Lookit Here Son, I Say Son...

The Tuesday Night World Championships begin this week and last week on our team's message board quite a discussion unfolded in regards to what level I should race. Most of my teammates offered very sound advice. Some even offered "while we're racing coaching" to me and a few of the newer crit racers. As their advice and memories unfolded, Scot Wallace dusted off this mighty pearl of wisdom authored two years ago by none other than Rich Pierce. Rich's idea was for the experience team members to take turns leading the new guys around the course, moving them up through the pack, etc. Basically, try to keep them in the top third most of the race.

As I read the post, I was crying with laughter at 1) the sight of this happening during a race, 2) the possibility of Rich describing this methodology to all of us 5 minutes before we rolled and our ability to remember AND execute it to perfection, and 3) this play being acted out by the cartoon characters I used to watch on Saturday mornings. In fact, here's what I envision when I think of Rich explaining it to the troops:



So without further adieu, I present to you the ICCC First Timers Guide to Crit Racing, or as Rich calls it, "The Pecking Order" :

"The Pecking Order"

The Hen: An experienced strong ICCCer who will lead the newbies near the front
The Chicks: Newbies
The Rooster: A very strong experienced ICCCer who sweeps the rear, looking for chicks to "rescue" and take back up to the front.
The Coyotes: Everyone who wants to scatter the flock

Act 1:
The Hen smoothly stays in the top 1/3 to 1/4 of the pack and the chicks ride with him till they get moved off wheels and start to fall back. No dramatic moves or accelerations. The Rooster hangs at the back, watching all the action.

Act 2:
Speed increases and chaos ensues. The Hen has lost some chicks. Chicks are everywhere throughout the pack. Coyotes are everywhere. Rooster is bringing 2 chicks up to the front, using about 3 laps to do so. When Rooster passes another experienced Hen, he says, "you're the new Rooster." Amazed at the instantaneous gender switch, the new Rooster falls back and patrols the rear. When old Rooster gets up to another hen nearer the front, he passes off the chicks and says, "You're the new Hen!"

Act 3:
The new Hen moves to the front with chicks in tow. Coyotes are scattering everywhere. When New Hen gets to the old Hen, he says, "Go sit on the nest! I am the new Hen!" Old hen sits in, just another chicken now. New Rooster finds some more chicks and starts to lead them up through the pack. He passes off Rooster status to another ICCCer who falls back, sacrificing his race completely. Some chicks are pooped and go off to rest under a bush, away from the coyotes who are still slashing around.

Act 4 - The final Pecking Order:
We are down to "laps". Everybody knows whether there are any chicks still in the pack. if we got them to last an extra 5, 10 minutes, and they gained experience, good. If some are left, and in contention, all remaining chickens gather around them and we hammer as a group. We probably shed some feathers along the way. If anybody is out of the top 20 as they climb the hill, they do not contest the sprint, but stay safe.

Now, a coyote is bad, right??