Judy Richardson DMS01

About combining women's fields at VanCrit and issues
pertinent to fast women:

Before I criticize, kudos to Kenji and Martha for all of
their hard work on the women's series and to credit them for
the phenomenal growth we've seen in women's racing this year.

That being said: lumping 3/4 women together with 1/2 women
and then yanking them off the course at the threat of being
lapped (even when not actually being lapped) is the quickest
way to snuff out all interest in similar races in the
future, particularly from those of us who come from afar to
race. I understand it's difficult to predict how many women
will show up, and I appreciate decisions made with the
intent of keeping riders safe, but with the guys racing
similar field sizes, I'm wondering if it was really
necessary this time.

For future organizers here's how to attract women racers,
and keep them coming back:
1. At most, lump two categories, never all 4. Throwing the
3/4s in with this year's MHCC GC contenders, and assuming we
won't mind because we are all 'just the girls who never show
up to race anyway' while the guys are represented in 4 other
fields, is, in a word, LAME. Then pulling us out 10 minutes
into a race because we're not in the break with fastest
women two categories our better is also uber LAME.

2. Pull us from a Crit like this only when it's absolutely
necessary to insure safety or if we are actually OTB being
lapped. I know this is the way crit racing goes, if you
can't hang with the pack, you're out. But you don't pull 4/5
men when their lap times are not equal to the Senior men,
they are pulled when they can't hang with *their* category.
If it was a scoring issue, there are ways to help with
scoring - the scarlet Tabor ribbon, for example. Heck, shoot
me with a paint gun as I'm being lapped, I don't care, it
might just help.

3. Give us road races equal in length to the higher
categories. We can handle it, and we *want* the experience.

4. We will show up for primes and schwag. (See showings at
the Women's series - women will street fight for chocolate
and free beer - take my word for it). Let's not even bring
up inequality in payouts and prizes here; first, just let us
race.

Judy Richardson
Sorella Forte