how to quit a race

[kieran]

From a posting in bikeradar - taken from a old northern cycling magazine

How to Pack in a Road Race.

Every bike rider has days when they don't go so well and retiring from the race becomes the best option- but how is it done? Depending on your road race category there are certain recognised ways of 'packing' or failing to finish a bunched event. You will notice the higher up the rankings you go the more sophisticated the act of stopping becomes!

The 3rd. category pack.

'Turd' category riders usually tend to make a meal of stopping before the finish; not for them the discreet exit to the changing rooms, if they are shelled out of the back they will continue in a futile chase, whilst loosing fistfuls of minutes every mile but still giving the appearance of all-out mega- effort. When they do stop they rarely pay any attention to where or how, but it is often in front of the largest group of spectators on the course, usually the finish line. This is the point where any 3rd cat. will blow away any cool image they may have had by dripping gallons of sweat, blowing strings of snot all over themselves and coming out with stuff like;

"It's a real race out there", "It's too much for me" or "I just couldn't do it".

The 2nd cat. pack.

Your average 2nd category rider has a little more pride and will try to avoid looking a complete wally at a road race. He will generally not ride around on his own if dropped, but if a laughing group does form at the back he will join it; after all the entry fee has been paid and the miles are needed to get those necessary points for a 1st cat. licence.

The 1st cat. pack.

The 1st category rider probably gets more practice at packing than the lower categories. He will usually ride to win, but if he thinks his chances have completely disappeared he will quite likely climb off, sometimes even if he is with the main group. Riding around off the back for lap after lap looking like a complete spazmo is not for him. If he does get dropped it's a quick exist stage right to the changing rooms- no messing!

The Pro pack.

Professionals are the complete masters of retiring in races. Most of them are so adept that you will rarely see them do it, all you may notice is the field shrinking before your very eyes. A pro's reputation is very important to him, so he mustn't be seen to be dropped in a race. This could affect his contract chances and therefore his earnings. Pros often will not even wait till they are dropped before stopping; if they think they are going - whoosh - they disappear before you can say Kelloggs. There are 2 types of pro pack.

1) The Criterium pack. This is the most difficult as spectators often surround the entire course. The skilled pro will reconnoiter the circuit before stopping (so as to be able to avoid team managers, the pits, sponsors etc.), pick a suitable gap on the quietest section, then swing out of the line and sprint through it so that it is even difficult to spot who it was. Clever stuff.

2) The Road race pack. Much easier but there are still lots of people to be avoided. Cutting across the course back to the H.Q. is a favorite, but stopping at a helpers car and quickly turning into a spectator is not bad either.

The vet pack.

A vet will rarely pack in an event as he knows that time is running out. If he does stop however he won't worry too much as to what people think; he's past all that stuff!

[-Adam-]

So true!