Anyone have thoughts on Edmonton? Seems like so many people will be looking two weeks down the road to Chicago.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

I've got Pereira for the win in the trifecta competition - he just came down from altitude and well suited to the sprint.

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)

Forecast is cold and rain...

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___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

 
I'll be interested to see how the dynamics of the swim play out with Raoul Shaw racing, from what I understand he has a 1500m LCM PB of sub 15mins, before crossing over to triathlon. Him and Varga will make sure the pace is fresh, could suit a Royle (Aussie bias) who's shown he's in very good form.

It's surprising that they'd have this race so close to Chicago, two weeks before the most important WTS (and second most important OD race of season behind Rio). Maybe a sprint would've been more appropriate?

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__________________________________________________
http://twitter.com/willrc91 --- instragram.com/willrc91

Sprint distance race-picked Vincent Luis and Vicky Holland for gold.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram

The swim course will be really rude...
The new bike course is not really technical, neither hard.
The density is not that deep, but the best are here (contender for the title).

Raoul Shaw (FR) is unknow on the WTS circuit, but he will be a huge factor on the race.
Luis will be french, haven't race since Rio.

Javier Gomez needs to win it to come at the Grand Final in a better position.
If he wins, a Top 5 will be enough for the title. If Luis or Mola win Edmonton and Chicago, Gomez will lost the title if he is third...

I'd bet anything that Shaw is domestique for Luis. Just to aid in keeping separation to Mola/Murray while keeping Luis fresh. Maybe a trial run for an Olympic strategy.

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Eric Lagerstrom
Professional Triathlete
https://www.youtube.com/c/ericlagerstrom
http://www.ericlagerstrom.com
https://www.instagram.com/eric_lagerstrom/

It is a sprint.

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___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Whoops haha

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__________________________________________________
http://twitter.com/willrc91 --- instragram.com/willrc91

Well a strong bike and run will help Luis for sure. Shaw is not officially an domestique.
But like Varga, if they are doing their race, it will help Luis.

BTW, Varga will be alone this time, he might do a lot of dommage during the swim...

Have a good one Eric tomorrow! Top 10!

It is scientific fact that the cold rules out Spaniards, Aussies, South Africans, Mexicans, Bermudans, and the Portugese. That leaves the Dutch, the Brits, half of France, Americans with Swedish sounding names, and Oregoneons with Belgian passports.

Therefore I'm going with Holland, Stanford, Klamer and Luis, Dodds, and one Polyanski. A DNF for Gomez and a whole bunch of others. And surprise top 5s from Eric the Viking and Claire Michel who had some big runs late last season too. I think a small group stays away for the men but a big parade for the ladies on the bike.

I have no data to back these assertations.

Regardless of motivation for Gomez to win, he has had one of the toughest schedules in the history of triathlon this month.

Vincent Luis did very well in Rio, than sat out Stockholm I'll assume to prepare for this race. That's why I've picked him to win today.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram

Good Job Eric, Top 20.
Still improving.

What the hell was going on in the women's swim with that paddler blocking about 5 of them about 150m into the swim? Totally changed the dynamic of the race for those 5 - they must've been pissed.

I though maybe I could see something under his boat that he was perhaps protecting them from?

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)

No, it was in the men race. Gomez, Luis got blocked.... Some swam under. Gomez totally stop and restart dead last... It was actually the second accident.

I guess the kayaks weren't informed that it was an elite race... Anyway. The water was really nasty with all the chlorine. And the race did a lot of damage with several hypothermia cases.

It happened in both men's and women's races at the same place - at 150m (paddle boarder in men's, kayaker in women's). On the videos, they seemed completely oblivious to the swimmers coming up and caused the obstruction. You'd have thought that ITU would have briefed them beforehand, but it looked like they were trying to get right in among them, as if they were taking their lifeguard duties a little too seriously.

I noticed it too in the men's race. I replayed it a couple of times because I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. The person on the kayak/paddle board seemed to be making no attempt to get out of the way. If they were trying to keep the swimmers from cutting that corner then there should have been a buoy placed there. Was surprised the commentators didn't notice and comment on it.

The other thing that surprised me was not seeing Shaw pushing the pace on the bike more aggressively. If he's there as a domestique for Luis, and Mola is 20-25 seconds back in the second bike group, then Shaw should be burying himself to try to maintain that gap to T2.

The most aggressive rider seemed to be Bishop, maybe trying to stake a claim as the most deserving third athlete for the GB Olympic team?

i'm curious if a brownlee would be in chicago had he not done rio or if his injury was bad enough at rio that he basically was done for the year by then.

also, the amount and quality of racing gomez does has to raise some eyebrows in terms of if he is getting a little extra help. why would he race stockholm, then the 70.3 WC and then edmonton in back-to-back-to-back weekends in the 3 weeks leading up to worlds? that's just a tad aggressive on the racing schedule for the peak of the season.

Such a slippery slope, but I hear you. I hope not... Part of it might be financial - he must have made a ton of money these past three weeks.

What happened to Luis? Someone get some fresh sheets, because homie crapped the bed. Especially with a domestique.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

Yup, can't wait for his video. The US men's picture for Rio is so murky...Chicago will be very interesting. Still hoping Kanute's run focus eventully pays dividends (even if not until next year). Assuming he retains his high level swim, I think he should be able to hang with the lead pack on the bike.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

"What happened to Luis? Someone get some fresh sheets, because homie crapped the bed. Especially with a domestique."

It may have been the cold. He was the first finisher with no extra clothing (undershirt for Murray-Mola and arm warmers for Gomez).

Good observation - could be the case.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

Just checked on Twitter where he says he got to T2 in a good front position but the cold caused him to fumble the transition and start the run one spot from last.

I don't understand why anybody would start a triathlon in low 40 weather without any extra clothing, yet most of the field - men or women - did not!

I noted that Sweetland took the time in T1 to put on gloves - she was already at the tail end of the large front swim pack so spent much of the bike (with a little help from that Aussie girl) trying to close the gap - very few women could have pulled themselves back up - she may be coming back into form for Chicago.

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)

For the start of the bike... it seems that it was just a battle to ride in this condition. They were only 3 working, Shaw, Luis and Royle on a group of 10. it wasn't a regular race anyway.