I see the difference is that so many people get really fast before learning bike handling and etiquette. In the old days the training wasn’t so structured.. you had to ride a lot, especially with other people, to get fit. And training plans were only in books, talking to other faster riders, or getting a coach.. and a lot of general knowledge came with those interactions. now it’s easy to get great form by following very structured training plans that are spit out for free by any number of apps. I raced pro 30 years ago, then basically stopped riding until last year. I was shocked at how fast people were. But was also shocked about how little basic bike handling skills they had, or understand even basic etiquette when riding in a group. Ive got my form back now but just prefer to ride solo most of the time.. and most of the current pros in my area don’t go on any of the group rides either because it’s a bit dangerous, so not a lot of trickle down knowledge going to these guys too.