Erik Long
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<P>Kudos to Bill,</P>
<P>You've nailed the spirit of competition with the accuracy of a laser site. </P>
<P>I'd like to add: Keeping a perfectly safe, experienced rider from competing at a level that they are more than capable of (and taking away their eligibility for medals) is more than ridiculous. It's selfish. It's--dare I say it--age discrimination. We're not talking about letting the seniors race with the juniors, here. We're talking about Old Men being allowed to compete against Men who are less-old if they feel like it. Hell, let them race with the Seniors if they want to, I'm up to it (speaking as a Senior). How fair would it have been for the Olympic comitee to tell Kent Bostick that he wouldn't be allowed to ride the '96 Olympic trials because he was too old(at 42)? The man is damn near fifty and I'd be willing to bet that he'd still give any Oregon Senior a run for his money at the state championship.</P>
<P>Let them race, let them place.</P>
<P>-Erik<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: "Cass, Bill" <BILL.-@NIKE.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Bill.-@nike.com
<DIV></DIV>>To: obra <OB-@TOPICA.COM>, "'cmur-@obra.org'" <CMUR-@OBRA.ORG>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] rule changes
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 16:15:45 -0800
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I usually don't get into this but,......................This is a rather
<DIV></DIV>>silly argument. Being in the younger age bracket, I have no problem with
<DIV></DIV>>someone from an older agegroup handing me my butt in a sling. If I am that
<DIV></DIV>>worried getting whooped I should train more. If someone older wants to race
<DIV></DIV>>in a younger, more competitive category....Have at it. If they win a
<DIV></DIV>>championship....More power to them. These are the silly rules that keep
<DIV></DIV>>groups from being more competitive and faster. If Chuck Jarabek or Hank
<DIV></DIV>>Pfiefle showed up and wanted to race against us again we could whine all the
<DIV></DIV>>way to second place. Someone who trains hard and wants to race hard
<DIV></DIV>>shouldn't be restricted by being too old to compete. I can think of a single
<DIV></DIV>>speed guru in Oregon that is still in the habit of taking on the Senior
<DIV></DIV>>II's. It is like telling a junior they cannot race with seniors because they
<DIV></DIV>>might beat them. Once you get beyond our Oregon shores riders like that need
<DIV></DIV>>that experience and competitive training. It is about raising the level of
<DIV></DIV>>competition not taking away a precious medal because someone older than you
<DIV></DIV>>is faster. Let them race.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Bill Cass
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> > ----------
<DIV></DIV>> > From: Candi Murray/Oregon Bicycle Racing Assn
<DIV></DIV>> > Reply To: cmur-@obra.org
<DIV></DIV>> > Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 2:54 PM
<DIV></DIV>> > To: obra
<DIV></DIV>> > Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] rule changes
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Well yeah if you read it literally. But the governing body (you know the
<DIV></DIV>> > evil empire) has in the past let older masters ride down an age group.
<DIV></DIV>> > The
<DIV></DIV>> > interpretation was that they had been that age and now were at a deficit
<DIV></DIV>> > since they were older. We let some of the older guys ride down last year
<DIV></DIV>> > at
<DIV></DIV>> > the state road race and had some complaints, so we are trying to get the
<DIV></DIV>> > feel from the other riders and make the rule clearer.
<DIV></DIV>> > Is that any help?
<DIV></DIV>> > Candi
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > -----Original Message-----
<DIV></DIV>> > From: Erik Voldengen [mailto:eri-@fusium.com]
<DIV></DIV>> > Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 2:49 PM
<DIV></DIV>> > To: cmur-@obra.org; obra
<DIV></DIV>> > Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] rule changes
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Since the masters categories are defined by age,
<DIV></DIV>> > that suggested rule change makes little sense to me...
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > > Currently we have one suggested rule change to make if consistent for
<DIV></DIV>> > > masters to ride down an age group at the championships. So a 40-49 man
<DIV></DIV>> > > could ride in the 30-39 championships and place.
<DIV></DIV>> >
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<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>>
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