how racers think. You seem to believe that everybody there must have been upset that Lance came and dominated the race. People don't get upset over that kind of thing. That's what you get in a P/1/2 race, you race with the pros or you are a pro. They don't whine that somebody better came and beat them.

I never raced bikes. In general I've come to think that when someone asks if I did then they are about to say something stupid and outrageous.

So I was pleased to see that when I thought about it just a little I find I agree with you. I did swim Competitvely and had no bad feelings bacause one year at Junior Olympics the top Sweedish swimmer showed up, happened to be in my heat and smoked me. (J.O.s were random seeded heats).

Which sounds better? I won some bike race no one ever heard of, or Lance showed up for a local race and I stayed with him for most of it?

Now If Lance and Co. showed up at every race in the area for 2 months that would be different. Then I think resentment would build. But one time? Nope more will be pleased to compete against a top level pro. It would also be different if the setup was one of advancement. If the top 3 went from this race to the state championship then yes if I finished 4th (or even 6th if more than Lance finished podium)I'd be very very upse. But as far as I know that is not the case.

Thinking a bit more do people here think small time pros were upset when Eddy showed up for a smaller race? No way! Turns out that if Eddy was there prize money was usually about double. And he did not win every single time!

Things may have changed, for those who had a decent chance to win the issue would not be additional prize money these days, it is a chance to be seen by big time teams. Ride well and get a chance at a contract.

It would also be different if the setup was one of advancement. If the top 3 went from this race to the state championship then yes if I finished 4th (or even 6th if more than Lance finished podium)I'd be very very upse. But as far as I know that is not the case.

There are no upgrade points on the line for the cat 1s and pros (nowhere to go), and no state championship or other kind of advancement on the line. If the race were state championships then a) pros would not have been allowed and b) only Levi and Horner (I think he is norcal?) would have been able to place for the championship because Lance is out of district. There was prize money but it has been reported that the Astana boys were not going to accept it.

I should add that my teammate got in pictures that were in Cyclingnews and Velonews. He was pretty stoked and he had a blast racing it.

Do you race? It doesn't sound like it because you don't seem to have any concept of how racers think. You seem to believe that everybody there must have been upset that Lance came and dominated the race. People don't get upset over that kind of thing. That's what you get in a P/1/2 race, you race with the pros or you are a pro. They don't whine that somebody better came and beat them.

That sounds like a cop out; because LA and Co are there all of a sudden the race doesn't matter to anyone anymore? I've been around competitors, and very competitive at that, too long to buy that argument. If all the riders are in awe of LA and Co, well that's their choice.

As for drawing the line, if you can finish 6 and 12 respectively in the Giro, you should use your professional judgement in selecting your races. LA and Co could have raced in the Tour de Suisse, but no one mentionned that.

You have a serious stick up your ass. We will just have to agree to disagree. But as far as I can tell, you are the only person bothered by this.

You have a serious stick up your ass. We will just have to agree to disagree. But as far as I can tell, you are the only person bothered by this.

Oh come on. That's just plain rude. Just because I don't agree with you.

and for the record, I agreed with jnbrown's comment, so that makes two of us.
He seems to have had better judgement than I to think he could have a discussion with LA wannabees.

I dont want to be lance armstrong. I enjoy riding and it would be amazing to be the PRO caliber of rider.

That said, I live in Columbus and play rec league hockey with NHL Pros and former NHL and Euro pros and it works the same way every game the pros are in: They hold back and keep it close, until either they get beat just once, or their team is losing. Then its over. Beat them once, and they take the puck and are gone. get ahead, and they stop holding back til its tied again.

And EVERY SINGLE TIME, I enjoy these games more than any other. I have to give my absolute best. A lot of times we lose these games, sometimes we win. I faked out a current NHL defensemen and scored BETWEEN his legs... best day of my hockey life.

When we lose, Im usually more excited than when we win, because usually when we lose I got to see unbelievable play, on the same ice I'm on, and they do stuff I can't do, and it's amazing to see up close.

I can ABSOLUTELY believe the riders were excited to see these guys in the race. Heck, the top guy behind LA and Co can for the rest of his life say... "I just beat everyone EXCEPT 3 guys who race the TdF, and one was Lance Freaking Armstrong". Even if he's not a fan of LA, that'll work with the chicks for YEARS! :)

xfimpg,

Did Lance blow off an autograph request? Cause you seem to have a serious hard on for him. Not to mention a severe case of everone else is wrong/I know everything.

I dont want to be lance armstrong. I enjoy riding and it would be amazing to be the PRO caliber of rider.

That said, I live in Columbus and play rec league hockey with NHL Pros and former NHL and Euro pros and it works the same way every game the pros are in: They hold back and keep it close, until either they get beat just once, or their team is losing. Then its over. Beat them once, and they take the puck and are gone. get ahead, and they stop holding back til its tied again.

