Originally Posted by
mkadam68
We had a Big event race last year ($1,000 payout to cat-3's big) so everyone wanted to be near the front for the start. It's got 1 or 2 technical corners and one narrow section, and with the prize money the pace is high throughout. So moving up is very difficult. I lined up nice & early in the staging area, but it's like 40-yards from the start line. But other riders pushing in front, lining up across from us in a non-staging area yet let in by the officials anyway... They call us to the line, everybody pretty much sprints to the line. Welcome to the back of the field for the start.
That sucks. The crit that I am referring to also had a big purse and it was single/double file from the gun. I looked behind me at around the 20 minute mark after I had passed around half the field only to learn that I was the caboose! It took me a half hour to move up into the top 10 and only 29/64 finished. It was my first crit as a 3...a rude awakening.