B_Doughtie wrote:
Sorry I asked a question to get a better understanding ole wise one.
I've never been around experiences where people are flipping people off. I've been around races where if you suck you get dropped, but that's competition (cycling also has categories to prevent to keep the abilities similiar). I've brought in a few "newbie" cyclists on the female sides that were natural talents and never had a ton of "bad" experiences. I'm sure they had to be more badass than a male counterpart, but I've not had the experiences yall are suggesting.
Thus why I wanted clarification.
I can appreciate you not having had this experience.
My wife was literally cussed out after "causing" a crash in her 7th-ever crit, which she won, and then was disqualified from.
Story if interested:
First 2 crits: both easy wins in cat 3/4/5 womens fields.
Crits 3-6 for her: BC Superweek. Top placing: 17th. Chastised the entire week and cussed out in the peloton for not doing the predictable and probably because she wore a zoot brand kit ;) (she was fitter than 90% of the field and could outsprint 99% of them, and so could make "mistakes" and not get dropped).
She came back to WA racing for crit 7, and took every prime, to the tune of almost $1000 at Redmond Derby Days, then attacked 2 corners out from the finish and surprised a long-time local rider when she sprinted by, as the local rider was cornering more carefully (overly so, by Michelle's now, BC Superweek-level standards for racing. If you're not familiar, BC Superweek epic level crit racing.) You can dig video up and make your own judgement.
Quite literally, 50% of the women's field stood over her while she was sobbing in shame seated on the ground after having gone back and checked on the crashed out riders. They cussed her out telling her that she didn't belong and that they never wanted to see her again. Screaming. No joke.
I submitted a written appeal to her disqualification. Was told by the head referee that "these women have been racing here a long time, and they said it was a dangerous move. I'll have to decline your appeal."
This sort of treatment lasted until they all realized she just wasn't going away and that she was going to continue to beat them every time they raced so they might as well "let her into the club."
Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
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