Calif Gold State #1 /US CUP TRIPLE CROWN #2-FONTANA/KENDA CUP WEST #3-FONTANA CITY NT

if you are racing a series i think the generally accepted practice is to finish the series. though i think there are exceptions to this rule. if i were a CAT2 racer and winning by a significant margin I would go to CAT1 (significant is subjective but let's say 2 minutes, just my take though). it is good to have competition. close racing is really fun IMO. part of what makes CX fun is the close racing.

local/regional races can be misleading as well. a racer in one region that is competitive could be off the back at another race. Sea Otter is one example. much deeper fields and very competitive! i have won my first CAT1 race, but am sure i would struggle to be top 20 at Sea Otter or some of the larger Colorado races or National Championships.

 

To upgrade from Cat2 to Cat1, it is 5 top 5 finishes within your category, given that there are 10 or more (i think its 10 or me) people in the category. If there is 5 though 9 people in the category, only the top 3 positions count towards upgrading. If there are less than 5 in the category, only the top spot counts towards upgrading.

I think those are the correct numbers, but I don't want to check the USAC rules right now.

TO upgrade from Cat1 to Pro, you have to place top 5 overall, not just in your category.

 

Does anyone know if they stake the DH course on Thursday or Friday morning?

 

This being a combined TBB and SRC race, the rules and setup are completely different. There is no preriding the course and here is the info I posted earlier:

 

I checked the results from the first few races and the guy that smoked all of us in the beginner class last year and was the season champ upgraded to sport and now he is running in the mid pack range.

 

I probably wont get a chance to pre ride this course (and it's part of the fun for me), so what is it like? What's the climbing like? How technical is it? What do the trails compare too?

 

It's fun! the pavement climb to the water towers is a grind. All of the single track around the mountains is fun but has a tendency to get clogged up with HAB'ers. then once you get to the housing track it is a sprint back around to the finish with one short loose rocky climb back to the start...

Bad description, but I can't give all the secrets away! haha, you will enjoy it out there!

 

Actually a pretty good description. Would just add that unlike Bonelli which has a bunch of short punchy climbs, Fontana is basically a really long climb up to the top (paved up to the water towers, singletrack climbing from there to the top. From there its a rolercoaster ride back to the bottom with a long fire road return to the start. Probably the most technical course on the US Cup circuit, but also the most legendary. The best North American pros have been racing here for at least 7-8 years. You are not an mtb racer unless you've raced Fontana.

 

Good descriptions above. But if you're racing cat 1/pro the course is different. Instead of the pavement climb there is a brutally steep climb at about 1/2 a mile into the race.

 

Cat 1 Map: http://www.geoladders.com/gps_route_racer.php?route_id=33882

Cat 2/3: Map: http://www.geoladders.com/gps_route_racer.php?route_id=33986

 

To be honest...kind of disappointed that Cat 2 doesn't do Nationals Hill and the single-track on top like we did in a few of the rounds of the Winter Series...it only added maybe 5-6 minutes/lap and while it doesn't handle a large field well, the Kenda Cup staging sends groups of the same size as the Winter Series did. At least send us up the Pro/Expert loop. I'm better at the road climb than the hike-a-bike, but that hill is where the drama happened within the field.

I can see beginners skipping it, but to be honest, this makes Bonelli a more technical track.

Never thought I'd say that.

 

Lots of lower cats complained about the climbing. Getting to do the good courses is part of the motivation to upgrade!

 

Is too bad that DH & XC are conflicting times on sunday!

 

Which one are you racing???

 

Was hoping to get both in. Started the Kenda Cup Series..I may just have to hit up the DH. Going to check out DH course on Saturday practice and see what I can do.

 

well, well...I'll belive it when I see it Miss you tons! I HOPE to see you sat!! xoxo

 

Anybody know Cat3 lap counts? USCup site says two.... TBB says 3.

I am hoping for three! more miles for the $$$

 

You're right, I'll send them an email.

US Cup site: CAT 1/2 Start Times | Cat 3 Start Times

TBB site: CAT 1/2
CAT 3

 

Hey Surlygal watch out....miss you too. Been so busy seems like each race. Have also been riding a lot of fun rides!!

 

Does one go from Temecula, 15 north, 10 east, exit Cherry?