My first race Criterium

David Thompson said:

I will be entering my first race soon but wanted to ask a question or 2.
With the Criterium races, say for example a 1 hour race, plus 3 laps.
Well what sort of pace is set at the start for A graders ?
What speed do they sit on for most of the race, and at what point is the
pace put up a notch or two.

Also how do you keep track of your position on the circuit, how do you know
who is the leader.

And what average speed would be had at the end of this race for A graders ?
Thanks for any feedback.
David

you jumpin in at the pointy end?

refer to my first race post. Mine was Dgrade but I was as wide-eyed back then as it appears you are now...

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t99707.html

and a subsequent race...

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t101952.html

David Thompson said:

I will be entering my first race soon but wanted to ask a question or 2.
With the Criterium races, say for example a 1 hour race, plus 3 laps.
Well what sort of pace is set at the start for A graders ?
What speed do they sit on for most of the race, and at what point is the
pace put up a notch or two.

Also how do you keep track of your position on the circuit, how do you know
who is the leader.

And what average speed would be had at the end of this race for A graders ?
Thanks for any feedback.
David

A graders average somewhere near 40km/h, give or take on a flattish course. This means they are really stomping when they turn it on! (trust me)

From my limited experience, the pace picks up around half-way, but it varies a lot - there isn't really a timetable. If you're fast enough to start off in A-grade, you might as well just turn up and see for yourself - good luck 😉

Ritch (who blew up trying to stay in the break in A/B combined... :0

I've done plenty of C grade crits at Glenvale where the average speed was 42-43kph average, but there were sustained periods above 50kph. If you've never done a crit before you won't have the fitness or bike handling skills to race A grade. Start at the bottom, and if you're too good they'll quickly put you up.

David Thompson said:

Also how do you keep track of your position on the circuit, how do you know
who is the leader.

Don't worry David. If you get blown out the back, which I'm sure you will if this is your first crit, you'll know your position on the track, and whose leading won't matter.

Get in there and have a good go at it though!

David Thompson said:

I will be entering my first race soon but wanted to ask a question or 2.
With the Criterium races, say for example a 1 hour race, plus 3 laps.
Well what sort of pace is set at the start for A graders ?
What speed do they sit on for most of the race, and at what point is the
pace put up a notch or two.

Also how do you keep track of your position on the circuit, how do you know
who is the leader.

And what average speed would be had at the end of this race for A graders ?
Thanks for any feedback.
David

Who could forget Johnny Clark and Will Walker averaging 54km/h for twenty minutes as they lapped A grade at Glenvale???

A grade on a flat smooth circuit will average over 45km/h if the race is fast, with extended periods over 55km/h and some above 60km/h.

Roadie_scum said:

Who could forget Johnny Clark and Will Walker averaging 54km/h for twenty minutes as they lapped A grade at Glenvale???

A grade on a flat smooth circuit will average over 45km/h if the race is fast, with extended periods over 55km/h and some above 60km/h.

45?? blimey! I guess Glenvale is pretty flat (?) My guess of around 40 was based on the speeds around Oakville (NW of Sydney): a 7km loop with a 1km mildly uphill drag and some little bumps.

Ritch

PS. I'm not doubting you, I'm shaking my head in wonder 🙂

ritcho said:

45?? blimey! I guess Glenvale is pretty flat (?) My guess of around 40 was based on the speeds around Oakville (NW of Sydney): a 7km loop with a 1km mildly uphill drag and some little bumps.

Ritch

PS. I'm not doubting you, I'm shaking my head in wonder 🙂

Yeah, it's very flat, smooth, and generally sheltered from the wind. It also gets very strong fields in summer. It was impressive when we had Baden Cooke and Matt Wilson (FDJeaux), Jeremy Hunt (Oktos), Hilton Clarke (ex-Barloworld), Johnny Clarke and Will Walker (AIS U/21), Trent Lowe (Mapei MTB squad), Rob Crowe (ex-Barcelona olympian) and Robert Tighello (ex-national champ). There were a host of other classy riders including junior and senior level national squad members and champions. When it's like that, it's not slow! A lot of riders use the races as prep for the bay crits.

The thing that kills me, is we get these amazing fields, and have so many good riders, yet the prize money and organisation is so average compared to the US. We have as good or better riders (look at Dom Gatto - spends two months in the US without a team ride and wins Fitschburg crit!), but little sponsorship, no team riding (FdJeaux-NSWIS, MGZT and Choice Capital excepted) and average prize money. Sob.

37-40km/h is about what A grade averages in an undulating-hilly road race of 100km or more in my experience. A flat road race will often be 44km/h+. The sky's the limit for crits if there is a strong and aggresive field.

ritcho <[email hidden]> writes:

[...]

Quoted message said:

45?? blimey! I guess Glenvale is pretty flat (?) My guess of around 40
was based on the speeds around Oakville (NW of Sydney): a 7km loop with
a 1km mildly uphill drag and some little bumps.

I was riding up that way last weekend, (the 22nd) with Camwest. Our
route overlapped with the start of the race so I breafly discovered
how fast a paleton goes (ie alot faster then I can even hope for on my
bike).

--
Please excuse my spelling as I suffer from agraphia. See
http://dformosa.zeta.org.au/~dformosa/Spelling.html to find out more.
Free the Memes.