What happened to "+1"??

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Permalink Reply by Booksy on September 16, 2009 at 4:29pm

I was thinking about the same thing today when I was out practicing. Every race I've done does the two lap timing thing. I think it's a tragedy and it's making everyone soft. 30 minutes should be 30 +1. LETS BRING +1 BACK!! These races aren't long enough as it is!

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Permalink Reply by Colin Reuter on September 17, 2009 at 1:00pm

Things have changed. Suck it up and ride harder for shorter.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Mayhew on September 17, 2009 at 3:41pm

I do find it funny when people complain races are too short as if there isn't a 45 or 60 min race they could be doing. (or double up)

That said "things have changed" is pretty flip. Is it for the better? Was there a good reason things changed?

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Permalink Reply by Booksy on September 21, 2009 at 8:01am

What? Suck it up? Ride Shorter? Weird.

Already racing for 60 and doubling up. Still not enough. +1!

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Permalink Reply by Katsu Tanda on September 17, 2009 at 7:20pm

I'm pretty much content with a "60" minute race.

If you want more pain, do the 45 min B race then double up and do the A race or another race you qualify for.

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Permalink Reply by Colin Kernan on September 18, 2009 at 8:19am

Whoa! I am not complaining about races being too short. Nor am I waxing nostalgic for my glory days in the early 90's. I suck and am toast well before I see the line.

I was just wondering if this was now prevelant or it just a NE thing. Think things have changed in Belguim?

That said, it was one of the things that made cross unique and it's a shame to lose it.

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Permalink Reply by Carl Ring on September 21, 2009 at 12:36pm

Yes, actually things have changed in Belgium. If you follow the Super prestige or GVA races they go almost spot on 60 minutes to the leaders, unless it is very muddy. They do not generally go 60 min + 1 anymore. Example, the first 2 Belgian pro mens races this year went 57:45 min. and 60:03 min. If they were going +1 lap most pro races would run 65-68 minutes. They're just not going that amount of time unless the course is really slow.

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Permalink Reply by KillerB on September 18, 2009 at 8:23am

It's just a function of more racers and thus more cats to squeeze into a day. For a 45+1 lap, half the field is going to take over an hour to finish. Not feasible if you need to start a race every hour. The only races that are 60 mins are the elites at the end of the day.

Plus, most people are relieved when their race mercifully ends.

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Permalink Reply by GeWilli on September 21, 2009 at 8:55am

I miss the +1 aspect of the old days...

but back then, esp where i was racing courses were shorter so you had more laps to play with and adding a 4-5 minute lap after 45 minutes wasn't a big deal, adding one lap to a 6-8 minute lap time is a big deal, esp for those at the back of the pack riding a bit slower.

often the officials under judge the race time - or err on the side of shorter rather than longer, and choosing to have Bold/Hines/Boivin race for 41-42 minutes or 47-48 isn't an easy one, but when you consider the field is spread out (just looking at the 35s) over 5-6 minutes, well it simplifies the choice.

I'm glad I got a chance to race like that. I remember the count down (or up) race clock at the start finish. And knowing how much more time you had before the final lap was pretty cool. Esp when they don't show you lap numbers until 3 to go, or even tougher mentally showing you 8 or 12 to go.

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