When I raced intensly in the late 80's and early 90's, I was a middle of the pack racer. Many women would pass me in mtn bike races. I loved it. I would get in with the group and race with them. Always polite and cheerful, they were a breath of fresh air in an otherwise uptight and sometimes nasty world of men beating up on men. In one 60+ mile road race, I hooked up with a young woman. She was slightly faster than me in the uphills and because of my larger mass, I was faster than her in the downhills. We pulled each other to the best finishes either of us had ever had. I finished third in my category and she won hers. Best road race I ever participated in.