And EVERY SINGLE TIME, I enjoy these games more than any other. I have to give my absolute best. A lot of times we lose these games, sometimes we win. I faked out a current NHL defensemen and scored BETWEEN his legs... best day of my hockey life.

When we lose, Im usually more excited than when we win, because usually when we lose I got to see unbelievable play, on the same ice I'm on, and they do stuff I can't do, and it's amazing to see up close.

I can ABSOLUTELY believe the riders were excited to see these guys in the race. Heck, the top guy behind LA and Co can for the rest of his life say... "I just beat everyone EXCEPT 3 guys who race the TdF, and one was Lance Freaking Armstrong". Even if he's not a fan of LA, that'll work with the chicks for YEARS! :)

Similar thing - I've played over 40 indoor soccer with former pros. Two of the guys were formerly on their national outoor team about a dozen years before. Heck, once or twice my team (with no former pros) even beat the team a couple of those guys were on - but when we didn't and the pro carried the team, we didn't go off whining because it wasn't fair to have to compete against them.

Then there was the day Dave Wottle (an Olympic gold medalist), came to our club's track meet and laid down the law on us all. Nobody was upset. Not a soul. We were thrilled to have had the chance to line up at the start next to him.

This is just a lot of bitter scented smoke.

I'm thinking that if it had been Christian Van De Velde and a couple Garmin teammates who had showed up and done the same thing, there'd not be the same complaint made.

Then there was the day Dave Wottle (an Olympic gold medalist), came to our club's track meet and laid down the law on us all. Nobody was upset. Not a soul. We were thrilled to have had the chance to line up at the start next to him.

LOL. Yeah, we had a few pickup games last year where for the first half (we split pickup games into halves instead of periods) the pros played together to start getting it together before fall camp. I felt like a pretzel after that half because I'd been turned inside out at least a dozen times, and other than being pretty exhausted, I was thrilled. Standing up to those guys, even getting busted 14-0, earns their respect. The next half I had no less than half a dozen scoring chances set up by a couple of the guys. Wound up with a hat trick and 2 assists that night, and made the best pass of my life, and because the guy on the other end was a pro, he actually finished on it!



This is just a lot of bitter scented smoke.

I'm thinking that if it had been Christian Van De Velde and a couple Garmin teammates who had showed up and done the same thing, there'd not be the same complaint made.


I agree.

You have a serious stick up your ass. We will just have to agree to disagree. But as far as I can tell, you are the only person bothered by this.

I think I know where the disconnect is coming from.

In my view, a Pro Cyclist is someone who competes on an international level, ie. TDF, Giro, Suisse, P-R, Down Under, Vuelta, and so on. So when I read about Top Pro Cyclists participating in local races, it seems out of balance as these races are local, and not necessarily of the international caliber. Look at it this way; Hockey and Baseball have major leagues and minor leagues. It wouldn't make sense to send Wayne Gretzky to the minor leagues because he belongs in the majors due to his caliber (not excluding the obvious exceptions such as recovering from injury, etc). Now if they did send him to the minors, I'm sure the minor guys would appreciate it because they would actually get to play with Wayne for 3 periods, as opposed to 3 laps.

Hope this clarifies any misunderstandings.

Not to be outdone... Cavendish, Hincapie, and Millar are coming to Nevada City next year.

Not to be outdone... Cavendish, Hincapie, and Millar are coming to Nevada City next year.

Interesting... where did you read that?

Interesting... where did you read that?

I made it up... I guess the italics weren't enough of a giveaway... should have added a snarky icon or something.

I made it up... I guess the italics weren't enough of a giveaway... should have added a snarky icon or something.

+1 on the snarky icon.

I made it up... I guess the italics weren't enough of a giveaway... should have added a snarky icon or something.
:lol:

Oh come on. That's just plain rude. Just because I don't agree with you.

and for the record, I agreed with jnbrown's comment, so that makes two of us.
He seems to have had better judgement than I to think he could have a discussion with LA wannabees.

Me and most of friends think Lance and Levi shouldn't race NCC or Gila, but don't bother to dicuss it here.

Would a Cat 1 do a Cat 4 race if they are allowed?

Me and most of friends think Lance and Levi shouldn't race NCC or Gila, but don't bother to dicuss it here.

And? Was there a point?


Would a Cat 1 do a Cat 4 race if they are allowed?

"If's" do not exist.
Use facts.

The facts seem to be that 'xmfp' has never moved up far enough to race with internationals.

In my opinion, those of us that have truly enjoy lining up with 'em. It's quite remarkable how strong they are. Their form is just mind blowing.

Sorry xmfp, your case is weak, and in my opinion, you are way off base.

Borderline trolling, actually.