Walrus Wrote:
What sort of rules apply in the race?
I think we could advise the young fella away from that particular
course. The only reason clubs use it is because it is the only loop of
the right size close to the city. It's got a nasty hill in it (enough
to make you hurt after 30 mins) and a dangerous sharp off-camber corner
at the bottom of the hill, where plenty of people have scraped skin and
paint off over the years. The aggregate is rough and not fast, and
there's metal stoptap covers if you swing to wide on the aforesaid
corner (iirc).

Nice flat smooth courses are the ones Coburg run crits on in summer
(Barry Rd.), and Westgate Park (Footscray), also Doherty's Rd. in
Altona. All offer better cornering, and more chance to work on your
racing skills, rather than trying not to blow up on a hill, and washing
out on the corners.

Rules? No pushing, shoving, abusive language - all the usual. Don't
elbow people too hard. Don't run your front wheel into someone elses'
back wheel (or 'hook' them by coming round them and slowing down dead
in front), don't make a suicide breakaway 10 mins in (not a rule as
such, but liable not to work, and will get you laughed at, until you
are more experienced, or super strong), don't swear at the commissaire,
buy a Killer Python (or 3) at the end to support the club. Don't roll up
on an MTB, unless you are sure you can win on it. Don't wear long socks.
Don't wear black socks (damn you to hell, Lance Armstrong!!!). Wear a
helmet. Don't expectorate whilst riding onto other riders. Pull out if
you feel sick, and pretend it was a puncture. If you pull your foot and
accidentally kick another rider off their bike, offer to pay for their
medical and mechanical expenses. Have fun. Don't get too cocky if you
win, coz there's always someone faster and meaner out there ready to
grind you, whimpering and snivelling, into the tar

M"Crits are for summer"H


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mfhor