Sandbagging
I have my own thoughts about it, but I also thought this ebay listing was pretty funny. I have it on flickr too.
So, funny yes. True? Probably. I think there are two reasons people should not sandbag, or for those who don't know what that means, people who race in a category that they have proven they are much faster than. The first reason, it is not making you, the sandbagger, any faster. Racing the same people you are beating over and over again, over the same length of time, is holding you back. We know you can beat them already, get over yourself. But, in reality that is your own problem. The second issue is that sandbaggers are making alot of peoples race experience pretty crappy. Lapping beginners, who have only raced once or twice before is can not be fun for them. They come out, enter the beginner race, and then get lapped by three or four guys who should be racing in another group. I really feel they call it a beginner group for a reason, you use these races to develop your skills and once you know what you are doing you should move on. The same holds true for the intermediate group. Upgrade into the "A" group and see what real racing is like. Now, this is not directed towards any one person or category. I could probably be safe in saying that every race series has people in the beginner and intermediate category that should upgrade immediately, or hell, upgraded last year. An then you say, what about the series prizes? I am in the lead for the series and I need to hold it. Promoters need to either actively enforce the automatic upgrade at 30 points, only three wins or eliminate series prizes for the lower categories. Give these prizes to the juniors or have raffles during the day to encourage people to stay for races other than their own. I mean there was a race this year where one of the juniors who won recieved a water bottle as a prize. How lame is that. I know it is a touchy subject, but I think there are a few little things that can be done to make everybody's race day better. Let us be honest. If you take away the series prizes for the Mens 4 race, you will still have 80+ guys showing up to race.
Chivolvo...What's up!
BenPopper
7 Comments
Reader Comments (7)
That Ebay listing is hysterical. I also think they should get rid of big prizes for the lower categories. The top Cat. 4 and top Cat. 3 girl in the Chicago series each get $250 towards going to nationals plus other stuff. The top Cat. 4 girl was 4th in the series last year with a 2nd place and a 3rd place and she has won every race this year except the first. The top Cat. 3 girl has won every 1/2/3 race this year after sandbagging the Cat. 4's last year. I can't believe the officials haven't made them upgrade. I'll be taking my lumps this weekend at the back of the Cat. 3.
My person feeling is that it is silly to give $250 dollars so that someone can go to nationals and then race in a race (the B race in Thursday) that does not even have a national title. Yeah it is cool and all, but maybe you should be offering the elite men and women a larger purse at some of these races and more than 8 people will show up to race. I defanetly agree that the money and resources that go into the big prizes for lower categories should be used somewhere else.
you know my feeling on this. I agree wholeheartedly. I just wanted to thank you for sharing that ebay listing. Quite a bag of riot.
I love this post! Too bad it doesn't mean diddly squat for us(women) to cat up. Nationals elite race is for cats 1,2, and 3s! They love to just lump us all together. They could pay out the women better too, maybe more would come.
Vegan- the woman you are referring to is a Cat 2(UCI). She was given the upgrade back in Oct. The IL ref is the one to blame for her racing in the lower cats. He is very picky about giving upgrades.
I would bid but I don't want the upgrade points yet.
That auction is great. The one rider has won 5 races. I would be embarrassed after two wins to line up in the category again.
Sandbagging drives me nuts. My first year racing the 4’s, I finished Top 4 in every race I entered (4 events). The next year there was no way I would consider staying at the category. I got my butt kicked the next year, but was definitely faster by the end of the year, which is the goal, right? Racing is about pushing yourself, reaching your limits and breaking through to the next level. The Cat. 3 race in the Wisco Series has some guys that have been cleaning up the series for 2-3 years now. Guys at the start of the year who are winning races in whatever category should move up, and I wish our officials would be more diligent about getting riders to upgrade. If people are worried about losing their overall placing, in the Chicago Series we allow 50% of points to move with you when changing categories. In most instances this puts the rider in a very good placing right off the bat. It is frustrating for someone like me, who knows that I am probably a Cat. 3 for life, but each year have to race against a couple of guys who should definitely be racing the 1/2 event.
I am going to push for getting rid of overall prizes for the lower categories next year, as I think it is definitely a reason a few riders don’t make the leap. A new frame of set of wheels is definitely an enticing reason to sandbag.
yeah, but people like that could help me win 50 dollars this weekend =+)