Originally Posted by
roadwarrior
But are you top 10 in your nation?
You can be "hard core" and not be hugely talented.
So see that wreck in the Vuelta yesterday? In the pouring rain and fog (a nice day in Belgium).

The really odd part to me is when I check my standings in the national rankings (I did this last year at some point) in the 45+ for TT's there I was like 850th out of 1500 ranked riders (something like that). The number of guys ranked below me was rather astonishing. Usually I finish 15th out of 20 entrants, 20th out of 30, something like that. In that race last week there were very few guys, all relatively fast, I was the only real meatball who showed. I need
other meatballs to compete to not finish last.