rond..@spiritone.com

This does not surprise me at all.
I think we all know these things are not just black or white...there is some
gray. But even knowing this could have been a complicated and tough
decision by the Chief Hoo-ha or whoever. Those riders were pulled because
USAC's mode of operation is these pulled rider's race is not as important as
the ones left on the course. USAC really does not care about riders who
have no chance of winning, or even middle of the pack riders. Their focus
is the elite and honing those who they see as potential elite. Everyone
else, women, girls, men and boys are secondary. They are an elitist
organization who only want to see the cream of the crop....the rest of you
who give them $ for admission to their show in my opinion are real
sweethearts for supporting our elite racers. I did it a few times and saw
how they basically treated the racers like cattle getting ready for the
processing plant. A real upbeat affair. Luckily we also had Ross and Crew
around to keep some sanity at the events.
I do believe our elite do need support, but they will not get it from my
membership in USAC.
If OBRA operated in the same manner as USAC, they would probably have less
than half the membership and racers. On the other hand if USAC operated
more like OBRA.........our country would be a better more humane place.

ron

-----Original Message-----
From: Bryan Smith via OBRA
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 12:03 PM
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] How the Junior Women were treated at CX Nationals

http://untilthesnowends.blogspot.com/2015/01/us-cyclocross-nationals-travesty-report.html

An interesting read, especially because it directly affected OBRA juniors.
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Shane Gibson

The issues at Nats highlights two things for me ... One is how USAC is
systemically broken (duh) ... the other is what I feel is perception
problem that many CX racers seem to have; that I don't agree with...

1) USAC has a policy of yanking riders that are slower. Frankly - this is
just stupid (IMO). Riders on the course are obstacles. Just like the
silly man made barriers, the course design that forces you to surmount some
odd obstacle (rail road ties, concrete curbs, logs, sand pits, steep
run-ups) etc... It's part of the racing ... stuff is on the course. Deal
with it. If the boyz or girlz at the front of the pack can't navigate
around a few other riders - they shouldn't be on the course. Which leads
to my second rant ... err ... point ...

2) Suck it up buttercup. Racers on the course are part of the race. There
are times when I get frustrated at slower racers in front of me. I get
squeezed out of a tight section, allowing my competition to catch up ... so
one day I figured out ... if I kill myself to jump around slower riders,
with a well timed move - I can squeeze my competition off and make THEM
frustrated. It's part of the racing on a Cross course. Obstacles are to
be used for and against you ... may the force be strong with you, and you
make the right moves to use them against your competition.

Otherwise - why don't we all just stick to a Time Trial where you can ride
mostly straight flat lines and there's nothing for you to deal with but how
much pain and suffering you can put yourself through ...

Yes - at some point there are *just too many* racers on a given course.
But OBRA has proven that starting 200-ish riders in waves ... is possible.
Yeah - that can be sucky; especially if it's all one big mass start field.
If the course designers know how many racers they may need to start - they
can slightly widen the course to make it work.

But 100 ... completely do-able. IMO - USAC should have recognized the
shift in the course requirements, and pulled it's head out of it's ...
backside, and suspended, or altered the yanking strategy for those races.

Maybe for "very important competitions", we should start each racer
individually, on the course all their own ... so maybe they don't have to
deal with other riders? Sheesh ...

For those ladies that got yanked - I feel for you - and can only hope that
one day ... USAC will go away (or at least wake up and modify its snotty
attitude somewhat) ...

~~shane

On Wed, Jan 14, 2015 at 12:03 PM, Bryan Smith via OBRA
wrote:

>
> http://untilthesnowends.blogspot.com/2015/01/us-cyclocross-nationals-travesty-report.html
>
> An interesting read, especially because it directly affected OBRA juniors.

Bryan Smith

http://untilthesnowends.blogspot.com/2015/01/us-cyclocross-nationals-travesty-report.html

An interesting read, especially because it directly affected OBRA juniors.