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Is there a new "You Have to Chase" rule for free l
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 11:16pm
Merco seemed to be a crash fest, and i guess that's to be expected with left hand turns and a chicane. But what was most surprising, was the officials making folks chase to get back on after their free lap. The free lap is not really free, especially if you were involved in a crash and not a mechanical. But it didn't seem fair to have to chase a pack that's going 27 - 30 mph and you're starting from 0 mph. If the road was too narrow or too near the turn, why not move the neutral area back before the start/finish so riders could start picking up speed and at least get up to 15-20mph as the pack goes by to attempt to rejoin. I saw many riders held until the field was 10 meters up the road, before the official let go of the bike and the rider's in many instances were not successful in reattaching to the peleton. That didn't seem fair. What's up?
Left turns are tough when you are getting up to speed on the inside of the turn. Better to have folks integrate on the outside (opposite side) of the turn.
are left hand turns harder than right hand turns?!?!
Tim, As you can tell from my post, i was not impressed with seeing guys chase after a crash and not latch back on. I hope it was due to being too close to the corner Vs a change in philosophy about re-integrating into the field after a mechanical, crash,...
I'm not sure about which case you're referring to in particular, but from having watched the racers being put back in, I do know that in a number of cases the racer was forced to chase for the simple reason that they did not qualify for a "free lap." Instead of a crash, flat or legitimate mechanical failure, their bike had adjustment issues like a loose seat or cleat, rubbing brake pad, etc.
On the other hand, I agree that the wheel pit may have been too close to the turn and we should think about launching the racers from further back. Having worked the wheel pit in a number of Criteriums I also know that timing rider placement is tough, as once you get your timing worked out the pack changes pace and you're thrown off. Even with good placement and timing, it's still a tough task to go from zero to Crit speeds in a short distance, so I was impressed by the fact that so many successfully made the transition.
Tim Burgess, CJ
Tim
A day that I'm on the bike is a good day.