Have You Ever Unwittingly Found Yourself in the Middle of Cycle Race?
- Thread starter presta
- Start date
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Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- The Urban Fringe
I suppose assaulting some one is an acceptable means of displeasure.
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steverob
Guru
- Location
- Buckinghamshire
Not in a closed road type of race, but I have accidentally taken part in the bike leg of a triathlon that was being held on public roads. Confused the marshalls when I got to the next roundabout and they were pointing for me to go left and I went straight on.
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Not in it, but when race marshalling there were two events which merged last year - one a race, one a sportive. The race was on a lumpy 25-minute-per-lap road layout which meant limited radio comms for the marshals, with race participants and the race convoy coming up a hill towards me and then turning left. The sportive came onto the road part for about two miles, then came up the same hill and carried straight on.
The race was doing their circuits however after about 30 minutes we had two groups on the road with a gap in-between - two in the break ahead in their own 'bubble' with the lead car and motos, then the main race convoy a few minutes behind. The first two sportive riders came into that gap, caught the lead two riders and passed them just before my marshal point. We figured out what was happening and got traffic stopped early to let the sportive riders across, who briefly stopped to watch, then got the convoy through.
I did suggest they should have been doing the race instead, but apparently the sportive offered free beer at the end to finishers.
For the next hour we had sportive riders getting (mostly) passed by racers so stopped traffic as needed but also helped them out. It was an "interesting" marshalling task working out whether they were on the sportive or part of the race as they came up the hill towards us, particularly for those dropped and no longer in the race bubble of the convoy.
Quite a few sportive riders liked having racers around them, particularly with very helpful race motos.
The race was doing their circuits however after about 30 minutes we had two groups on the road with a gap in-between - two in the break ahead in their own 'bubble' with the lead car and motos, then the main race convoy a few minutes behind. The first two sportive riders came into that gap, caught the lead two riders and passed them just before my marshal point. We figured out what was happening and got traffic stopped early to let the sportive riders across, who briefly stopped to watch, then got the convoy through.
I did suggest they should have been doing the race instead, but apparently the sportive offered free beer at the end to finishers.
For the next hour we had sportive riders getting (mostly) passed by racers so stopped traffic as needed but also helped them out. It was an "interesting" marshalling task working out whether they were on the sportive or part of the race as they came up the hill towards us, particularly for those dropped and no longer in the race bubble of the convoy.
Quite a few sportive riders liked having racers around them, particularly with very helpful race motos.
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There's a couple of TT courses that overlap with some of my routes. The marshals sometimes look rather puzzled by a cyclist just pedalling along admiring the views.
Shearwater Missile
Veteran
- Location
- Stowmarket
I can`t help think of Kenneth More in `The 39 Steps`. Now, he really did get caught in a race !
Ian H
Ancient randonneur
I was starting a 25 where a triathlon crossed the course at a roundabout. I followed the wrong marshal and found myself heading along a lane rather than down a dual-carriageway. Once I'd confirmed my mistake, I turned, retraced, joined the course and finished with a leisurely 1:10. I wasn't last.
Vantage
Carbon fibre... LMAO!!!
- Location
- Behind everyone else, Bolton
A bunch of us in the Bolton Clarion got caught up in the regional Iron Man race on our way home once.
All on touring bikes with saddlebags and me especially with panniers and the locals cheering us on while laughing away.
A day to remember 😂
All on touring bikes with saddlebags and me especially with panniers and the locals cheering us on while laughing away.
A day to remember 😂
