This was fantastic - the format and the coverage. It's a bit of a fresh take on the old F1 type of racing in Australia - I think Macca has referred to that series and may have even raced himself. You can see the influence.

See example here, or search F1 triathlon and several videos will come up (in fact, as I was looking for a video to post here, I noticed that the Eliminator was part of the F1 format).

Personally I thought this was brilliant. Why does anything need to change?, this is just another race series for the athletes to compete in and all would still want to be racing ITU as it is the only way to the Olympics. Super League is another means to earn some income from their sport, gain world wide exposure and hopefully build a bit of a fan base. It doesn't need to be a competition between ITU, obviously from the date of the race and the tentative talk of next race being towards the end of the year(after grand final) it is obvious Super League aren't trying to pull the athletes away but give them more, and different opportunities. The extra exposure may even draw more ppl into following ITU if they have watched Super League and enjoyed it and decided they are a fan of a new sport and certain athletes, they may want to watch to see how they go in the traditional format.

Will be interesting to see where they can take this to other areas of the world. Wonder if it could work in a place like Spain or something, or Monaco? Use the F1 course (i dont know how close/far the water is from the track).

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I saw a post from a Singapore event organiser on instagramme, he had a Superleague jersey and was posing with Macca.. this was a while back so not just taken at Hamilton Island this weekend. May or may not be something in that.

This demonstrated how much ITU draftathlon sucks to watch (and compete in) and how much Ironman coverage sucks.....

I think the format could be tweaked to get some separation on the bike but these guys are killing it with format and coverage......I will watch, I will look forward to the next event. and I will respect the winner as a true all round triathlete as opposed to the worlds top draftathlete.

Kept hearing about Murrays having run the fastest 10k in tri, does anyone know during what race? Unfortunately theres no good database to filter through.

---

Terrible Tuesday’s Triathlon

There really isn't a format they could do that would allow for separation on the bike. Even a swim-run bike or run-swim-bike will end up with 75% of that field in a group on the bike. The athletes are just that good and the distances are too short really.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Biggest thing I learned?


Ali Brownlee must be getting sick money from Adidas because every interview and in any tv time for him if he wasn't wearing that SL uni he was wearing adidas gear. Every other athlete in the pre race interviews had on SL sponsored shirts and Ali is wearing adidas gear. I thought that stood out every time i saw him getting interviewed when not in race gear. #3stripes

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

There really isn't a format they could do that would allow for separation on the bike. Even a swim-run bike or run-swim-bike will end up with 75% of that field in a group on the bike. The athletes are just that good and the distances are too short really.


Brooks,

I wish people and (triathletes in particular) would just get over this - it's the dynamics and physics of bike riding and racing in a group. Good grief - 291 km of hard racing at Milan San Remo on the weekend created only 5 sec of separation for the eventual 3 podium placers at the end of the race from the main field of contenders.

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I'd cut it more. 375mS, 10kB, 2.5kR x 2. I really enjoyed the Super League format variations because it was something different, but thinking about it this morning the main attraction of the Super League debut as a spectator was the duration of each day's event. For a single day of racing on the WTS circuit, this format (375mS, 10kB, 2.5kR x 2) would keep my interest for an hour as a spectator and it would probably be more fun to race as an AGer than a traditional sprint (or Oly) distance race.

good grief.....

You guys aren't getting what I am saying. Make the format help promote participants ability to bike without "sucking wheel" that is what I meant by the term "separation"

Simple idea....15-20k time trial....break....pursuit: run 3k/swim 500 meters/short run (100 meters) on carpet to line

you're welcome.....




here is another that might at least create small groups on the bike working together as opposed to one big "sit in" peleton:...run 5K/swim 500 meters/10k bike to finish (you can draft)...uphill finish preferred

or 3K run/swim 600 meters/ 6k bike to finish...

or 3K run/ swim 600 meters/10K no draft bike (...might actually be able to referee this.)

I like where you are headed with at least one stage ending on the bike. However, I think the bike being non-draft would present a real challenge at the finish. How would you officiate if you had a Kona no-draft train of 10-20 athletes that all want to go for the win 400-800 meters from the finish? If you made just the last 800m or so draft legal, then do you have a safety concern as most athletes would probably be riding TT bikes and the last 800m would potentially bunch them together for a sprint finish.

I'd like to see the triple mix actually be a triple mix:
Race 1: SBR - draft legal
Race 2: RSB - draft legal, uphill finish
Race 3: BRS - non-draft, TT bike start with leader going last. This rewards high placement in the two above phases with more rest/recovery time.

You got some ideas there that have merit....you and I have already come up with some legitimate options in 10 minutes of thinking....the ITU seems to lack the ability or will to make their format more balanced and interesting to spectators/TV.

you make a good point on the last leg being no draft and more 2 coming to the line in a sprint and no drafting........but I kinda like the idea of no draft till the last half mile/mile? (I am not sure what the no draft zone length should be) One downside is its starting to get a bit complex....

I dont have any concern about safety of sprinting on a TT bike.....these guys could handle it. Certainly worth a test....

Ali and Jonny are both quoted as saying they don't actually buy many clothes since Adidas send them truck loads of stuff regularly.

