Cat 3 to Cat 2 Promotion! 🚴💨
Here’s the full story of my summer racing journey — West Thames League, Herne Hill, Lee Valley Velopark, Hove Park, VIA Crit, Guildford Town Crit & Cambridge Crit — and why I disappeared for 3 months.
As a 60kg rider on a 9kg bike, racing mostly flat circuits in the UK, this season has been a grind. From chasing points at Hillingdon to battling through the streets of Guildford, this is how I made the jump from Cat 3 to Cat 2.
00:00 Journey to Cat.2
00:30 Cycling Categories Explained
01:04 Early Year Injuring
01:50 My Cycling Season Begins
02:45 Herne Hill Velodrome Debut
03:35 VIA Crit Kings Cross
04:52 Guildford Town Crit
05:27 Hove Park Crit
06:40 Lee Valley Velopark Racing
08:00 Racing at Hillingdon
08:33 Promoted in Cat.2
09:10 Cambridge Criterium E12
10:10 Bikepacking Malaysia Returns
10:20 NBD – New Bike Unboxing
#Cat2Promotion #CyclingRaceRecap #UKCritRacing
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📷 Instagram: @rodryuki
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🔹 How To Improve Your FTP ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo_s-tWDgzE&list=PLZmRxqpTyH5Gby-85kUKcpgLnRv_dQDyp
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🚀 ABOUT CRANK & SPRINTS:
I’m Rodrigo – an Italian Londoner training in cycling, running & triathlon! Expect Zwift racing, endurance tips, FTP tests & training vlogs every Thursday at 6:30 PM (London Time)! Join the fun & level up your fitness!
🏆 2024 Achievements:
🏃♂️ First Half Marathon
🚴♂️ Cat 4 → Cat 3 Racing
⛰️ Everesting Challenge (Alpe Du Zwift)
🏆 2025 Achievements:
🌏 Bikepacking 1055km from Penang to Singapore
🚴♂️ Cat 3 → Cat 2 Racing
how the heck as 60 kilo riders managed to reach Cat 2 in the most flattest country in the world and with a bike with more than 9 kilos weight let’s find out hi crankers hi sprinters I’m finally back after 3 months cycling summer a lot of sun here in the UK I’m finally back for episode 66 a cranky sprint chronicles in the UK you you start at cat 4 and in other countries you also start in cat 5 I would say like us for example you can do crit national race or stage races this year I wanted to race in Cat 3 but the plan was not to go in Cat 2 because the points are 40 so I thought it was a quite a lot of points and the category was more a bit more difficult the thing is when you are Cat 2 most of the time you race with elite riders and category 1 riders you can also race not only national races international races foreign national or also you can race point two races at the beginning of the year when I was still doing video here I focused very much at the end of March and the entire month of April on a Marathon and on running unfortunately I got injured so I took a bit of time to recover and going back to cycling but eventually I managed and I plan to restart racing for this season quite late at the end of may while I was away from YouTube apart from posting a few shorts with the highlight of my races I posted a lot on Instagram and on TikTok so I recommend you to check both my Instagram and TikTok here they’re also down in the description plus if you want to see all my details my training etcetera you can search Strava here or you can also check down in the description you have the link to see my profile which is public going back to the races and most of the time I race on Tuesday evening at the West thame league my local circuit hillingdon Super Super Flat probably not the best for me but I really enjoy I feel like a home there so I really comfortable racing that circuit and I think it’s less sketchy than others even though some people call it spilling down the first race was Westerns League round 6 and it was just for me to assess my form and to see if I could get dropped or not I didn’t get dropped finishing the group I didn’t manage the top 10 about I realized that my form was actually there so the last week of may I did my second race of the year Western League around seven and I achieved my first two points I wanted to try something different this year and I went down to Herne Hill circuit in the velodrome in south London very technical circuit and on Friday first race was really good I understood it was very different to race a great very technical a lot of splits so you need to make sure you have the front from the very beginning I finished 15th but I enjoyed so much and there was another round so I thought maybe I should go back second week of June back at Illington and I did my second race at Herne Hill really good result I really don’t keep my consistency I finished ninth and I got one point so we are now on three points and I finished off the week with a Friday a good result on hill after the initial split and a few crashes I managed to finish first on the second group while I was passing a lot of riders at the end not the best start split in 2 3 groups managed to be the first or the second group actually finish 8th and another 2 points in the bank so 5 points so far last three races of June the Via Crit where I had a big big issues with my shoes and the cleats enjoy so much very fast pace vo2max
