Here it is;


https://www.instagram.com/...;taken-by=totimarsal


It's no wonder the participation in IM is way down. The people who wanted an individual test would have zero interest in that race. You might as well simply join a Saturday group ride and forget the cost of doing an Ironman.

That's not the attitude in Europe at all.

But even if you ride that course 100% legally, it is *still* smoking fast. Because you have buildings packed close together on the city side of that road and a seawall on the other side that's above your shoulder if you're sitting on a bike. The whole thing is a big wind chute.

I race everywhere in Europe and I dont think this is the general attitude. The worst drafting I ever saw was actually in Tremblant during the 70.3WC. Drafting there was beyond belief. Way worst than anything else I experienced in europe (and UK).

Agreed. Never raced in the USA but the worst I’ve ever seen was at Cozumel and there were plenty of ‘merkins in those packs. The drafting at Barcelona on Saturday was bad, but not that bad, and aside from a few big packs which were pretty disgraceful it was mostly people getting squashed together because the roads were too crowded. This last was partly because the change of date meant that they had to use the old 3 lap bike course rather than the newer 2 lap one.

I’m happy that I rode as clean as possible and that for me it was an individual test. I wasn’t 12m back from the next wheel the whole time but that was genuinely impossible.

R

Damn.

They were just in a hurry to get to the poles before the police shut them down.

Well played.

I just meant it's more like "meh, whatever - s*** happens". No one really got all worked up about it.

Simply not the case. There were packs for the first 40km, what do you expect when 2000 people come out within 25 mins of each other. Other thing is on that course is that there are about 15 roundabouts in total which do have a concertina effect on a pace line as everyone takes them at different speeds.

At 60km in it was well thinned out and the marshalls started to pick off drafters and get in and break up packs. I had a very lonely 70km in the middle of the race with very few people around and I am a mid pack swimmer (1.09) and biker (5.10). So to say it was a Saturday group ride is complete BS. Once 15 second clip does not a case make I am afraid

Agreed. There is only so many people you can draft from if you are ahead of the race

Antony is part of our team and that is the way he races, normally swims front pack, he hammers the bike and the run has been a hit and miss. He was on fire 12 months ago and rode away from some of the best in Thailand and from M. Raelert at Laguna Phuket Triathlon. This performance is no surprise, it's just the race he had been training for.

Mike Phillips is also another underrated athlete, go watch him race and you will see someone who has no fear of just giving it all on the swim and bike while running well enough to always be in the podium.

You combine these two athletes on probably the fastest course of the ironman circuit and both have the races of their career, and the result is legit.

Antony talked a little about his race in this interview: http://www.asiatri.com/...-barcelona-champion/

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Thanyapura Triathlon Team
Team of triathletes of all levels, first timers to Professionals Ironman Champions, representing Thanyapura Sport Center in Phuket & racing all over the world! Join our team:
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But that was a WC race, so it involved people from all over the world, and their respective dispositions on drafting. All WC events will be draftfests, because everyone is much closer in ability.

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29 years and counting