I tend to agree with the OP. We had (men's collegiate B's) a race two weekends back, a hilly circuit, 2.75 miles in length. The women As started 2 minutes behind us. One 10% 500m climb, and another that length that starts at 10% then hits 15% at the top. We caught them 5 laps into our 9 lap race and blew past them like they were standing still. These girls were, for the most part, 1-2-3 girls. The race leader was a bit up the road, but we caught her the next lap. She races for one of the smaller Cat1-2 teams, but she just couldn't put it down like the fellas. Mind you, there are a couple of ladies who can ROLL with us on the flats, but they get spanked on the climbs.