Originally Posted by
YMCA
I've done a number races with less than 20 riders.
These are brutally aggressive everytime.
Women's races are mostly run off with very small fields, yet quite often end up being very negative.
The difference? Attitude.
Men typically would rather go down in flames, than sit around hoping for a spot in a sprint.
Women typically grew up less aggressive and prefer hanging with the pack, over taking a chance.
Those are the hardest races I do. When I enter a race like that, I attack within the first lap or two. I'd rather be in a semi-controlled environment like a break than dealing with the splintering field. Because the field WILL splinter in a small race.
And no body wants to say "Yeah, I got popped in a 20 man race." People know they're hard, but it's still embarrassing.