Stlbiking
How did you come up with the Short Track Dirt Crit
Series?
RP
It gets so hot here in midsummer I was afraid we’d
eventually lose somebody to heatstroke in full length
cross country races in July and August. I’ve been in
midsummer races that were more like survival than
racing. I wanted to drop the July and August full-length
XC races from the calendar, but not lose the fun and
fitness I get from racing. I’d been in a couple of dirt
crits at Big Shark Challenge AMBC races and they were
fun. So it just popped into my head to have dirt crits
on a weeknight just like the training criterium (road)
series Big Shark has put on the past several years.
Stlbiking
Have other areas in the country tried this format?
RP
This type of race is often one event at a weekend of
racing at some AMBC races and lots of NORBA national
races, but I think this is the only dirt crit series in
the country right now.
Stlbiking
How do you think the Dirt Crit series compares with the
Road version of the Tuesday night race?
RP
In some ways it’s a lot alike. Both series offer a
chance to race on a weeknight at low cost with less
pressure than a big race. They both hone racers’ skills
and build speed and lactate tolerance. Because it’s more
casual, racers can try new strategies and find out what
works best for them.
Stlbiking
I’ve seen so many new fresh faces at the Series. What is
the attraction for new riders?
RP
I think it’s great to have a fun but relatively flat and
short course for folks just trying the sport. There’s
no way it can become a death march, which I experienced
a couple of times when I first started racing at
Castlewood as a newbie in ’96. I’d do training races
and end up walking up Lone Wolf and sometimes Ranger
Station Hill. That was discouraging. At these races,
everybody can ride and race every part of the course,
from juniors on up.
Stlbiking
How are the classes set up and how would an enthusiast
decide where they would fit in?
RP
We call the classes A, B, and C instead of Expert,
Sport, and Beginner. They roughly correspond to those
categories. Anyone who is new to racing, or has been
racing as a Beginner and doing about average should
enter the “C” race. Fast Beginners who are seeing some
podium time in cross country races and good Sport racers
should race the “B” race. The fastest Sport racers and
Experts should race the “A” race. Because we changed
the names of the categories, it’s not as structured.
Racers feel free to try their luck in a different
category and see how they match up against other racers
they would not normally face. Even if they do really
well, they won’t be forced to advance to the next
category.
Stlbiking
Do you think many riders consider the Short Track venue
the same as hitting the gym for an hour after work?
RP
I think it’s a great workout they could never get in the
gym. People would freak out and stare if somebody came
in and tried to destroy a stationary bike for half an
hour, standing and sprinting, sweat flying all over the
place. Plus at these races, there’s more skill
development and it’s fun being with other racers. I do
gym work and like it, but can’t get too excited about
it, and it’s not very social.
Stlbiking
Normally Mountain bike races just string out the riders
but in this series I’ve seen exciting sprints at the
finish as in Road Crits. What aspects are the same? What
aspects are different?
RP
Racing dirt criteriums requires some of the same skills
and abilities as regular cross country racing, but it’s
higher intensity because it’s so much shorter in
length. That helps the racers develop better handling
skills just to stay on the trail at higher speeds in
corners, sand pits, and making transitions onto and off
pavement. We just tried this format last year and
quickly learned that it helps to go in packs of 4-7
racers. At these speeds there is a drafting effect just
like on the road. If you get dropped or have trouble in
a section, it pays to make a good decision and drop back
to a chase group or go nuts trying to bridge back up to
the leaders. Hanging out in “no man’s land”- between
packs- is the most exhausting. In the “A” race, the
tactics are very much like a road crit. An elite group
works hard to gap the chasers, then settles into a
rhythm until there are maybe 2 laps to go. Then there
are a series of attacks to try to shell more racers off
the back and it often comes down to a sprint. It’s a
blast to watch.
Stlbiking
Some of riders in the series are women. What does this
series offer for the women that they may not get in
longer XC formats?
RP
I wish we had more time and more women racers so they
could have their own categories. But I think they
really benefit even more than guys in picking up skills
for passing and making quick decisions on whether to
hang or attack. Because now they are racing in packs of
20-35 racers, most of them guys, whereas in regular
cross country races there may be a lot fewer in their
categories.
Stlbiking
Would this format be a good choice for a roadie to try
some off-road racing? Because it’s non-technical?
RP
I think it’s terrific for roadies and cyclocross
racers. We just saw how Lance Armstrong’s off-road bike
handling skills saved him when Beloki crashed right in
front of him in the Tour de France and he bombed across
a field. He looked totally natural doing it. He does
some mountain bike races and a cyclocross race or two in
the off-season to hone his handling skills and just have
fun, and it paid off for him.
Stlbiking
How did you get involved or begin mountain biking or did
you begin riding on the road?
RP
When I turned 40 I got a hybrid bike and started
commuting, but it bored me. I won a low-end, department
store “mountain bike” in a raffle and a guy I worked
with took me out on the Chubb Trail. I must have
crashed a dozen times and only made it from Lone Elk to
the steps. But I hadn’t had so much fun since I was a
kid on the farm riding my balloon-tired “Columbia Racer”
on dirt roads and through fields. I went from mildly
interested in riding for fitness to gonzo, hyper
mountain biker in one summer.
Stlbiking
How or why did you get involved in Race promotion?
RP
A lot of things came together, little things. At one
time there were 2 series based right here in St. Louis.
I did a lot of races and noticed that some were run much
better than others. Ed Foster ran some great races and
I watched what he did. Like most racers, I had no clue
what was involved in putting on a race. One time I was
being a little critical of the organization at a race
and John Matthews said with a straight face, “Rich, you
ought to put on races sometime. I think you’d be good
at it.” I didn’t know if he was yanking my chain or
not. He’s got a good poker face. Then my club, the
ICCC, started feeding racers at the local MTB races.
The Touring Cyclist folks who were putting on the state
series noticed we were organized and hard working. They
were chronically short of volunteers (all race promoters
are) and asked if our club would help them run the
series in 2001. We partnered with them in running the
series that year and I learned a lot. In 2002 TC
decided to not do the series again. My club decided
they’d rather focus on feeding and caring for the racers
than organizing the races. I was concerned that we
would not have a state championship series based here in
St. Louis. So I took a deep breath and jumped in the
deep end with a couple of buds.
Stlbiking
In your view, what is the trend in bicycle racing?
RP
I’ve found that we get new racers and lose old racers
every year. This year during awards at the Chubb Time
Trial I looked around and saw about 4 racers who were
racing when I started. The rest were all new since
then. Sure, there are some who have been racing for 24
years but it’s the exception. Folks get new jobs that
are more stressful or have longer hours, maybe put on
some weight, get married, have babies, buy houses, or
move away. We might lose them for a few years or maybe
permanently. But some come back and really enjoy being
back in the competition. Right now folks don’t believe
in acting like they are old, even in their 50s. Having
a full local grassroots racing calendar makes racing
accessible for everyone regardless of their age.
Home