In our district (Northern CA/Nevada), the new guidelines make it EASIER to upgrade. I think USAC is trying to unclog the men's CAT5 and CAT4 ranks. Of course, it means a lot of folks who really aren't ready to upgrade will be able to do so.
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Thread: Upgrading to cat 3- question
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06-23-2008, 08:33 AM #1
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06-23-2008, 10:01 AM #2
Sturdy Girl Cycling
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For the NJ/PA area, the problem with the upgrade system is the fact that it is based primarily on number of starters in the race. We simply don't have large fields of 40 -50 riders that give you a nice payout of upgrade points that go VERY deep into the field. Most of the time, we eek out somewhere between 20 and 30. Therefore, we don't get as many points for placing, nor do they go as deep.
The up side is that you can count a road race as a crit if it meets the crit distance standard but not that of the road race upgrades.
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06-23-2008, 10:30 AM #3
Homegrown
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You are correct - 'cross upgrades have become easier under the new rules. I'm not sure this is a good thing for lots of people though - having upgraded last year, it's a whole different ball of wax when you have to race with the Elite field...
SheFly"Well behaved women rarely make history." including me!
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06-24-2008, 12:02 PM #4
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Wait a second - if you've been in five races you have to upgrade? I raced 6-7 times last season but I am still solidly a Cat 4 level - if that! Cat 7 is more like it
(I have no problem with this - I have a great time regardless)
ETA: It's cross that I'm talking about, not the road...Last edited by obie; 06-25-2008 at 08:40 AM.
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06-24-2008, 12:37 PM #5
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That's only for cyclocross. For road the points system still stands for women. We don't have a cat 5 (men can go from cat 5 to cat 4 on experience only), so you need 20 points in 12 months to get an upgrade. From what I've seen it should now be somewhat easier to get a road upgrade. Shorter races with fewer people are eligible for points this year, the number of points is fewer, but many of those races would not have had fields large enough for any points in last years rules. Of course your regional coordinator is given a lot of discretion too.
"Sharing the road means getting along, not getting ahead" - 1994 Washington State Driver's Guide
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06-25-2008, 12:12 PM #6
Homegrown
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Don't worry - they won't force you to upgrade on experience, but they will on points. Keep plugging away - I don't think I've ver seen anyone as enthusiastic about cross as you (except, maybe, me!).
Originally Posted by obie
Wait a second - if you've been in five races you have to upgrade? I raced 6-7 times last season but I am still solidly a Cat 4 level - if that! Cat 7 is more like it (I have no problem with this - I have a great time regardless)
ETA: It's cross that I'm talking about, not the road...
SheFly"Well behaved women rarely make history." including me!
http://twoadventures.blogspot.com
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