This video can’t be an Ironman race. It has to be a training video of 3 guys training together. If this happened during the race, they are very unethical and shouldn’t compete in draft illegal races. They are NOT triathlon athletes.

As the road is open, there's no numbers / wrist bands then I agree it's a training video.

That said, I've seen pretty much that in races and it's part of life.

These riders are having long sleeves and aero overshoes. Troll.

No race numbers.

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Team Zoot So Cal

2/10 trolling attempt

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

I think those 3 dudes are women.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

WTF is that attempt at trolling? That's clearly a TTT. Same bikes and skinsuits. No race numbers so probably training.

Yes drafting is a problem in IM but that video does not relate.

Don’t take it literally please. What I meant was 3 people without considering their genders.

No, it's not really a problem at all these days. Just ride within 12 m of the person in front of you, or find a big group. You could also look for a multiloop course, since that will increase the number of people to draft off. It's highly unlikely that you'll get a bust.

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Questions for opinions:

You see a pack go by of 4 cyclists spaced only a couple bike lengths apart from each other. Do you jump on the pack in the same drafting distance and carry on? Or let them go by?

Now make that same pack going by a group of 20 cyclists, 2-3 wide. Join in or let them go?

What if it's 60?

What if it's 60 and you just saw an official on a moto ride by and ignore the clear infraction? Jump in a group because if you can't beat them join them?

Is following the drafting rule a moral obligation you need to follow if none of the other front runner competitors are following it?

This is a ?pro women's cycling team. Nothing to do with triathlon.

No matter what size the group going by...if I can sit at draft-legal distance behind the group and stay in my planned power zones, then I'm hopping on.

At least in my experience, I can't hang on to the big group if they go thundering by for too long. If they're cruising along at 40-45km/h due to the huge draft benefit, it's only a matter of time before you get popped trying to stay draft legal.

What I'm trying to get at, based on the comment I replied to about looped courses, and big groups is if there's this unspoken race ethic where you race legal distance as long as reasonably possible but once a big group shows up, "if you can't beat them, join them".

I've occasionally seen a few age groupers in the penalty tent. Never seen 20. And I've seen the 20+ groups in plain sight be completely ignored by the race official. Whenever I've found myself in a pack, I usually end up eventually getting in front of the pack, because once I get in the draft zone I don't feel comfortable being one of "those guys". If I can drop them, I do, or I end up getting popped out the back.

1) Drafting at IM races IS a problem.
Sometimes a major problem.

2) That video has nothing to do with IM drafting.

3) AKcrafty- "No matter what size the group going by...if I can sit at draft-legal distance behind the group and stay in my planned power zones, then I'm hopping on."

You probably realize this.....

But- there are often several groups, all "draft-legal distance behind each other."
All together.

Each groups of "legal drafters" coincidentally happen to be close to other groups.

This is often how massive draft packs form!!

Everyone is "legal distance" behind someone.

It's just a coincidence that there happen to be a lot of other people around.

True...
It might be that only people who are going rapidly backwards in the field see this.
Punishment for off the front swimmer's/ bad pacers

I don't jump onto the 4 (legal distance or not) and definitely not 20, 60, etc

In the two IMs I've done I was somewhere near the pointy end until the run. A little annoyed by a handful of obvious drafters of your 4 pack variety.

Had those thoughts, sit on (legal distance) or let them go and I let them go. If a ref rides up I'd not want to get a penalty trying to play it legal.

 "Is drafting a problem in IM?" Nope--it's not a problem at all from what I've seen...plenty seem to be able to be doing it just fine. Maybe ride faster so you can latch onto the "trains"...?