Union Vale RR July 12 2009

The guy who won the 3/4 race was involved in the neutral start crash. He managed to get back on the bike and chased for 6 or 8 miles bridging up to the field on his own. He was the one with the cut on his ankle and the bruised knee. Rides for Jimenez Velo Sport out of NJ. He's a real nice guy, very quiet.

Soy gives me gas.

Get your facts straight:

the 3/4s crashed in the neutral start.

The cat 4/5 had 2 fields, which is kinda lame for everybody but older Cat5s.

Your mother's meatloaf is dry and she can't cook a potato to save her life.

In the last corner of the descent before the finishing climb. Both were heavy.

Trolls don't like Unionvale, there aren't enough bridges.

Kinda funny that on NYVC of all places people can't help but feed the troll. Just ignore him everybody.

dammit, why won't anyone tell me results of the prospect park race!

Lame-o: there were no 4/5 crashes in the feed zone. In fact, no 4/5 crashes at all. I guess that makes it even lamer.

What was the "real race" this past weekend?

Mom MEEEEEEEEEATLOAF!

I can't believe you guys get worked up because I think the 1/2 at UV is lame. You're defending a race as if it were the Constitution. As if I've somehow insulted you because you like the race and have fun there. That's where you're wrong. I actually think that's great. Good for you. But it doesn't change the facts. In my opinion, the 1/2 at UV is lame, the 4/5s don't count, most of the 3/4s don't count, and the masters guys, although often great athletes, don't count.

Tell me why the 4/5s crashing in the neutral zone should count?

Tell me why the 3/4s who ride around as pack fill all day until the finish climb should count.

Tell me why the handful of talented 1/2s who show up at a lower tier race instead of going to a real race with real competition aren't riding in a lame race.

Dudes... this is sunday beer league for anyone Cat 3 and under. It's harsh to think of it that way, but it's reality.

Whos Todd?

some shitty cat2 (i am guessing) ranking regional road races based on how many guys kick his ass in the race. I have done big races with 125 guys (battenkill) and had a blast or not so much. Have also done really low key races (last year Tour of Catskills and the year before it was Doc Reilly) and had a blast racing against 25 -35 guys. Races should never be based on payout whether the local "pro" shows up. We are all amatuers (even you Cat1s) and should be doing this for fun and for a good challenge.

basically UV is lame guy is saying if he doesn't show up, the shit is lame.

= todd went to a 2-year junior college, & learned himself some grammar

also i wish to know what "UV is lame" guy did on sunday

because he spent his whole monday talking about a race he didn't do

damn i wish i knew who "UV is lame" guy is

You only reason's for calling Unionvale lame are that the payout is low,and that the turnout for the 1/2/3 field was low.

Well, it's a road race. There's a lot of money needed to provide the services required to stage the race. Look at any of the other road races this season, they have similar, if not smaller payouts.

As far as turnout, show me a race that has drastically more pro 1/2/3 riders this weekend. Not that many more at Governor's island or New britain Crit and those are easier to get to.

the peletons skillz are so weak they can't even negotiate a traffic comb without crashing. lame

So you're saying that because there were 50 guys at the start line and 20 of them didn't make it to the finish that it was somehow an important race? Are you kidding me? Wake up people! Courses alone don't make for great races. UV is lame. Lame race.

To repeat:

UV 1/2 is lame.

Masters are not lame. They just don't count.

3/4 are mostly lame.

4/5 are all lame.

I wish the bear came back to UV this year and gnawed on some cat 4/5s while lying on the road in the neutral zone.

way to crash a group in the NEUTRAL ZONE, cat 4 squids! you guys SUCK!

Arrrr, fresh squids from the cat 4 sea, stay out of my race you guys always crash and look like dorks

I am guessing every starter in the Cat1-2 would put you off the back at Unionvale. You say dont compare last year to this year. Why not? You yourself said the race is Lame b/c the talent sucks. I was just listing the talent that races at Unionvale. The list of racers is strong. Roger, Lindine, Spooky Racers, Corey Burns (won GMSR), Hurst (just won the 1-2 at Housatonic), Chodroff etc.

Unionvale is a suffer fest. Call it lame but its tough as nails and top guys race it. Just not you...

less than 30 guys finished, there were like 50 registered jagoff!

As I said, masters guys race hard. The top guys are good riders. They just don't count.

1/2 race was a joke. Less than 30 guys. Come on. Don't kid yourselves. Comparing to last year is just plain stupid. While you're at it, maybe you should also compare the 3/4 times to the masters times and see who would have won the masters race if he hadn't been racing in the 3/4 field.

I'm actually typing this from your mom's laptop. Pretty good meatloaf. But not great.

P/1/2 race was hard as shit and half the field was DNF.

Next on Bravo: "Pro Tour Eye of the NRC Guy," brought to you by Enzyte.

