"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - How would you react?

Here is a situation that happened this weekend at a local RR.
A guy in the pack (friend of mine actually) was actively blocking and trying to slow the pace. Myself and 1 of his teammates were off the front. He made it incredibly obvious what he was doing, but also was being pretty loud and depending on how you look at it, obnoxious.

At one point after the pack came around a corner he started yelling "hold up! Hold up!"
As they called out time splits he would regurgitate them into something completely inaccurate. And another time he told a rider on the front that one of his teammates wanted to talk to him on the back of the pack. Believe it or not, the guy quite pulling and went to the back!

Now I guess if I was in a pack with a guy like that I would either, A. laugh, or B. Ignore and keep racing.
But this group got very pissed with him (didn't help that they crashed near the finish) and several people chewed his ass after the race.

Just curious how you would react

Disrupting the chase by screwing with the rotation or setting false tempo is one thing, but being an obnoxious prick is something else. He's not helping anything by making it so obvious...

That's racing...

If he is making it that obvious somebody (body's) has to make the chase. No need to chew after the race, chew during by making a chase...just my opinion.
~Nick

Lame tactics IMO...

Just curious how you would react

I'd start a BF thread

Attack the field.

What'll be funnier is when he "accidentally crashes into the curb"

So what's the question?
How to ignore a bully?
And what does the crash have to do with his antics?

Sport is full of harmless "smack".
Let it be, or smack back.

It's a pretty dick move, but the other teams should be well aware that this asshat has someone in the break and realize what he's doing. Then attack him.

that's some fredelicious 'racing.'

If someone's mouth is running, that's a sign the group isn't chasing hard enough.

if some dude is blocking that well then attack and use him to your advantage also.

I'd say that's probably one less guy you need to mark. Good intel there.

Attack the field.

this.

race my race. put chatterbox in oxygen debt.

weird.

The reaction should be to race, not to sit behind the "ride leader".

Maybe go out to dinner with him the night before the next big race...suggest that the race might be canceled and ply him with many happy drinks...should you see him the next day, attack attack attack :-)

Here is a situation that happened this weekend at a local RR. A guy in the pack (friend of mine actually) was actively blocking and trying to slow the pace. Myself and 1 of his teammates were off the front. He made it incredibly obvious what he was doing, but also was being pretty loud and depending on how you look at it, obnoxious.

So people were focused on what an asshat he was instead of chasing? Go on...


At one point after the pack came around a corner he started yelling "hold up! Hold up!"

Ok. That's a bit sketchy. Continue...


As they called out time splits he would regurgitate them into something completely inaccurate.

That's kinda funny. And...


And another time he told a rider on the front that one of his teammates wanted to talk to him on the back of the pack. Believe it or not, the guy quite pulling and went to the back!

That's down right hilarious! Wait, let me write that one down [scribble, scribble], don't stop...


Now I guess if I was in a pack with a guy like that I would either, A. laugh, or B. Ignore and keep racing.

Yup, both.


But this group got very pissed with him (didn't help that they crashed near the finish) and several people chewed his ass after the race.

So they were still distracted from the task at hand? Did the break stick? Did he cause the crash?


Just curious how you would react

I'd laugh. If he caused the crash I wouldn't laugh.


I really like blocking BTW.

that's definitely a +1 LMAO moment!

Doggus - I'm using this tonight. You have been warned.

Dopolina has had some fun. Nice work.

Nothing funnier than some rival asking me how many laps to go, or what's the gap to my teammate up the road, or how many ahead of us.

I answer with whatever will help my team. Lying is only wrong outside of the s/f line.

Here is a situation that happened this weekend at a local RR.
A guy in the pack (friend of mine actually) was actively blocking and trying to slow the pace. Myself and 1 of his teammates were off the front. He made it incredibly obvious what he was doing, but also was being pretty loud and depending on how you look at it, obnoxious.

At one point after the pack came around a corner he started yelling "hold up! Hold up!"
As they called out time splits he would regurgitate them into something completely inaccurate. And another time he told a rider on the front that one of his teammates wanted to talk to him on the back of the pack. Believe it or not, the guy quite pulling and went to the back!

Now I guess if I was in a pack with a guy like that I would either, A. laugh, or B. Ignore and keep racing.
But this group got very pissed with him (didn't help that they crashed near the finish) and several people chewed his ass after the race.

Just curious how you would react

I would never find myself in a pack like that, because I upgraded from a Cat. 5 a long time ago.

Bob

P.S. If you were off the front with a teammate, how do you happen to know every detail about what this dude was saying and doing back in the main pack? Wait a minute....no...it couldn't be.....[this "friend" of mine in the pack]....that was YOU, wasn't it? OMG, you're THAT guy!

Busted!

