thats both true and incredibly frustrating.

we have such a glut of masters categories now its really staggering.

i understand the value of having a couple of different masters cats but the problem with ACAs execution is that they routinely comingle the races anyway...

so for example, last weekend at hugo, they ran Cat3 and 35+cat3 together, allowed them to ride together and then scored seperately.

keep in mind that if youre 35 or over (as i am) you can register in EITHER catergory, race the same race, and then depending on which box you checked, get a different finish spot.

I raced staight up SM3, and off the top of my head i can think of 5 or 6 other guys who were active in the race who are over 35 and raced the regular SM3. so the guys who chose to race in the same race but registered as 35+3 have basically an imaginary finish rank.

if the point of age based cats is safety, since youngns are typically more reckless that us family types, then racing us all together completely defeats the point, if its supposed to be easier or harder or whatever... then running us all together again completely defeats the point.

I've seen races where 35+3 and 3 started together and the guy who "won" 35+3 was well behind 40 year olds in the same race who registered for SM3.

its just completely pointless and stupid. either have actual seperate races, or get rid of seperate scoring, or make it automatic- if youre over 35 and enter a mixed race, youre automatically scored in your AG.

i get that masters are basically subsidizing the sport for the rest of us but i just dont think we need to bend so far backwards to give every single one of them a participation award.