It's the Soma course & more importantly it's the Soma bike course with additional but non specified lane closures to cars and open for bikes. Tempe is in the desert.
Look I bitched louder than anyone on the WTC Club FB page and how big of a clusterfuck this race could/would be with just 1500 people on the course. I've been racing the TTL races since the first one and that was many years before IMAZ existed. I've raced at least 4 or 5 Soma's, a few IMAZ's & tons of other races on this course. If they stay true to their word I know what I'm getting into bc I've gotten into it before.
I've been asked not say what the specifics are that alleviated my concerns. I know have a slight lean towards registering for this race and hope that WTC doesn't go back on their word.
If they do go back on what they have told me, then I'll be asking for a refund based on the emails exchanged and will be rather vocal about it. You'll read all about it here, on twitter, the club FB page, my blog and you'll read what they said word for word. I have no qualms about putting it out there if they go back on their word.
Am I 100% confident they'll stay true to their word? No. But I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. And again I am less concerned then when they announced the race.
I will also put this out there, bc I think anyone registering for this race needs to know what they could be in for.
In the email I sent out to my athletes I put in there examples I've seen of things going wrong on that bike course. Those include but are not limited to: I've rubbed shoulders with ladies through the Priest onto Rio Salado turn on 2 different occasions.
I've seen several near head on misses from Rio Salado turning onto Priest when someone hasn't been able to make that turn and ended up in the bike lane with bikers oncoming.
I've seen someone crash hard on a dropped water bottle coming off Mill onto the Rio Salado turn right there in front of everyone.
I've been in the gutter next to the median passing someone who was passing someone on Rio Salado heading east.
I've seen a lady try to pass someone on Rio salado and crash into the median.
I've seen road rash after nearly every single race I've done or watch on that course. Easily <80% of the races.
I told all my athletes if they register for this race this is what they are getting into, that there are safer options, smarter options & less crowded options. I read Rich's post and I agree that it's buyer beware.
I also agree 4 weeks out from IM isn't ideal and agree that there are a lot of coaches in the PHX area who may not be as smart as Rich and I and they will push their athletes to this race.
To summarize: There will be crashes. They have told me things to alleviate the majority of my fears about the bike course, enough that I've got a lean towards registering and submitted my name for early registration. If you are afraid of high speed cornering, high speed decreasing radius corners, U turns or going 3 wide in 1 lane when passing or if you have concerns about handling your tri bike in a narrow course with potentially to wheel to wheel racing this may not be the race for you. If you can do those things this course can be fast, if not, you will lose minutes on this course to someone who can do those things.
I think buyer beware sums it up best.
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta
Look I bitched louder than anyone on the WTC Club FB page and how big of a clusterfuck this race could/would be with just 1500 people on the course. I've been racing the TTL races since the first one and that was many years before IMAZ existed. I've raced at least 4 or 5 Soma's, a few IMAZ's & tons of other races on this course. If they stay true to their word I know what I'm getting into bc I've gotten into it before.
I've been asked not say what the specifics are that alleviated my concerns. I know have a slight lean towards registering for this race and hope that WTC doesn't go back on their word.
If they do go back on what they have told me, then I'll be asking for a refund based on the emails exchanged and will be rather vocal about it. You'll read all about it here, on twitter, the club FB page, my blog and you'll read what they said word for word. I have no qualms about putting it out there if they go back on their word.
Am I 100% confident they'll stay true to their word? No. But I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. And again I am less concerned then when they announced the race.
I will also put this out there, bc I think anyone registering for this race needs to know what they could be in for.
In the email I sent out to my athletes I put in there examples I've seen of things going wrong on that bike course. Those include but are not limited to: I've rubbed shoulders with ladies through the Priest onto Rio Salado turn on 2 different occasions.
I've seen several near head on misses from Rio Salado turning onto Priest when someone hasn't been able to make that turn and ended up in the bike lane with bikers oncoming.
I've seen someone crash hard on a dropped water bottle coming off Mill onto the Rio Salado turn right there in front of everyone.
I've been in the gutter next to the median passing someone who was passing someone on Rio Salado heading east.
I've seen a lady try to pass someone on Rio salado and crash into the median.
I've seen road rash after nearly every single race I've done or watch on that course. Easily <80% of the races.
I told all my athletes if they register for this race this is what they are getting into, that there are safer options, smarter options & less crowded options. I read Rich's post and I agree that it's buyer beware.
I also agree 4 weeks out from IM isn't ideal and agree that there are a lot of coaches in the PHX area who may not be as smart as Rich and I and they will push their athletes to this race.
To summarize: There will be crashes. They have told me things to alleviate the majority of my fears about the bike course, enough that I've got a lean towards registering and submitted my name for early registration. If you are afraid of high speed cornering, high speed decreasing radius corners, U turns or going 3 wide in 1 lane when passing or if you have concerns about handling your tri bike in a narrow course with potentially to wheel to wheel racing this may not be the race for you. If you can do those things this course can be fast, if not, you will lose minutes on this course to someone who can do those things.
I think buyer beware sums it up best.
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta
Last edited by:
desert dude: Mar 5, 15 11:35