Vampire Riders Nico Toutenhoofd and Kevin Nicol, both racing for Hotel San Jose-Mellow Johnny's, and are both over 40, took 1 and 2 in the Lookout Mountain Hill Climb. All of the top 9 places were over 30 except for Robin Eckmann coming in at 18.
In the women's field the story was pretty much the same story with the top 2 over 40 and 4th place eclipsing those with 53 years of age.
ACA Lookout Mountain Results
While it is no doubt impressive what these athletes can accomplish at their age it's also interesting to wonder, where's the youth? Does hill climbing take that much experience? Has road cycling lost it's attraction to our youth or is our region so well stacked with amazing masters that youth who could compete against them are already on pro teams and racing around the country and world? I am voting for the later.... these guys can't easily pack there bags and leave their families to go race the Gila like so many other young Boulder stars are now.
Email this page
Deja Vu
Masters clean up at Sunshine HC.... wait I mean P,1,2... oh the lines are soo blurred
http://303cycling.com/2010-Sunshine-Hill-Climb-Report
Is This A Story?
This is the second story you guys have put up about older riders winning. Are you trying to stir the pot? Is there some story here? The guy who won the Pro1/2 today at sandstone is 36. The 35 Plus field at Koppenberg finsihed in a faster time then the cat. 2 field. None of this is really news and the sotry is the same all over the US.
As for the HC plenty of people do not really care about it. Look at how few people even did the pro/1/2 race. Versus the other cat's, where people line up. You also had plenty of young talent at Gila with Livestrong, what ever they call little Garmin, and some of the good regional teams like Rio.
Yes it's a story....
Kris has thrown out a question worth discussing. Discussion isn't the same as getting all huffy, by the way.
The fact is that America has some great young racers. They are on the rosters of America's greatest pro teams based in Europe and have names like Farrar, Stetina, Van Garderen, etc. We also have great young racers based here in America that hit the top event circuit on teams like United HealthCare, Bahati, and more. Then we have racers who are more local but are willing to stretch a bit and tackle the competition at semi-elite events like Gila. And then we have racers who show up at Lookout and demonstrate that even if they don't travel nationally they're pretty "f"'in tough. Feel free to challenge Nico and Kevin up that hill, I dare you. Or maybe you'd prefer to follow Moninger, Everend or Hodgkins uphill, all of whom are 45+ (Ned is 55+ I believe since we raced together as Cat 3-4 in early 80s)
The question isn't whether there are better climbers/racers than these local guys, there are. Contador comes to mind. The question Kris at 303 is posing is whether it is meaningful that the old guys can continue to dominate these events locally. If youth is supposed to be the future, aren't there any local talents to challenge them? Was everybody really somewhere else? Maybe they just didn't like this race format so didn't come? Or maybe the older riders are really the bat of those who decide to stay and race locally?
Discussion is a great thing, don't screw it up with a bunch of pissy statements to protect an unsupported position.
If true that is interesting
Over 15 years ago when I got started in cycling this story was NOT true (not Colorado). Masters raced in masters and were clearly known as, well, masters... not fast anymore.
If this no longer the case around the country?.... That isn't how the story played out at Gila... but Gila is a big race compared to Lookout, so this apples to apples, similar small races (686 starters isn't that small) around the country has mostly master successes? I don't know and others chime in here?
So the youth is bored with HC, check out the data..
As for popularity of HC with the P-1-2 field that is also interesting,
P-1-2 starters for Lookout HC = 15
P-1-2 starters for Sandstrone Crit = 30
Total starters for Lookout HC = 686
Total starters for Sandstone = 281
Good point, why do P-1-2 riders not like racing HC's? Not enough excitement? why pay money for a race that is a lot like training?
Yes, this is the second time reported on a story like this because I find it very interesting.... this isn't how it was 15+ years ago.. maybe in Boulder where pros retire to but in other places 15 years ago fast masters where far and few. Makes you wonder today what age do riders really start to slow down... 40.. 50... go Ned Overend!
The real reason pro's don't show up to a HC
I think the real reason here why P/1/2's don't show up to Hillclimbs vs. Crits, is that by the time you get to that level, you know what kind of rider you are, whether you can climb or not. If you're not a climber, you don't bother, because you know that you have no chance of winning. The lower categories still have ambition in all types of races, and are more likely to sign up for a hillclimb until they've been dropped a few dozen times and throw in the towel.
I hope I never become that good...
If that is the attitude of many 1-2 riders then I hope I never upgrade to that level. Momma don't let your babies grow up to be cat 1's
HCs are the same as TTs in
HCs are the same as TTs in that there is no race strategy. The strongest rider wins. However, in a crit or road race, a lesser quality rider could win based on strategy, tactics, and luck. It's not a poor attitude that causes people not to show up at TTs or HCs. It's logical.
If this race was the weekend BEFORE Gila, then I might do it just for the training. However, most of us P12 "youngsters" were down in NM racing against the best in the US (over 22,000ft of climbing in 5 days). The old guys stayed home and bragged about their climbing supremacy on the 1,200ft climb up Lookout.
Old guys
I'd like to point out that the "old guys" don't just race well when the "young guys" are out of town. Mr Nicol won the 2008 Mt Evans Hill Climb, beating all sorts of "young guys". Anyone who races in Colorado knows that Kevin is a great rider, not just a guy who gets an occasional victory when the whippersnappers are out of town. Sure, when Tom Danielson shows up for a hill climb Kevin is not going to win, but neither are the rest of you :-)
Where was Tom Danielson last
Where was Tom Danielson last weekend? oh yeah, Gila. Who else should we exclude from the "young guys" club so that the masters can maintain their stance that they are the best in Colorado?
Fact is Lookout will NEVER get coverage in any cycling publication because it's a meaningless race. It falls on the same date as arguably the best NRC stage race within driving distance of the Denver/Boulderites. The serious Colorado racers will head to the Gila that weekend.
Yes, I know the old guys are fast. Extremely fast here in Colorado. Just look at the CX national results. However, this article gives the impression that the masters racers dominate the P12 field in HCs, while it may be true as the season unfolds, the Lookout race is a poor example due to the scheduling conflict with the much, much bigger race in Gila.
Lookout VS Gila
I am 55 and raced in the masters 40+ at Gila with 83 other starters. Most at our age have work/family committments that make it hard to get a week off to race. I just hope when you mature you are still able to race at Gila and see how good the masters are!
I think there were only 3 of
I think there were only 3 of the 15 racers in the p/1/2 field under 30 years old. Thats a pretty good indication of how important this race is to most everyone in the p12 category.
The point is.....respect
The point is.....respect your elders.
Lots of respect to those 15
Lots of respect to those 15 guys that showed up. Whew, way to go guys!