I know a lot has been said about pro woman drafting male teammates to victory in marquee gravel races. With the prize purses what they are, it is bound to happen. It is a complex topic I don’t really want to debate.

Just did a mass start. Woman I sprinted against for the last podium place had a teamate (male) shepard her the whole way. I had a male teamate with me who did not do the same. Is she wrong for using her mate, or was I dumb for failing to? (Trick question… I screwed up my positioning in the sprint……

[image] broshaughnessy: Cycling is just not as popular a sport among children, probably because it is not tied to school participation. What rock you been under “bro”? Ever heard of NICA? Utah state high school mountain bike championships is the largest high school sporting event. https://ww…

[image] wik04: Being hyper focused on results rather than having fun and getting better is a pretty good way to teach kids how to not enjoy riding/racing as well. Losing a race is not the end of the world. If it is for you as a parent or your kid, then you/they aren’t going to be in the sport lo…

Ok I’m gonna touch a rail here, but the thought occurred to me, why isn’t there a concern (or at least less of a concern) regarding competitiveness and fairness in boys fields? It see a lot of arguments regarding the participation of girls in sports being couched in terms of competitiveness and the …

[image] hubcyclist: I also think the idea of racing gravel is pretty dumb except for a handful of elite people, so there’s that perspective too After a couple of races and hearing the banter here, I am coming to the same conclusion. Racing gravel is dumb (and expensive).

My point is that it’s not a really a bike race in the first place unless the girls are racing head to head. Getting ranked first finisher in a certain age bracket means just that. It doesn’t mean that you raced head to head with your competition and beat them. Gravel racing isn’t sanctioned racing …

[image] Racermom: If the teammate is racing their own pace to win the race, that is great. Draft all day long. That is racing. I don’t think you understand team racing. Not everyone is always going for the win. If I want a teammate to have a good result in a gravel race, I can make him the …

But we’re making the assumption that for that family/ families, it was all about winning. Rather than consequential.

[image] Racermom: What rock you been under “bro”? Moderator hat on: Please dial it back. There’s no need to use that tone when someone may well be unaware of something due to their particular area and/or exposure. Comment with respect per the forum guidelines, please.

[image] hubcyclist: why isn’t there a concern (or at least less of a concern) regarding competitiveness and fairness in boys fields? Or the mens/masters fields. I did the Tour of Gila fondo a few years ago. After the fact I saw that I got 20th in my age bracket. If I hadn’t stopped at so many…

[image] wik04: The answers here are not going to be super satisfying. Is it kind of lame for them to do that? Yes, it is. Was it lame when a woman won Unbound being pulled around by her husband the whole time? Yes, it was. But it is what it is in gravel. If that bothers you enough, have your kid…

Gravel racing technique

Racing

Topic		Replies	Views
Issue of male domestiques in women's gravel races Racing gravel	379	17646	February 10, 2022
Gravel (Race) Controversy? Racing	220	9679	June 17, 2023
The Future of Gravel Racing Racing gravel	30	1399	February 21, 2025
Call of a lifetime Racing	268	11360	May 15, 2023
Water stop etiquette for gravel racing Racing	67	5023	June 24, 2021

Gravel racing technique

Related topics