I had sort of expected this to score higher. Perhaps someone can offer a few ideas as to what this needs to improve upon it.

thanks in advance.

linkeroo

From a personal POV I’d say it’s only really lacking in two key areas. The focus seams a little soft - tracking action shots are always a tough call but it always seems more dynamic if the focal point is pin sharp even if it is at the expense of the background - this adds to its dynamic appeal too, secondly it would be the slightly flat contrast both in colour and luminosity - that could be easily fixed in post or RAW whereas the first matter can't be. At least not effectively. Hope that helps.

it does. I thought I had sufficiently re-worked it in those areas. apparently not. thanks, Phil.

I would say the color looks like late afternoonish, say, 4:30PM .. and one of those funny, undecided skys

If I wasn't experiencing phantom computer problems, I would say send me the original to play with .. not that I can address either of the two issues Phil mentioned ..

if you go occasionally .. and you have quite a bit of zoom left in your lens barrel .. I would try a different angle and a significantly tighter zoom .. like, maybe a head-on oblique angle as they round a corner .. focused on the consternation and perspiration of the front-runners .. let your depth of field soften the 'also-rans' ..

you might have to pre-focus and let them enter 'the zone'

all good tips. Thanks, Keith.

Not much to add to the above Rob ... looks like you succeeded on some levels ... as in and what immediately strikes me, a full frame of the riders and a well balanced composition in that regard.

But, yeah ... a tad flat on the lighting and colours. :o\

Heyyy!! I know!!... use a ginormous flash??

Sorry, lol ... couldn't resist trying ... trying to add some levity. :oP

I think that you also need to try a slower shutter speed to get the background blurred more which will make the action stand out better.

they say that you can mask out sounds by playing a reverse of the sound (negative noise) .. and it cancels out the sound you wish to mask

so .. following that theory .. hum a negative guard railing next time ..

I was going to try and clone out all of that but .. I dunno .. better men than me have fallen on that sword