Split: Elites downgrading to 1st cat

[speedyshaun]

Word of warning, i did hear a rumour Gary Baker is trying to drop down to a 1st cat for next season, i know BC let Mick Gray and Sean Kilroy ride this year as 2nd cats even thou they should have been 1st cats cos they are vets, and Gary is a vet now, just hope Angliasport don't join the league, even i don't fancy racing (trying to) agaist Gary every week.

[zeco]

Word of warning, i did hear a rumour Gary Baker is trying to drop down to a 1st cat for next season, i know BC let Mick Gray and Sean Kilroy ride this year as 2nd cats even thou they should have been 1st cats cos they are vets, and Gary is a vet now, .

Vets?

Depends where your standing.

BC/UCI = Masters 30+ 40+ 50+ etc etc
TLI = Masters 30+ Vets 40+ 50+ etc etc
LVRC = Vets 40+ 50+ etc etc

8)

[racyrich]

From what I hear it's a virtual certainty GB will be allowed to downgrade to 1st for next year. Oh well, just have to try abit harder won't we.


Dear notsoracy rich (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery :D )
Try training more. We weren't born 1st cats.

[ChrisB]

Rich,

what's your source on this?

[Sean Sumner]

Having gained 1st cat status 18 months ago and retained it last season, I know how hard it can be to be able to get local races. Last year I raced a good deal of time up in Yorkshire, 2 hours plus each way in terms of travelling.

I don't want all races opened up to ERRL 1st cats, but I think that the distinction between 1st cats and 2nd cats in the league is often misleading - there isn't that much between them.

I noticed that the Glendene race this year has been advertised as 2/3/4, which is another good race that is being denied to us.

I am officially a vet next year so could be "down graded" to 2nd cat thus ensuring more races. However I am not going to do this, as I worked bl00dy hard to get to first cat.

I agree with Chris, GB shouldn't be allowed to drop to 1st cat - I might never see the front of the bunch again!!

[notsoracy rich]

Seems to me my fear of racing against 1st cats is easily matched by some of these 1st and 2nd cats fear of racing against Gary Baker!

Good on yer gary-my secret weapon!

Dear racy rich-no insult intended with my pseudonym. If you are who I think you are, you've always been one of my heroes.

[ChrisB]

I reckon most 1sts wouldn't mind racing against Gary, just not EVERY WEEK :lol:

[Alan Lawrence]

Word of warning, i did hear a rumour Gary Baker is trying to drop down to a 1st cat for next season, i know BC let Mick Gray and Sean Kilroy ride this year as 2nd cats even thou they should have been 1st cats cos they are vets, and Gary is a vet now, just hope Angliasport don't join the league, even i don't fancy racing (trying to) agaist Gary every week.

..don't worry as Gary is not being down graded for 2005. :wink:

[Alan Lawrence]

I reckon most 1sts wouldn't mind racing against Gary, just not EVERY WEEK :lol:

..ya want to try training with him EVERY week from Jan-Sept. :lol:

[racyrich]

Nah, training with Andy Lyons or Richard Whitehorn is more than bad enough, thank you

Notsoracy - Ohmygod, I'm someone's hero. I'm outta here!

[speedyshaun]

Glen Stanford has to be the worst half wheel animal to go training with, ask anyone who did the Glendene training weekend in Febuary including Richard Whitehorn. well done to that tall lad for getting on the dave rayner fund. :P

[Alan Lawrence]

Glen Stanford has to be the worst half wheel animal to go training with, ask anyone who did the Glendene training weekend in Febuary including Richard Whitehorn. well done to that tall lad for getting on the dave rayner fund. :P

..hate half-wheelers !! :twisted:

[Alan Lawrence]

..yer agree WELL DONE Richard W. for getting on the DRF! :wink:

[Bianchiben]

Yeah well done!

Lets just hope he manages to resist putting strange things up his bum or into his veins...

Good luck. Glendene training weekends are gonna be fun for a couple of years eh? - let's hope he's on a training weekend somewhere sunny instead...

[speedyshaun]

:? Ahh but Edward will still be there to tear it up, and i expect he will be using unrestricted gears soon!!!

[Sean Sumner]

You coould always do what me and BB did last year and have a mechanical!!!!

[ChrisB]

More news from Joan Potts:

I noticed on the ERRL Forum that some riders are concerned about licence downgrades. I brought the matter to the notice of the Eastern Division Board last evening at our meeting.

First I would like to explain about last years downgraded riders. Sean Kilroy and Mick Gray were incorrectly issued with 2nd category licences at the beginning of the season. After the division and HQ had received several complaints, they were both issued with 1st cat licences. On the matter of Gary Baker, he applied to HQ for a 1st cat licence, quoting one of the Tech. regs. and HQ asked the division board if they would support his application. Because of the problems with the other two riders and the fact that the tech. reg. quoted only applied to riders of lower categories who felt they would like to ride with elites, we felt we could not support his application. We were therefore surprised when this year's tech. regs. were published to find the following change: "Masters over the age of 40 having gained an elite category licence may apply to Headquarters for a first category licence if that is their wish". We have requested that a letter be sent to HQ expressing our views, that this may cause similar problems to last year among the riders and that there will be a lot of over 40 1st cats with elite capabilities.


On the matter of commissaires, there are only 3 commissaires regularly working in Essex with 2 others doing the occasional event. We did organise a commissaire's course, it was cancelled as we only had two people who wished to come and one of those came from South West Division, the one from our division has started his training.

If you know of anyone who would like to become a commissaire they should contact Derek Lusher. We have had a few people who have enquired about being a commissaire, but when presented with the information have changed their mind. With the advent of Risk Assessment it is not everybody who is willing to take responsibility for a road race, but may like to work on closed circuits.


I hope this information has answered some of the riders questions. If they have any other problems they should contact a member of the division board, who will bring the matter to the next board meeting, or if the matter is urgent it will be discussed between board members on the phone and email. Please remember the division board is there for the riders as well as HQ and event organisers.



Kind regards,

Joan Potts

BC Eastern Board Member

On the matter of communications with the board, I've offered to host an Eastern Divsion section on these very Forums. If this offer is taken up, then it would allow more of this sort of dialogue between Board and riders. After all, without the riders, there is no division, and without the Board, there could be no riders...

[Andy B]

On the matter of commissaires, there are only 3 commissaires regularly working in Essex with 2 others doing the occasional event. We did organise a commissaire's course, it was cancelled as we only had two people who wished to come and one of those came from South West Division, the one from our division has started his training.


I would have gone on the course last year but I think it clashed with Jeff Wade's Newport track weekend that I'd already committed to.