tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791205829167373593.post8584645745471580835..comments2023-08-05T10:10:14.345-04:00Comments on The Flamenco Chuckwagon: We are SPOILEDChuck Wagonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06418906274684022977noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791205829167373593.post-83786667073275783372011-06-20T23:00:20.548-04:002011-06-20T23:00:20.548-04:00I think everyone came out of the twilight crit wit...I think everyone came out of the twilight crit with a really great impression of "this is how bike racing should be." It was cool, real cool, and I was just a spectator.<br /><br />That good mood was totally overshadowed by four races looming in the next 48 hours. It's definitely too much in too little time. I'll echo Chris' comment that having two time trials is kinda in a 4-stage race. The Smithsburg RR at ToWC is always cool, though. It makes me imagine, though: if they have that much cool terrain in 6 miles, what do they have around the neighboring roads?<br /><br />My suggestion to Joe was to make the twilight crit a separate event on a different Saturday evening and apply for the MABRA crit championships. There was a crowd and they were into it. Sure beats "tacktown," which obviously is not a welcoming community or a popular event among MABRA racers (and it shares the weekend with Poolesville).<br /><br />When you mentioned THE portajohn, well, that was the situation on Sunday morning before the 7 a.m. TT. Yeah, 7 a.m. start the day after a TT and RR. And after constant calls from the 1/2/3 field to NOT have the first TT start and last Crit time, they do it again anyway. WTF.<br /><br />Yeah, promoters are the pedestals for the races we compete in, and it's a faux pas to criticize their efforts. But at some point they need to remember what it's like to be a racer with a full-time job and/or family, which is most of us, and cater to that base. It's pretty obvious when people lose that connection and worry more about other things: perhaps profit, spectacle, money for the community (two nights in a hotel or 3:30 a.m. wake-up?), or just trying to be too cool for its own good.<br /><br />Lastly, I'd rather see a fantastically planned, spread-out 3-day event and take leave for it on Friday (Wilmington, anyone?) than suffer on Monday morning for burning it at both ends all weekend.Sigberto Garciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04151180780700388745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791205829167373593.post-87110721370256383722011-06-20T07:28:18.972-04:002011-06-20T07:28:18.972-04:00A bunch of people are echoing your comments. Ther...A bunch of people are echoing your comments. There were also a lot of people who felt like they wasted most of Saturday sitting in a HS parking lot. <br /><br />In the big picture, I'd rather have promoters trying to do too much than too little. These guys in NJ were just unprepared. But every year before, everyone's left the ToWC absolutely raving about what a great time they had, and I haven't heard much of that this year.Dave Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04475403509478977792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791205829167373593.post-4219453274766580752011-06-19T19:40:58.482-04:002011-06-19T19:40:58.482-04:00The tour of Wash. Co. Did indeed go a step too far...The tour of Wash. Co. Did indeed go a step too far..too much packed in for a night and two days. One time trial would have sufficed thus a rider could sleep in one morning some. I think you chose wisely even if that crit was disorganized and a zany course. The evening twilight was cool but the overall event was too compacted together. My two cents.chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16885743854718629653noreply@blogger.com