Claw: When Buh has implemented in in the new design I guess.
Leso: Even when designing the Ape doesn't forget his biggest talent, my real vocation.
Complaining:
Today:
Strade Bianche: Cat 3
Vlaamse Pfijl: Cat 2
Strade Bianche podiums:
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/ra ... ceid=19966
5 editions, Kolobnev, Cancellara, Löfkvist, Iglinsky, Gilbert.
Not bad eh? The 2 maybe biggest names in 1 day racing at the moment, plus 3 others certainly not unknown riders. Deserving of cat 3 I think. The starters?
http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html ... d=MjE3NTQ=
Only 14 teams, not sure what RCS goal is exactly, no live report either, the race by know would certainly deserve it.
Vlaamse Pfijijijyiyjil:
The podiums:
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/ra ... ceid=19965
Not really an impressive winners list... who's Verbist? This years winner? Can't wait to find out who it is. But well, no, don't want to wait until the results of unimportant races is put on the usual sites. The startlist will have to do to prove my point.
http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html ... d=MjE3NTM=
Slight difference to Montepaschi I think. 1 category difference? No, 2. As we all knew before today as well. Because Vlaamse Pfijyijiiil is just an unimportant race, not for "real" pros, it's for the continentals. Nothing against them, but in our RSF system that is
not category 2. For a real category 2 look at Almeria, Friuli, Lugano. Samyn, Marseille, Laigueglia, Etruschi. Stuff like that is cat 2. NOT the Vlaamse Pfjil. Pfijl? By making races like this Cat 2 you only devalue real cat 2 races. And push them up to cat 3. I'm ready to demand cat 3 for Friuli, Lugano, Le Samyn, Etruschi etc., for next year. They a r e j u s t m o r e i m p o r t a n t then the Vlaamse Pfijl. But not as much as Dwars and Kuurne, which then I demand cat 4. I mean, in the end it was your final proposal that became the RSF system for categorization.
Let me remind you of it.
Monuments: Cat 6. We all agreed on that. But why? The difference between Friuli and Vlaamse Pfijl is bigger than that between Paris Roubaix and E3. Let's make E3 cat 6 too? No obviously not.
C4a Cat 1.A = cat 5. 1.A was basically the PT races. We all agreed on that. Why? Because it's simple. WE all know Hamburg and Plouay in reality are not more important than E3, Het Volk, Piemonte and Tre Valli Varesine. But to keep it simple and not have endless discussions each time, let's make all 1.A at c4a cat 5.
1.B=Cat 4. That's roughly 1.HC in UCI talk. What we liked about c4a is that they didn't just blindly copy from the UCI. Clearly overrated races like Gippingen were not 1.B for c4a, but for the UCI as I said 1.HC. With the c4a 1.B we get good races like Schelde, E3, Het Volk, 3 VAlli, Piemonte etc. as cat 4. Good, it works well.
1.C= Cat 3. 1.C is 1.1 UCI, roughly. But only roughly, some 1.HC in, Gippingen and Indurain for example. And in UCI 1.1 there are races that c4a rated as 1.D. Good too. Since not all those races have the exact same importance. Some have a longer history, some are gaining in importance, some used to have a bit of importance, much less nowadays, like GP Cerami, that would have been 1.C in the 80es and 90es, now if I remember correctly 1D c4a more precise. And again, very good way to avoid endless discussions, to avoid being bombarded by Apecrazy Robyposts. Since of course we all have our own preferences, if we had to rate 1.1 UCI ouselves and split it into 2 categories (because I think we agreed that just one was too "wide") we would get 70 different lists from 70 users. Easy. And of course as master and boss you get a certain freedom to change, if you feel Cerami deserves 3, (I think it's 1D in c4a 07) ok. But as a general rule you proposed (ok me and LCB propsed, you counterproposed) that 1.c is cat 3.
1D: Cat 2: See 1.C, part of the UCI cat 1.1 mostly, maybe some 1.2 even made it into the list. But basically the less important 1.1. according to c4a. The reason see my rant at 1.c, cat 3
1.E and fantasay. Cat 1- 1.E mostly 1.2 races. The ones like Vlaamse Pfjil were not PT teams starts, the races for the young riders, that might, but more often will not, later become good riders. Cat 1. In an ideal RSF world these races would actually be blocked for D1, D2, D3 and maybe even D4. But practically doesn't work too often there are not more important races around, so you have to leave them open for all of us.
You seem to make the difference: Real race-fantasy race now. Real race at least cat 2. Why? Again, it was YOUR proposal that was accepted by all in the end. Why not follow it? Is it null and void now? We don't follow that agreement anymore, don't care about the c4a ranking/classification anymore? Then let's make the TdS at cat 6 like the TdF, let's just make 2 categories, real races vs fantasy race. Without copying the real and big differences in prestige and importance between the real races. Or, much better:
Make races like Vlaamse Pfiiiiiiijjyyl cat 1. Like they should be, let a win there be worth as much as it is worth in reality. Nothing really. For a Philippe Gilbert (Even if he were allowed to start) a win there is worth as much as winning a criterium with a predetermined winner. LEss actually, he gets more money for the criterium.
Making Vlamse Pfijl was a mistake, (you see the punishment you get...)
So at least let's not repeat it this month.
Paris Troyes: should be cat 1
La Tourangelle: shoudl be cat 1
Like you correctly indentified ZSSDI whatever as cat 1. which ist is.
And since I started I continue:
Make more restrictive criteria for participation.
If only one real race per day, open for all. Unless it's cat 6, then as usual D1-4
Other combinations:
Cat 1+ C2: C1 D3-6, C2: 1-5
C1+C3: C1: D4+6, C3:1-5
C1+C4: C1: 5-6, C4:1-4
Same for C1+C5
So for example, the 20th we have Pays de Loire, Cat 2 I think, not sure, not going to load my c4a thing today, and Tourangelle cat 1. Don't let D1+2 start at the unimportant race. Let them give the more prestigious race their prestige. MMh, you'll get the better thought out restriction system later... at the latest the 13th if Paris Troyes is ridden as Cat 2 race...
Ok, by know probably the all important winner of the great Vlaamse should be known... but you know what? I don't really care. Gilbert winning the strade Bianche? Knew it as soon as the slow Gazzetta ticker had loaded here. Vlaamse Pfijl? Chances are I never heard of the winner anyway, and chances are I won't hear of him again after reading his name... will maybe check anyway, but... maybe not. . Wouldn't even know it was a race if we didn't race it here. I hope you at least get some sponsorship money from then, almost can't explain why it's cat 2 otherwise.