those aren't racing tactics, but ....
So The Facingbook is all a lit with stories of last nights epic Pacific Raceways event which pitted Apex against pretty much every decent American.
First we need to clear the air about one thing. I did not, and I believe most everyone will back me up here, throw a porta-potty at anyone nor insult their mother (loud enough to hear anyway).
What I did, in my outside voice, was present a careful and reasoned argument for why YOU WERE DOING IT WRONG AND NOW I AM HULKING OUT !1!!!!!.
So to clarify my point:
- When passing another field that is either sprinting for a prime or finishing it is most assuredly not cool for riders to raise the pace. The main reason is that the field being passed, in the heat of the finish, can't tell we're not them and it influences the results by giving a lift to riders who jump into the train*
- It's 100% cool to not work in breaks. And you certainly aren't there to help other teams. But you're tactics should directly support your stated objectives. It's my experience that putting multiple riders in breaks and then forcing splits by sitting up in the paceline or drilling it so gaps form rarely have any tactical value (maybe in the actual finish but not when trying to establish the break).
Now I know I may have used some more colorful language. But look at it this way: Apex isn't the first team to engage in either or both of the above. At least they didn't knock a cone into the field and then use the ensuing chaos to attack (I am looking at you OTB!). Or sprint across the drag strip even though you've crashed doing that exact thing multiple time. And let's be honest -- there is really no reason why we get prime bells or 2 lap to go signs right before we catch a field either. And the PR 1/2/3 field is always wierd -- there is a lowest common denominator quality to the field that guarantees that guys ride stupid. It just is.
Let me just suggest that it's better to be the smug, arrogant asshole dishing out #hardcandy than the guy who deserves it.
*and don't get me started on using field passing to cause splits. That list of riders is long and accomplished.
posted by P-Dog @ 12:48 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
If you get enough people who weren't there to talk about it on the internet, the whole situation will almost certainly and instantly congeal into a smelly tepid paste of bullshit seasoned with hearsay. Look at me! I'm one of them!
The fact that groups sometimes overlap and don't get neutralized is just something we have to deal with at PR. They don't have a lead or follow car out there telling us what to do. Yes, that is chaotic, but when is it not? It's always a shitshow. I despise passing the 4/5 group. What a mess. I can only imagine how confusing last night must have been.
I'll remind you that the winner of last night's race had the smarts to stay far, far away from this petty bullshit. That's why he won. Because it's amateur racing. Practice racing. At pacific raceways. On a random raining Tuesday night. He also probably has a job, a family, and some other higher purpose in life than worrying about the tuesday night worlds.
Usually, I like to handle problems right after a race but it's tough because not everybody might be cooled down by that time. It sounds to me like you guys were all in that situation last night.
I think the one main point you need to realize is that we do treat PR as a simple training race. If we happen to be shitting in your cheerios, I apologize. While I will admit that we are trying very hard to defeat you in the race, we are definitely not trying hard to fuck you over. If we happen to piss you off or harm you, let us know then get over it already. We're working on it. It's a learning process and it takes a lot of time on a squad of 70 guys.
If you shit in my cheerios, I'll fart in your latte.
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