Tends to pop up on this site from time to time. For you newbies, basically, if you dont race NRC events strung out in single file then you are not racing your bike. Problem is that NRC guy finishes maybe top 30 and has never won a Cat1-2 race of any type.

Its like being a pro footballer in England and getting a pro contract for West Ham. Then having some wanker tell you its not a pro contract unless you play for Man U or Chelsea. Idot!

mom, meatloaf--hilarious!

35plus guys are mostly Cat1-3s who now have families. The winner was Ed Beamon former pro and DS of Navigators. 3/4 field is very competitive and a feed field for the the 2s. Look a the top guys in that field last year and they are all competitive 2s now (see James Morrison and Gabele).

As for the 1/2 race. That was the stupidest thing I have read in years on this site. Just because it is low profile does not make the race easy or lame. Last year Roger beat a full Target Team and Chodroff. Chodroff is now on Ouch and Lindine is on Cannondale Bikereg (2 real teams).

What I love about this guy's post is that for some reason he thinks sitting in a crit with 80 guys and finishing 50th (averaging 200 watts for an hour) is more of a race than chasing little 35-50 climbers up big hills for 75 miles. Tell Gavi, Morrison, Zygo, Butts, Roger, Lindine, Chodroff et al that this race is lame because they are not real talent. What a joke.

BTW - where would you finish in this race? I am guessing you could not even win the 35plus or 3/4.

Best,
Slow Cat 3

I remember one in band camp

Moved to Off Topic

Tell that to James Morrison.

Were you at the race? I doubt -- wouldn't be caling it lame if you had been.

You know what's lame? You typed that out on your mother's Apple IIE.

MOM! MEEEEATLOAF!!

The only race that counts is the Tour. So you are lame.

Case closed.

I'm admittedly only looking at the 1/2 to determine competition. That's the only field that counts. And they didn't show up.

4/5 is rec riding. No hard feelings fellas. I was a 4/5 for a week or so once.

3/4 is mostly rec riding. Plus a handful of guys who are Cat 3s for maybe 5 races or so.

Masters fields are always strong, but they don't count. They often don't even get neutral support. Promoter doesn't need to provide it. Those dudes will show up anyway. They do it for sport and usually do it well. Not rec riding. But still doesn't count.

1/2 counts. Guys racing 1/2 usually wish to take cycling a bit further, even if there's only 10 spots open per year nationwide. These guys won't get noticed at UV. And that's because UV doesn't have enough prize money to attract higher level competition. Which is why only the weakest 1/2s bother going to UV. Which is why UV is a lame race.

The course is great. No issue there. But the race is lame. The racing that counts, that is.

Case closed.

race out of town

what's a guy gotta do to see some results for this race?

How can you not like UV? Cool course, brutal finish, well organized, close to NYC - what's not to like? How can you possibly race for prizes in this sport? Lame competition? Are you looking at the same results?

What's wrong, 8:29? Some idot take you down in the neutral zone and you need someone to blame?

I would only ask the organizers not to use diesel pace cars. I'm still dizzy from the exhaust.

Hilly race within an hour of NYC. Bear is nice and tough but Unionvale is more chill as it is after the spring season frenzie of racing. The course is really tough but it flows well so if you do get dropped its fun to ride solo.

BTW - I dont think many guys (even the Local Cat1s) choose not to race an event just because the prize money is bad. I am sure some race shitty courses if the prize money is good. If the course is nice and challenging then most normal people who love to ride thier bikes will be there.

Yeah the NYC jerks got into crashes in the neutral feed zone

Great course, great weather and nice not have the typical field of NYC jerks getting into crashes in a sprint for 23rd place. Makes those park races look a bit silly.

i don't really race for prizes. and i certainly don't scrutinize the payout before a race. i do it for fun. maybe that's why i enjoyed the race.

pic 6: jumped up and started humping my leg while i was riding in the feed zone. i guess was going pretty slow.

Union Vale is lame because the competition is lame as are the prizes (they are related). Just because it has a longish finishing climb and nice country loop doesn't make it a great race. Putting the course aside, it is a crappy race. Crappy. You might like it. I'm happy for you. But it is still a lame race.

union vale is a great race. hard course. finishing climb.

also, the results are up on usacycling as of yesterday: http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2009-2048

lame is not having any results to look at anywhere

just because some idots choose to race it doesn't make it lame...

UV is a lame race. Can't believe people still do it.

3/4 crashes. So dumb. Guys should just stick to triathlons or drinking beer. It's safer and then they can take advantage of age group placings.

the first half lap in the masters 45 was ridiculously sketchy. lots of guys who had no business being there, and there was a crash while the field was still neutralized. then another crash going 14mph up the hill.

Who won the 3/4? No crazy Aussies this year punishing the pack?

15 - 20 guys went down. Some very painful screaming. I don't think any of them caught back on. It must have been bad because they had to make a detour around that section of road.

3/4 neutral zone?