I'm more impressed with his mental ability to go on the trainer that often - I love the trainer for training, but even I'll admit freely that it can get kind of depressing after several weeks on that thing. Even with the motivation of power numbers to chase, after I while I start thinking "is this what my life has come to? Spinning by my lonely $$$ self in a garage, trying to get a number on a monitor? With no immediate reward for weeks, if not months? WTF!"

For real? You think that because someone rides a trainer a lot they will be slower on a course that has turns?

Sigh... ST over analyzes everything.

He kicked ass at the Philadelphia oly Tri. Course record. It seemed technical to me. Those roads are kind of rough, and the climbs are steep, twisty descents. But of course he had an empty road ahead of him almost the whole time.

Riding almost exclusively indoors would certainly have the potential to handicap someone on a difficult course if said person has shit bike handling skills. Riding a trainer doesn't teach you how to climb, to descend, take corners, etc.

Look at the gap put on the Schleck boys on the descent on stage 16 in last years' TdF. Look at Chrisse going ass-over on the descent on Alpe d'Huez. Handling matters on some bike courses. Fact.

I do most of my training on the CT and I always worry about erosion of my bike handling skills so I try to ride outside at least once a week. I also worry that IM / HIM length races are going to be a pain in the neck because I so rarely wear a helmet indoors.

Fact - none of these gnarly courses are triathlon

I'm more impressed with his mental ability to go on the trainer that often - I love the trainer for training, but even I'll admit freely that it can get kind of depressing after several weeks on that thing. Even with the motivation of power numbers to chase, after I while I start thinking "is this what my life has come to? Spinning by my lonely $$$ self in a garage, trying to get a number on a monitor? With no immediate reward for weeks, if not months? WTF!"

I'm more impressed with his mental ability to go on the trainer that often - I love the trainer for training, but even I'll admit freely that it can get kind of depressing after several weeks on that thing. Even with the motivation of power numbers to chase, after I while I start thinking "is this what my life has come to? Spinning by my lonely $$$ self in a garage, trying to get a number on a monitor? With no immediate reward for weeks, if not months? WTF!"