:roflmao2:

I would never find myself in a pack like that, because I upgraded from a Cat. 5 a long time ago.

Bob

P.S. If you were off the front with a teammate, how do you happen to know every detail about what this dude was saying and doing back in the main pack? Wait a minute....no...it couldn't be.....[this "friend" of mine in the pack]....that was YOU, wasn't it? OMG, you're THAT guy!

Busted!

:roflmao2:

Funny:thumb:

There was enough of a big deal made about it that every detail has been sent in emails. posted on face book and talked about in the parking lot afterwards.

And to answer the other questions brought up: No. He did not cause the crash
and Yes the break stuck and I ended up winning.

I really just tune the people out that have nothing important to say in the pack, and focus on the race. Along with that, I would never slow the pace down if I was pulling just because the other guy on a different team wanted one of his guys to make it up. Its his teammates responsibility to make it up front, or his to fall back to talk with him.

Let me guess who, without a doubt, had the most fun at that race - the loudmouth blocking guy?

The only way he could have had more fun would be if he had taken off one shoe, ridden up beside the guy on the front while holding the shoe to the side of his head and said, "Hey, it's for you!"

He get's an official 'attaboy' from me.

If all those left in the group couldn't figure out to ignore him and JUST GO AROUND HIM then there's not one of them that deserves the win.

I do have a issue with the, "Hold up" comments though. Anything that makes riders concerned for their safety or a bunch of squirrels reach for the binders potentially places riders in jeopardy and that is the line for me.

Other than that :roflmao2: :thumb: :roflmao2:

What'll be funnier is when he "accidentally crashes into the curb"

I could see that happening too. One of my friends would say he might get the "accidental" hip to handlebar move as he moved passed this guy.

The only this I have a problem with is the "hold up" comment. Coming around a corner most people would be inclined to brake upon hearing that thinking there is something dangerous in the road or a crash. That could actually cause a crash. That's uncalled for in my opinion.

The rest of it is ok, I guees, although I wouldnt do it. It can't be that as people called out the splits he was the only one who heard them, others need to pay attention...

As far as the "your teammate wants to talk to you" comment, that's kinda funny... How is it that he would have known that some guy on another team at the back of the peloton wanted to talk to someone at the front. I'd say the guy who bought that story had that coming if he believed it. That's like the bike racing equivilant of "Hey, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell ya..."

I could see that happening too. One of my friends would say he might get the "accidental" hip to handlebar move as he moved passed this guy.

Wow, talk about amateurs taking themselves too seriously. Crashing somebody out because they're having fun and being obvious about what they're doing? Putting them in harm's way because of that? That's stone cold ridiculous.

If someone can't deal with somebody blocking, even if it's annoying, loud, and disruptive, then someone needs to learn how to race.

Wow, talk about amateurs taking themselves too seriously. Crashing somebody out because they're having fun and being obvious about what they're doing? Putting them in harm's way because of that? That's stone cold ridiculous.

If someone can't deal with somebody blocking, even if it's annoying, loud, and disruptive, then someone needs to learn how to race.

I agree with you. But the reality is just b/c people are bike racing doesn't mean that other people change who they are while doing it. For example, the guy doing this stuff is probably obnoxious off the bike too. I've seen guys on the verge of tackling each other during races b/c someone did something to somebody. In my mind, none of it is important, but it doesn't mean that some people aren't raging a-holes whether there on the bike. I'm sure many people on this forum have seen examples of people who might be compensating for something lacking in their life (maybe a mothers love?).

I think the standard should be what you learn in preschool.... the Golden Rule. Its like road rage...I don't cut people off and yell (through a closed window) at people, b/c 1. I expect bad driving, so I'm not shocked or that upset when it happens and 2. I don't know if that other person is CRAZY and will side swipe me, pull out a gun (its legal to conceal a firearm in FL), or follow me home. People are wild.

So again, its not that shocking to me, I actually heard about two guys in a weekday P12 race (both have sponsors they should have cared about) actually fight during the race. One guy, reacting to something the other did) unclipped and kicked the other guy and then they both swerved off the road and proceeded to fight/wrestle. I'm sure it was kinda funny to see, but also very dangerous and immature. These guys are old enough to have kids in middle school and certainly should know better.

You could always just harass the rider that is being loud and disruptive ha.

The only way he could have had more fun would be if he had taken off one shoe, ridden up beside the guy on the front while holding the shoe to the side of his head and said, "Hey, it's for you!"

I'll recommend that!


I do have a issue with the, "Hold up" comments though. Anything that makes riders concerned for their safety or a bunch of squirrels reach for the binders potentially places riders in jeopardy and that is the line for me.


This was really the only comment that I thought was uncalled for. Otherwise I found humor in it, witch is probably why I call this guy a friend.