Am I too old for racing

Bazza 55 said:

Hello group, I am 45 years old and have fallen in love with cycling, my question is, am I too old to start competition cycling ?

I'm 25 and I'm not scared to admit getting my [censored] kicked by guys
double my age. Repeat: "You're never too old!!"

--
Clarke, 52, plans comeback
By Michael Stevens
November 21, 2003

DANNY CLARKE, one of Australia's greatest track cyclists, is planning
a comeback - at the age of 52.

Clark, who has not ridden on the track for eight years, has entered
for the Melbourne Cup on Wheels at Vodafone Arena on November 29.

The winner of three Australs off scratch (1977, 1986 and 1990), Clark
is likely to be handicapped on a mark of about 80m to 85m.

Now living on the Gold Coast, Clark said he would be happy with that
mark.

"It's a pretty hard job for Laurie (handicapper Laurie Norris) because
he doesn't know how I can go on the track," Clark said.

"I don't know either. I just started training the other day and I must
admit it's quite hard, riding on a fixed wheel again and trying to jump
off the mark and have speed in your legs because all I've been doing
is road stuff."

Clark, who won a silver medal in the kilometre time-trial at the 1972
Munich Olympics, was elevated to legend status on the track in Europe,
riding in a record 236 six-day events and winning 75.

He is also the oldest world professional track champion, winning a
motor-paced title at 40.

Clark said his comeback was prompted after a trip to Italy earlier this
year where he competed in tourist road races.

"I also won two world Masters road championships and then I've just
been racing around here and I thought I might try to ride Tassie (in
the Christmas-new year carnivals)," Clark said.

"So I need some races beforehand to put myself under pressure and
I thought the Melbourne Cup on Wheels might be a good race to start
off with.

"It will be pretty hard, I know that. All the young guys are so quick
nowadays and I'm 52, but we'll see what happens."

Although cycling rules allow Clark to compete in elite events despite
being in veteran class, his entry will raise eyebrows.

Clark, however, scoffed at the suggestion he should stick to veterans' events.

"Why should I ride in the vets when I'm good enough to ride in other
races with the younger guys?" he said. "For me, it's a huge challenge
to race against all the young guys.

"I've won three criteriums up here in the last two months, that's
against the best young kids they've got here.

"And I raced the Noosa criterium against (Robbie) McEwen two weeks
ago, and held my own pretty well."

Norris, who was heavily criticised when he handicapped sprint
champion Gary Neiwand on 70m before he won the 2000 Austral,
said he would finalise handicaps for the Melbourne Cup on Wheels
over the weekend.

"I'll be trying to present the best final I possible can," Norris said. "I
don't think Danny can win, but it will be good value if he's in the final."

Triple kilometre champion Shane Kelly, world keirin champion Jobie
Dajka and Victorian Todd Wilksch will be the scratchmen.

--
from:
64.233.161.104searchOpen ↗

hippy

Bazza 55 said:

Hello group, I am 45 years old and have fallen in love with cycling, my
question is, am I too old to start competition cycling ?

Cheers,
Baz

You are too old to race only after your funeral.
I ride/race against two seventy year olds and me at 59 gets
dropped by them on a quite a regular basis.
One of the seventy year olds is right at this moment riding from Cairns to Sydney to "train" for twice around taupo in a month or so!!
That is after doing the Nuliboor? plains last year, just for the "fun" of it.
So there you go, bet into it and good riding.
Ro

"Bazza 55" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello group, I am 45 years old and have fallen in love with cycling, my
question is, am I too old to start competition cycling ?

Cheers,
Baz

Hi Baz,

Too old, No! You need to understand your level of fitness and that of the
competition. Probably best to look at Veteran Cycling Clubs.

You can still be competitive with many of the younger riders in normal club
competition, eg racing C or D grade. It is a matter of how much you
dedicate to the cause. Start in the lowest available grade and work up,
there is more to it than just fitness....tactics, bike handling and
confidence play a big part.

Kevin