"""You dont need cooperative riding skills in racing."" Eh?

A bike race is just like a group ride, only you're going a bit faster and there's no defined paceline, just a mass of riders jockeying for position. For that reason, one must be able to be safe at all times, requiring constant attention to what's going on around you. People don't call things like holes; you just do what you gotta do to avoid them, without swerving or pulling other dangerous maneuvers. (And, just to clarify, road racing is a team sport.)

And after years of riding, I've learned one thing, and that's everybody has something to learn. No one person knows it all. We all are on a learning curve to better riding, whether it's pacelining or leading rides or fixing something on the bike or whatever. I admit to not knowing it all, and am always trying to learn something new.

Referring to Mike, I would imagine that someone who's a cat. 3 probably has more developed riding skills than a SIG graduate, but would depend on how long he's been riding, what kinds of races he's placed in, etc."