League Race Report - ATTN Raam.

Junior

Well I got screwed good and proper like the ten dolla whore in Full Metal Jacket.

I won't mention names but I've never been made feel so unwelcome at a race in donkeys years. Two newbies (My Mate and Me) turned up this evening to ride a league race. Signed on, paid our fee, told the guy we were newbies, doing some training, but this was our first race. Said we'll send you off in the middle group.

Lined up, first group mosey off, we squeezed up to the back of what we thought was the 2nd group (of 4 i.e. the middle group) were getting set to ride with them, when one member of the promoting club turned pointed at me and my mate and said they aren't riding with us and we got shifted to the third group. I knew we were in for a proper roasting then.

The guy who was organising the timing obviously left too much time between group 2 and 3 as the scratch group (group 4) seemed to be left off only a minute after us in group 3.

Group 3 formed into a paceline doing 40-45km/h over the first climb and increasing the pace on the flats. I knew we both couldn't hold this so lasted about 10k before we got dropped, we let the Scratch group ride past, we caught one guy who'd be dropped from the scratch group, and that was all we saw for about 3/4s of the race. We were riding at 40kmh + for most of the way in. I think the average was 33.5 by the time I was finished.

I never met such an unwelcoming shower of sh*ts in my life, I certainly won't be joining their club nor will I be reccommending them to anyone else. My mate said it really was sad, were they afraid we'd take points off them or something. However the only benefit is that it's incentivised me to beat some of them next time out or die trying.

bunnygreen

Hey Junior,dare i ask where this race was?.

Junior

Dungarvan Waterford.

Look, before anyone thinks I'm thick over getting dropped, that's part and parcel of racing, but for two newbies to get rode like that isn't nice.

showry

Hmm,
that sounds like it was our club race tonight Junior.
If it was I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I was in the third group. Was it someone in the second group that pointed ye out? I'm surprised at that to be honest as it's generally a pretty welcoming club and nobody's looking to screw anyone that cheaply.
PM me if you want to identify the culprit.

Edit: Your previous post confirmed it was our league. Sorry to hear it again but it doesn't sound like typical behaviour.

Junior

showry wrote: »

Hmm,
that sounds like it was our club race tonight Junior.
If it was I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I was in the third group. Was it someone in the second group that pointed ye out? I'm surprised at that to be honest as it's generally a pretty welcoming club and nobody's looking to screw anyone that cheaply.
PM me if you want to identify the culprit.

It was Showry, and again I've no bother with getting dropped from a group etc, that's fitness, racing etc.

I know who the person is, and trust me I'll let my riding do the talking.

Actually just to add, I believe it is typical behaviour from this person..

Raam

Thanks for the report, Junior. Sorry to hear you didn't have a good time. Keep at it though, I'm sure most folk are nice

I know with the Swords club both LDB and myself have been made feel very welcome.

blorg

That sounds really, really strange, if you had not raced before I would have imagined you would be set off in the first group (limit.) I've just started racing myself this year and my experience is completely the opposite; everyone is very friendly and happy to give advice. I started in limit and was bumped up to semi-limit after two races.

showry

Junior wrote: »

It was Showry, and again I've no bother with getting dropped from a group etc, that's fitness, racing etc.

I know who the person is, and trust me I'll let my riding do the talking.

Actually just to add, I believe it is typical behaviour from this person..

Hopefully you'll be back next week then and find out that we're not all an unwelcoming shower of sh*ts. I'm usually the one in a hideous purple and yellow jersey.

happygoose

Ye folks ever toy with the idea of a boards league around Dublin?

sy

Junior wrote: »

...when one member of the promoting club turned pointed at me and my mate and said they aren't riding with us and we got shifted to the third group. I knew we were in for a proper roasting then....

Hi Junior, seems this guy was a little threatened by you and didn't want to be shown up by you and your mate . Do you have previous issues? Forget it and as you said let your legs do the talking. I have no connection with this club but would say it was unfortunate as most clubs make a big effort to welcome newbies. Good luck with your racing.

PS Enjoy your posts and predictions on the pro racing

Junior

Raam wrote: »

Thanks for the report, Junior. Sorry to hear you didn't have a good time. Keep at it though, I'm sure most folk are nice

I know with the Swords club both LDB and myself have been made feel very welcome.

Look I've been involved in cycling since 1988 I know it's a welcoming community, I wouldn't have even set up a site if it wasn't..

blorg wrote: »

That sounds really, really strange, if you had not raced before I would have imagined you would be set off in the first group (limit.) I've just started racing myself this year and my experience is completely the opposite; everyone is very friendly and happy to give advice. I started in limit and was bumped up to semi-limit after two races.

Yah, well look we didn't expect to get into the limit group, but it seemed as if what we said didn't matter, it's what we looked like.

showry wrote: »

Hopefully you'll be back next week then and find out that we're not all an unwelcoming shower of sh*ts. I'm usually the one in a hideous purple and yellow jersey.

Well I was the lad swinging out the back of the third group, you mightn't have seen much of me.. I don't know what to make of it to be honest, really left a bad taste in the mouth, but the speed etc is something I know I need.