Fair play to them. They are both millionaires. Estimated (for whatever that's worth) at around £3M. I'd wear Adidas all day, every day for that money too :D

What I find more surpiseing uis that Gomex hasn't (afaik) got any blue chip sponsors? Even Mola has Nike

I think that the reason none of the events ended with a bike is very much a safety issue. Almost all these guys race for their federation and needed to feel pretty confident of finishing the series in one piece and in form for the next wts race. Bike sprint finishes have a bigger risk of carnage and many federations may not have given approval for their athletes to race if the risks were any higher. As it was these guys were taking enough risks, flying down that hill at 85km getting airborne coming into that corner.

Specialised, Roka are both massive sponsors of Gomez.

What about for a bike finish, the have to rack the bike in transition, then sprint the final 100m to the finish line, with carpet down so they dont have to wear shoes. Transition is part of triathlon - and this would make the bike finish a bit safer as it is no push for the line on bikes.

---

Scott in Whistler

Would be no different to finishing on the bike.. they would still be going all out jostling to be first into transition, they take enough risks at this stage already, everyone wants to be first in and out of transition.
I don't understand why so many of you believe anything needs to change. This was awesome as it was, a triathlete needs to be great at all 3 legs, not just the bike, otherwise they are a cyclist.

I might have a bad memory but I recall there were gaps on bike coming into transition in more than one race

exactly, there were never 24 athletes coming in together, always split, sometomes a couple packs and some stragglers. Some ppl just can't accept ITU guys are fast on the bike and not just runners. Look at the bike time trial, Dye who everyone predicted would show those ITU guys how its done, did win but only by 2 seconds from the first ITU guy. These guys can ride a bike and then also run fast.

seriously.....finishing on the bike in a potential sprint is to dangerous. Bike racing?

...because the current format is still unbalanced (and this is a great improvement from the ITU's olympic draftathlon) some of us would like to see someones pure solo bike speed rewarded more in the current format......the problem isn't that ITU draftathlon winners arent great cyclist....the problem is that with the current "roll around the course in in a big pack and run for dough format" does not have the best pure swim/bike/runner winning on that day. If you are a great TT'ist the current draftathlon format is unbalanced against you. Always has, always will.......How come you ITU supporters never seem to get that?

Didn't we have a bike iTT that was the only event not televised out of the 3 days? And what did we find happen? There really isn't all that much separation at that level, which was my original point to you. I dont care if you do S-R or R-S and finish with a bike leg. You are going to have that group of athletes finish in a group finish, or atleast 80% of them at this sprint distance. Unless you forced them to ride non-draft, which sorta takes away the "exciting" part of it. Also you will never ever be allowed to ride a TT bike and mass sprint finish, just completely unsafe to even suggest.


If you suggested olympic distance and finish with a bike, yes they'll have much more separation. I'm not sure which format would break up the pack more S-R or R-S and then bike, but that would be the only distance that would actually allow for "fairness". Because at these super sprint distances, you may have a strong bike breakaway from a peloton but your not going to have a final bike leg and finish with it all blown up. Maybe a few take flyers but most will still be able to stay on the wheels for a 8k bike leg. How many times did we see the big bike pack finish together every race? A short swim-run or run-swim isn't going to change that.

So what you are suggesting wont make much difference at this level. Now would it be cool to see them finish one of the races with a bike finish + 100m sprint run finish (like they did with the swim finishing last but you still had to run to finish) absolutely. But it's not going to cause great TT'ers to breakaway. Too much talent and too short of time at that level, especially for a 20 min race.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

go back and look at the formats I threw out for ideas for Super League....you haven't addressed:

20K maybe 25K Bike Time Trial...break..R3K/S400 meters...you can tweak the distances a bit...your response?

I disagree that triathletes cant sprint on a TT bike safely, ok lets agree to disagree...ok ban then and use their road bikes...gotta problem with that?...is that unsafe? bike racing.....

I would like to see some non drafting bike elements introduced in to draftathlon formats if possible....

Super League could do events (even drafting ones) on the first two days and on the last day line them up in a pursuit time trial based on overall time from the first two days...they get off the bike and swim and end with a run...first person over the line is the ovrall Super League winner

Now...ITU.

750 meter swim/3.5K run/750 meter Swim/3.5k run/40K Bike (ok allow drafting but at least you would have little groups and some strategy...some need to break away from your group and perhaps bridge up to the group ahead)/ 3.5Krun to the finish....and be willing to test and modify some distances to try and get some separation before the bike leg comes...

your thoughts?

Why defend the ITU's lack of creativity?

The ITU lacks creativity but they have this unbalanced boring on the bike format that at least people understand and its in the olympics....and we are getting the money.....
by the way...multi loop course takes up very little room in a major city...

Lordy...it doesnt take much imagination to come up with some awesome formats...they are unwilling or incapable...so we get this niche format in the olympics that does not totally relate to rest of the amateur triathletes of the world...and perhaps encourages some people so inclined to draft in "no draft" races....

Here is another one....ever seen XC sprint racing??? (a traditional sport that had to change despite some old timers kicking and screaming)

-distances 3K swim/5k bike/1.5krun
-everyone does a qualifying solo tri....
-top 30 make the heats
-top qualifier gets to pick what heat they want....1 through 5 (some strategy here...last heat has less recovery)
-run heats of 6 triathletes....NO DRAFTING (we might be able to ref 6 triathletes after the swim)...top two go through....with 2 "lucky loser spots" by time
- 2 heats of 6 semis...to 2 go through...2 lucky loser spots by time
-final heat of 6.....no drafting...winner winner chicken dinner and podium spots.

again...ITU?....great olympic event...more exciting than current format....tv...gives fast youngies a go.....A NO DRAFTING EVENT people can understand.