From: webel@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.racing
Subject: Re: Collegiate Cycling - Qualifying for Nationals
Date: 26 Jan 93 23:13:15 -0500
Organization: Georgetown University
Reply-To: webel@guvax.georgetown.edu
Followup-To: rec.bicycles.racing
Distribution: na

In article <16B62E734.97994779@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu>, 97994779@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu writes:
> What I was saying is that large schools who can field more riders do have an ad
> vantage over smaller schools who can field only an A team. Do you see the
> benefit of being larger now?
>  
> You could win the race on A points and because a school has 2xs as many
> students they field more riders get B and C points and they win. Thus, it
> becomes the larger schools beat the little schools. Its all based on
> size, not skill!!

I hate to shatter any illusions, but of course larger schools have an 
advantage; and if you limit the riders, the advantage will simply be 
seen because they will have a larger pool of talented riders to draw 
from and will thus have a better chance to come up with the talent to 
win.  And schools with good weather will have an advantage because 
they can ride more.  And schools in areas with mountains will have 
better climbers because they have hills to climb.  And schools outside 
of a city will have an advantage because they don't have the 
congestion  and cars to deal with...and there is nothing you can do to 
eliminate such "advantages"  Life isn't always fair.  Yes, you could 
eliminate the lower categories, which would mean that new riders 
wouldn't get into the sport because they wouldn't be good enough.  I 
certainly know I wouldn't be in the sport at all if not for starting 
to race as a D my sophomore year.  

>  
> Why do women's points count for less than men's? Its because some schools
> can't field a full women's team. Why not treat them as equals and give them
> their own title and races? Why treat them like second class racers who are
> only worth 3/5. (remember the last time we treated people as less than a
> whole?)
>  
> --
> Patrick David Walters                     President WSU Cycling Club
> 97994779@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu                Race Dircetor WSU Stage Race
> Undergrad Soc Minor in Fren and Bus         Send Mail for more info on
> Washington State University   Pullman, WA   either !

Women's points do not count less than men's, but their races score 
less points because of the fewer numbers of riders.  I, for one, would 
be happy to have parity between the sexes, especially in the Nationals 
scoring, but then we would have more men whining that it wasn't fair 
because they couldn't find women to compete on their squad and were 
disadvantaged because of it. (and let's be a little less ridiculous 
with our parenthetical remarks)

I had previously hoped that this thread might die, as it seems that 
about all the arguments have been threshed out, but it seems there is 
a pretty fundamental difference between the collegiate cycling 
experience at WSU and my previous time at Stanford.  I am a little 
unhappy  that it seems the stress on teamwork and comradery that I 
found to be the greatest hallmark of collegiate cycling isn't 
duplicated everywhere.  It is too bad.

baird
webel@guvax.georgetown.edu
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.racing