Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

Ha don’t shame me in my non LFGSS friendly car!!

Yeah I raced had my best placed finish so far, so making progress slowly. Only crashed once! Enjoyed it

Few clips on my insta from the V40
https://instagram.com/rossthomas83

some nice photos here - https://mattbristow.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Round-6-Somerhill-22-10-2023/C0000u4sWmj8Vuug

How did you go? Gain any/ many places?

I think I gained 4 places overall.
It felt like I gained more but maybe that’s because I let people behind me overtake me at the start, then I had to reovertake them later.
I think I need to be a bit more “elbows out”.

That’s good are you racing Canada Heights?

I’m pretty miffed my grid position is worse than last weeks! The guy in front of me finished behind me last week and only has one result (last week he was ranked ahead on out of league results)
Realistically doesn’t make much difference but it’s frustrating and I’ll have to gain 9 places to improve on my worst position finish. Bit of an uphill battle at the moment.

I'm a bit confused by the gridding I'm 14 places back on my worst finishing position 🤷‍♂️ I think traction will be my biggest problem this weekend not my grid position though

You can always question your grid position.

I've had mine wodly wrong before, the organiser of the league is really good at helping if its actually wrong.

I'm afraid that improving your grid position is a long and arduous process, as it takes time to get the three good results that move you forward. It's always worth targeting races that clash with National Trophy races, as the best riders usually race those, so it weakens the field a bit. It's also a good idea to be flying in January, where the fields tend to be a bit smaller and a lot of riders have lost the form they had in autumn.

I am currently gridded a bit ahead of my abilities because I went to some of the less popular races last season.
the natural order seems to impose itself within the first few hundred metres though so I don't think it makes a lot of difference to final places.

Really depends on the course.

HHV as an example, the start is EVERYTHING. You lose 10 places on the start and the race is pretty much done.

If it's a tight, 1 line course, dump everything you have into the first 2 mins.

Palace this year, I made up 14 places on the first lap having lost 8 due to pulling out both feet on the start line. But that was a power course with loads of passing places

Are anyone's mortgages dependent upon their grid position or final finishing position?

You've retired, your opinion is out of date, boomer.

Yeah yeah WHATEVS grand dad.

I was talking about the less pointy end of the race :)

Still makes a difference.

I actually think it's more important the further back you go.

I started racing XCO MTB this season and had to start at the back.
I spent most of the first race in Z1 heart rate, follwing people that were a lot slower, but I couldn't pass them. Then using small passing spots to move up.
It took 3 races like this before I even considered the pointy end of a race.

CX isn't quite as bad, as the courses are typically wider and bikes narrower.
But still, get caught behind someone that is technically slower than you at the start of the race and it's a lot harder

You've got to train that ability to accelerate pass someone in the shortest available space.

Yeah, racing on Sunday and setting up the course on Saturday.
Send £3 to my PayPal for some insider info 😉

Nothing useful to contribute here apart from the fact I finally have a grid position, I’m not starting from the back, everything is fascinating, and I’m super psyched for the weekend.

What's the start like this weekend? I managed to overtake 30 riders at Coombes farm on the long climb but only 6 places at Pippingford after getting caught behind tangles in the first two corners. My entire existence depends on a top 15 result in a local bike race and next month and equally unimportant trail running race will suddenly become very important.

It depends where we're started. I've seen at least three different start areas used at Canada Heights; one on the gravel/tarmac road, one on the grass next to it and one, at the Regionals last year, on a flatter grass area between the course and the steep, wooded drop down to the road.

Added: Looked at the rider guide and it looks like we're using the same start area as the Regionals last year.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the grinding per se and certainly not worth hassling the organiser over.
But I’d say that’s demonstrably not true. Last few I’ve finished ahead of where I’ve started and a good chunk of places in front of me have very similar lap times. If I have to get past people to get to those lapping at the same time as me they’ll have quite the head start.
It’s no massive shakes but given its racing and I’m just trying to improve myself/ find my level it’s frustrating.

Do they ever do reverse grid/ handicap races?

@neilp used to start at the back of the grid to get practice for national trophy races

Yeah agree, it’s on me to find ways to improve which might not always be the most obvious.

This course in the video? If its not too muddy and there's some space on the course I should do OK. I've been doing some actual training the last few weeks so my numbers are up like 20w at threshold and 100w on my 30s power but that'll be pretty much useless without any traction. I'm still browsing cross bikes so will probably be over biked and under tyred for the rest of the season.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=QbGm-XGt98g&si=X8pn5MAl0gJBlpZX