Have You Ever Unwittingly Found Yourself in the Middle of Cycle Race?

[pjd57]

I wasn't cycling.
But arriving in a resort in Turkey years ago I noticed a lot of expensive looking bikes passing along the seafront beside our hotel.
Then the banners went up.
Tour of Turkey was in town.
Next day our seafront hotel was on the circuit so we got a close up view of the peleton flying by. 6 times.
Watched a bit from our balcony then went outside for the finish.
So we got to see Mark Cavendish in his prime , close up .



Great start to our holiday

 

[ColinJ]

I found myself caught up in a sprint for a KOM on a Devon hill this afternoon!

I turned onto the climb and discovered a very short rider setting a blistering pace. He had dropped the much taller female rider in the 2-person breakaway group.

I overtook the trailing rider, who gasped "Go for it - I'm done!" I thought that I had the beating of the lead rider but he got to the finishing line (a gate to a field) just ahead of me. I congratulated him on his KOM.

He was still setting a fearsome pace, and I did consider drafting him for a km or two, but I reckoned that his mum might be worried about him, so I told him to wait at the gate for her!

 

[VinSumRox]

Found myself in a couple of local triathlons, on a local hill, decided not to race them up it!

 

[VinSumRox]

Years ago was on tour in France and by chance the TdF was going by next day, so cycled out and back to watch it, had a lot of cheers from the crowds😀

 

[PaulSB]

I took part in the Bolton Ironman. The course followed the main road from our village to Chorley. There was no way to avoid it.

 

[johnnyb47]

I managed to stray onto the local 10 mile TT route.
I was dressed up looking the part ,but the bike I was riding was my early 80s Peugeot.
As a state of vanity I gave it all I got through a the village were there was a few spectators,and it so funny to see them clapping as I flew past.
Once the other side, I was completely knackered and peeled off to the side to catch my breath were nobody could see me except for the ultra fit TT riders whizzing by 🤣

 

[yello]

Yes, just yesterday! I was on my motorbike. I always wear a high viz gilet, and I have a white helmet (more associated with coppers than bikers perhaps) and as I approached the road closure signs, the marshalls waved me on! I doubt it was the race proper at that point but there were cyclists adorned in race numbers on the road. Given the pace they were riding I suspect they were just warming up, checking the route, for the event itself later in the day.

Btw, it's very very easy to accidentally get on the road on which a race is being held, certainly the lesser races. All junctions should be secured perhaps but in reality they aren't. These races are marshalled by volunteers so if there's not enough of them to control every junction then I suppose the less busy ones (the one's preferred by cyclotouristes perhaps?) get missed out. Tbh, I find the actions of those 'race' cyclists a little off. No need for that imho.

 

[sevenfourate]

Not accidentally joined a Race no. But:

Last year (?) I came to a T-junction a few miles from returning back into Lowestoft and doing my normal 17mph’ish I imagine; when WHOOSH past the junction and also heading into Town: went past perhaps 15 men and £100k’s worth of Carbon Fibre. Pretty much chain-ganging in single file. And I’d think doing around 20’ish mph. It was absolutely comprehensible. But brisk for me / any Solo rider…..

It took some effort for me to catch them: tucking in for all I had on the Carrera complete with MTB wide bars - but my effort was rewarded by joining the back of the line and immediately gaining some blocking of the wind. It wasn’t long after someone had clearly noticed me - and more than one person turned and ‘glared’. I didn’t have that far to go until I needed to peel off - so I just smiled back at them and held rank. Inside I was Giggling 😁 Barely pedalling and keeping fairly close behind - this continued for the couple of 3 odd miles home.

Until my turn-off, where I sat up - losing a few yards on the back marker sharpish. And peeled off to follow my route home. Not a word was said by me. And i’m sure they wondered who the idiot on the Shopping bike was…….🤣

 

[DCLane]

One more from me:

On a cold and rainy February, when there were weather warnings to not drive unless necessary, a morning of racing was scheduled at Wakefield. The well-known organiser sent a message out saying "we're running the races".

It's our closest circuit and son no. 2 was a Junior. He was entered in the E123 race as a 3rd cat rider since the other adult race was for 4th category riders only.

We turned up and the organiser asked "have you a spare bike with you as we're short on numbers?". We did - his old and small Cervelo S3 on Junior gears just in case it was needed (note: we sold the frame a month or so later to now EF Pro rider Lukas Nerukar).

I was apparently the only non-racer with a 3rd cat or above licence and a bike to use OR the only one daft enough to sign on.

So, yes, I ended up doing the E123 race with big-name entrants in the pouring freezing rain on a bike which was too small racing on kiddie gears. And I wasn't last.

I think I'm shouting to son no. 2 "just what are we doing?" ...

It took about a week to dry out. And there was a LOT of water in the frame once we dismantled it ... AND I'm still owed a BC point for 10th place as they recorded my licence number incorrectly.

 

[presta]

The first time I found myself in a race was going down Head Street in Halstead among a load of racers, and crowds lining the road. I went over a crowd-lined Snake Pass on Tour of Britain day, but I was a bit ahead of them then though, and sat eating sandwiches in the bus shelter at Hathersage by the time they came through. Last time, I was on the long climb from Newcastleton up to Saughtree, with racers buzzing past with a cheery hello.

 

[bikingdad90]

Back in 2016, I was commuting home from work and the National Time Trial championships was directly on my route home.

On the day of the event they had closed the main road so I was able to cycle along the road traffic free ahead of the race starting. I got passed by a few riders warming up, tucked in behind a few etc.

The best part was that in the days leading up to the race I rode with/got passed by many of the riders who were coming/going to the nearby hotel and just having leisurely chats while I commuted and they were practicing the course.

It was a bizarre experience coming across the likes of Alex Dowsett and Hayley Simmons.

The one major downside is that I stand no chance getting any of the KOMS!