Junior

sy wrote: »

Hi Junior, seems this guy was a little threatened by you and didn't want to be shown up by you and your mate . Do you have previous issues? Forget it and as you said let your legs do the talking. I have no connection with this club but would say it was unfortunate as most clubs make a big effort to welcome newbies. Good luck with your racing.

PS Enjoy your posts and predictions on the pro racing

Cheers

This time next year Rodders, we'll be after riding the Rás

DirkVoodoo

Sorry to hear that Junior, sounds like a pretty miserable affair.

Keep at it and rise to the top, earning the admiration of your fellow cyclists before the final credits, like "Top Gun".

I hope to start next year, after a rigorous training plan (yeah right!). If I'm still in Dublin I'm gonna give Orwell wheelers a shot, lots of boardsies there and seems welcoming. Stories like this would nearly put you off racing altogether. Stories like Raam's would make you wonder if it is even worth getting out of bed in the morning.

Diarmuid

Junior wrote: »

when one member of the promoting club turned pointed at me and my mate and said they aren't riding with us and we got shifted to the third group.

talk about great motivation for future races ! It'll make it sweeter next time

Raam

Should I say it? Should I?

OK... Junior... HTFU

Junior

Raam wrote: »

Should I say it? Should I?

OK... Junior... HTFU

Like yer toes do ya ?

I have all the chopper books and the dvd as well...

Quigs Snr

Unusual one that, Junior. I do the odd ride in that league and I find them very welcoming indeed. The group placements can be a little ad-hoc at times, but you can usually just go in whatever group you want and ignore the mouths, that what I would do. I skipped it there tonight but I have to ride in the scratch group because I won one of them last year when in better form, if I moved into one of the slower groups there would be an uproar no doubt but if I really didn't feel like I could handle the quicker group on any given night I would just go in the slower one, let them disqualify me at the line if I win as a result, I would only be at a league race for training anyway.

Just go back next week and give any naysayers the two fingers, the vast majority of that club are great in my experience, a brilliant bunch, you just had a run in with one clown. Showry will sort it out for you, sure he's the reigning league champ up there !

You can always come out to our races on Tuesdays and go out with the first group (ladies, vets, leisure), you know we'd love to have you, although you know yourself what to expect down here when the likes of Bennett, Kenneally and our lads catch you!

Junior

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Unusual one that, Junior. I do the odd ride in that league and I find them very welcoming indeed. The group placements can be a little ad-hoc at times, but you can usually just go in whatever group you want and ignore the mouths, that what I would do. I skipped it there tonight but I have to ride in the scratch group because I won one of them last year when in better form, if I moved into one of the slower groups there would be an uproar no doubt but if I really didn't feel like I could handle the quicker group on any given night I would just go in the slower one, let them disqualify me at the line if I win as a result, I would only be at a league race for training anyway.

Just go back and give them the two fingers, the vast majority of that club are great in my experience, a brilliant bunch, you just had a run in with one clown. Showry will sort it out for you, sure he's the reigning league champ up there !

Yeah, I'd never have seen it before, but sure look if we are bumped up to group 2 next week I think I'll have to do a Fitz switch on someone (only joking everyone calm down !)

I know for certain it won't put me off, but it angered me greatly.

Well look it's my first race since 1993 I think - thats me back racing anyways something I didn't think would ever happen again, lets look at the postives eh ?

Let me know if your ever going up there Quigs.

Yeah, I seen Sam's lovely Daisy chain he was sporting at yer league race the other evening

bunnygreen

Hey Junior,it's not that uncommon,i've had that happen on club training runs,as a previous poster pointed out the "culprit" sounds like he felt threatened in some sort of way.There is no where to hide in Cycling/Racing,as you said let the legs do the talking,my advice would be be,use it as motivation,next TT,that's the time to lay your stall out,give it welly,keep doing what your doing,enjoy your racing and compete as well as you can.We are all lucky to be able to do it.Fair play to you for bringing this up and good luck to you.

Junior

bunnygreen wrote: »

Hey Junior,it's not that uncommon,i've had that happen on club training runs,as a previous poster pointed out the "culprit" sounds like he felt threatened in some sort of way.There is no where to hide in Cycling/Racing,as you said let the legs do the talking,my advice would be be,use it as motivation,next TT,that's the time to lay your stall out,give it welly,keep doing what your doing,enjoy your racing and compete as well as you can.We are all lucky to be able to do it.Fair play to you for bringing this up and good luck to you.

Yah, I'm off for some more tattoos now and to grow a tash after Raam's comments, but other than that like, I accept what racing is all about but honestly if two unattached riders turned up as newbies at a club league race I thought a little more respect and/or friendship would have been extended.

As has been said before more training and more training is the key.

Gavin

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Stories like Raam's would make you wonder if it is even worth getting out of bed in the morning.

What's this story ? I missed a good story?

Raam

Gavin wrote: »

What's this story ? I missed a good story?

Just me race reports. There should be a new one going up sometime soon. It's from a race two weeks ago.