forgive me, father, for I have sinned

earlier this spring, the race director of one of the classic bicycle races in northern california eliminated the opportunity for CAT4 women to race at that event. women and men alike shared their displeasure with this decision in private emails and public forums. but alas, the CAT4 women weren't given the chance to experience this particular race this season.

this same club promotes a second race each year, a standard industrial park crit held in August. this race has been part of the bay area women's cycling series for many years, and there has traditionally been a combined W3/4 race (picked separately, of course). registration for this race just opened tonight, and I'm thrilled to see that for the first time in my memory (2002), Timpani Criterium is offering a separate CAT4 women's race.

the summer seems to have a dearth of W4 races. with the exception of the Fremont Crit this weekend, all the other crits currently posted are open women's fields (CATs 1 through 4) or combined W3/4. I've been pretty vocal in my opinion that combined fields aren't the best opportunity for many CAT4 women. so thank you to LGBRC for offering the CAT4 women a race of their own! perhaps this is their atonement for past sins.