newcastlecycling

Ferr'et,

Not sure you'd get many more starters in those circumstances - many who now race only at Paradise Hills would simply cease to race.  Rightly or wrongly, but some people are scared by crits (yesterday's accident will not assist that, although what happened could happen in a road race, crit or in training) and some people simply lack the physical conditioning, or think they lack the physical conditioning, to race at Black Hill (or as the local indigenous people call it, Place of Punctures and RedNecks).  You still need what some might call a Numpty Course - one that people are not intimidated by.

FWIW, I punctured on Firday night, and as a front wheel puncture in the middle of that mess heading up to the bridge it is not a whole lot of fun moving from the front to the rear of a quick moving pack - lucky I have never race triathalon or I might have fallen  

As I repaired my flat tyre A grade came through (I did take my time) and the noise they put out as they crossed that terribly rough surface was a surprise.  Mark this post - we will have increased frame, fork and wheel failures if we keep racing at KI.  Next time you race there glance down at your forks as you cross that section.