effort a great remontada tried to catch up with a lot of riders unfortunately ended up in 20th but I really really love the event the other two rounds at the Western Leagues at the end of June unfortunately I shredded my wheel on round 10 and I couldn’t finish the race on the last lap I felt really well I was at the front but unfortunately as you can see here on the video there is a bit of a crash shredded the wheel managed to keep it up safe and sound but the wheel broken and my race was out pushed back all my energy for the round 11 at the very end of June and I finished on 6th position best result of the season so far four point in the bank and 9 in total for the season at the end of June in July the form was really getting there so I did so many races starting from the West Thamees league on July 1st Tuesday evening really good race I managed to finish 9 so another little point and 10 point for the season second week of July I literally kill it in terms of races that is on Tuesday Wednesday and Friday great result Tuesday hillingdon with more than 35 people good sprint at the end I finish hey total and the day after straight away I went to the very hard Guildford Heroes Town create really hard 60 riders a lot of crashes very technical enjoy so much with the cobblestone a little bit of hills where I could kick so much but unfortunately I couldn’t manage to the top ten and because I started a bit behind because I wanted to manage a bit more my effort a lot of people blown up and then I pass them one by one really happy with the result to be fair 60 people 14th place I really enjoyed the race Wednesday on Thursday and then Friday down to Hove my first time in the old park really tiny circuit in a park very narrow roads but there’s a kick 4 to 6% hill at the end really killing your legs up and down up and down up and this is what I can do well great preparation I planned all the race I had an idea what to do I started a bit behind because I want to understand the circuit but at the end it went really well great race at the very end I was at the front I kick on the last hill and I did really I missed the podium for a tiny bit I but was really happy six point and then we go up to 18 point for the season and then we are going close to the end of July so really good form at this moment any points and I thought you know after 18 points and really a fourth place that I just got I thought you know I might can achieve it so let’s go for it the summer has been amazing in July in the UK but there’s been only a week when the weather was dreadful and guess who went to race when the weather was dreadful me summer season round 2 Lee Valley first time I’m not really a big fan of Lee Valley because I can’t record with my camera you guys attacking the last turn when there’s a that little kick unfortunately there’s no video that I can show you I got a bit boxed attacked again I managed a fourth place once again very close to the podium but unfortunately you didn’t make it really good for the points though because now we are 24 points another great race five days after with the last crit of the season in hope great race I also attacked I was in the breakaway at three laps to go three of us two of us caught unfortunately from the group my rider managed to stay in the break unfortunately it was not me he won I got caught by the group but I managed to finish in 6 position another four points so we are now going to 28 points for the season and there was only one race before the end of July and you guessed it right it was ailing don’t Western League round 16 another top 10 another great result seventh and three points so now I’m basically there 31 points only nine points to go and the entire month of August to do it the thing is I was really in a great form so it took only two days and two races to achieve the cat 2 summer season once again Lee Valley great result better weather this time I’m solo rider TT mode up front one guy ahead I finished 5th and another 5 points 36 points on August 3rd two days later you guessed the West Thames League round 17 in hillingdon and this was the race great day at Illinois I just needed a six place for the four points I actually managed to do even better and at the end launch very early this was really great spin as smell victory here because you can see at 200 meters to go I was actually ahead I shouted so I got a few extra watts even shouting make sure you watch this video because it’s absolutely crazy I finished actually in fifth position so enough points to reach Cat 2 yeah really happy great form in July and August great result the only regret you know I couldn’t manage to achieve at least a podium I would have been really happy but the consistency paid off and not much else after that I just want to celebrate and take the occasion the last round 18 it was my first race and E1 2 3 I managed to stay with the group it was really hard for me but I managed to stay with the group and in round 18 we celebrate also a great season yeah I believe so I’m really happy with that I also race the Cambridge after one week of holiday didn’t go really well that was my first national race not a great idea after one week of holiday the video is here you can watch on Instagram and TikTok as all the other video that you saw here nice to be live on YouTube and also get dropped very early the only race that I got dropped uh for for the season and actually I finished on a DNF I thought I could do another race the last dance with my bike the Trek Emonda uh I did race the 2 3 4 the full gas once again in Illinois on a Sunday a really hard race lot of splits it was really difficult for me but I also achieve a 10th place on my first little point in Cutler really good for next season thank you guys to watch my return video I hope you enjoy don’t forget to like and subscribe if this is your first video from now on I’m back on YouTube as well so I will bring a lot of new videos the first video really important will be stage 8 of our Malaysia trip which I stopped before and also really important drum rolls and the new bike a new bike day with a new unboxing so stay tuned you see the unboxing here on YouTube full detail unboxing and also what I’m gonna do with my Trek Emonda will I sell it stay tuned and you’ll see it in the meantime check out the last video stage No. 7 of our Malaysia trip so you’ll be ready for stage 8 I’ll wait you here next Thursday six thirty PM London time
1 Comment
🚴♂🔥 What was YOUR summer highlight?