Trebon's Crash From Nationals
Josh passed this along, it only has 42 views right now but I assume the whole internet will see it in the next 24 hours.
Notice the rider who goes ever further into oncoming traffic right after the crash. I'll take "unsafe course design" for $100, Alex.
Comments
"Helllllloooo more stars and stripes skinsuits and all the hipster cross girls I could ever wantOHFUCK"
It's a section of course with opposite ways separated by tape, unfortunately thanks to the off-camber and the mud and the ice ruts people were crashing through the tape (into oncoming traffic) on a regular basis.
As for "what was he doing in that race," well, I assume he was racing nats because he qualified for the elite race.
Ohhh... what's that? There is no qualifying procedure for elite nationals? Hmmmmmm.
Any qualifying procedure would be better than letting all cat 2s in.
The thing is, though, anyone can buy a UCI license. So there are quite a few Cat 3s and Expert Mtn bike types who choose to ride elites for some reason. In regional UCI races with 50 riders, it doesn't much matter. In an elite national championship with 150 riders, though, it does seem a little silly to have dudes lining up in costume, soft pedaling from the start, just there for the "experience".
Nat's will have to go Cat 1 only for logistical reasons because it is simply outgrowing itself. And the condition of the course is another issue that makes a case for separate Master's/Junior/Espoir nationals. And B nat's? I don't know...there isn't a Cat 3 road nationals and that gives Elite road nat's all the more cache, doesn't it?
Cross growth is good but last weekend made me think it might almost be outgrowing itself.
Enough speechification for now.
-n
that doesn't mean it's right to have a race for them. it's just the facts.
i chose to go to PDX instead of nationals this year. i would encourage other b racers to pick a good double race weekend in a far off land as opposed to spending 4 days for a single race at nationals (if i was old enough to race an age category at nationals i would). you'll meet fun new people and test yourself against a totally new field of athletes.