Stunned by my first criterium, with video, Stafford Springs CT

It's always interesting seeing races in other countries... I mean, we're 5000 miles away... I'd love to race in USA in some point of my life! 29 mph is a pretty good speed anyway, congratz for having remained in the pack!

The strangest thing that I had seen is 1) the race time... extremely short, here we have races of 70-90 kms (40 miles?) 2) the circuit is not in the city... down here our races are always on open-to-traffic roads, and the motorcycles of the organisation stop the incoming cars before the pack...

Yes...good observations. A lot of the cat 5 criteriums are very short here...15 - 20 miles. If I have to drive 1 1/2 hours to a race, I prefer a longer ride. But, even with the short distance it is possible to go very hard and determine a winner. This race was 18 miles...and at that pace...I didn't have anything left at the end. One more lap and I would have been dropped ...again...and would likely have been pulled. But I made it, so I am quite happy with my race.

This race...Stafford Springs...is an unusual criterium in that it is on a race track used for automobiles. This made it very flat, and even though there was a chicane in the pit area...the cornering was smooth. So I liked this setting for my first crit. But as you say...many of the crits here are also on city streets. As a spectator, that is more exciting.

When I dream of racing my bicycle...it is always road racing through the countryside...not criteriums. I like these road races...there are some here of 40 miles or so. It is pretty hilly where I live. What usually happens to me is I ride with the pack for maybe 10-20 miles and then get dropped on a big hill. Then if I am lucky there will 6-8 other riders and we paceline to the finish...and the finish always seems to be on a hill...so there is an uphill sprint. Once I finished mid-pack...17 out of 40 or so...but usually I am in the 3rd or 4th quartile...anywhere from 5-15 minutes behind the leader. I don't mind ...I am having fun and getting fit....and am actually quite pleased with my results even though the placings are not so good.

What country are you in Sikhandar?

Mike

Sikhandar said:

It's always interesting seeing races in other countries... I mean, we're 5000 miles away... I'd love to race in USA in some point of my life! 29 mph is a pretty good speed anyway, congratz for having remained in the pack!

The strangest thing that I had seen is 1) the race time... extremely short, here we have races of 70-90 kms (40 miles?) 2) the circuit is not in the city... down here our races are always on open-to-traffic roads, and the motorcycles of the organisation stop the incoming cars before the pack...

michael01612 said:

What country are you in Sikhandar?

Mike

Italian... I'm currently living in Tuscany, and down here we race every saturday afternoon and sunday morning (fomr jan to oct). Well ok, making a 80 km race on sat and again another one on the next morning does not allow you to recover completely, but racing and racing you get used to it. The same for the hills: the more you race, the more you will resist on a hill, not only for the improvement of your body shape but also because you could learn how to climb hills from more expert riders (for instance: when do you have to use the 39x15 instead of the 53x21? I mean, there are a lot of tricks that you can learn only during a race).

Race race race 😉 if you come visiting Pisa or Florence bring your bike, I'll take you to some races here 🙂