It is nice to see someone come around on the subject of Tim DeBoom. He is a tremendous athlete that runs the legs off his competitors in nearly every race. He seems to be overlooked because of the fact that he doesn't have a big mouth. It is nice to see athletes that talk via their ability. We don't see enough of that anymore.

Congrats Brad for adjusting your comments. It speaks highly of you.

There is no doubt Tim DeBoom is in the class of the best athletes. What impresses me most is his ability to time his preparation and peak at the few races he enters. He clearly designed Hawaii as his main objective last year, did not race many other races, showed up and won even though he had a big target on his back! This year, he nailed Ralph and WF. He may not be loud from a spectator point of view but I doubt his competitors overlook him!

Good post, Brad. I was thinking of making a similar post. Deboom has just crushed two class fields in a month. He's among the best triathletes to ever play the game, and his legacy is starting to grow.

Yes, true indeed. I personally think we are now looking at the next dominant Ironaman/Kona champion. First there was Dave, then Mark, now Tim....time will tell. Although if there was one to dethrone him it'll be Macca. I am a Canadian, but in a bizzare way like the idea of an American being the dominant Ironman champ. Maybe its because we need that true ambassador of the sport of Ironman racing. We don't need brash bravado, sucky excuse, or zero persoanlity athletes leading the way. Even guys like Welchy, Tinley, self admitted clowns new when to get serious but tought us balance and enjoy this, its suppose to be fun!

My 2 bucks worth, thats 2 cents in Canadian dollars !

"I am a Canadian, but in a bizzare way like the idea of an American being the dominant...."

You mean like a Brian Mulroney?

Tim DeBoom may be a fast runner, but he cheats every chance he gets. How many races has he been flaged for drafting? More than enough, to be sure. Every time there are penalties to be handed out, it is Timmy who is recieving them. I respect his athletic ability, but not his accomplishments, because while I don't doubt that he works hard, he also bends the rules a little too far...

tommy

Macca isn't the only potentially dominating player for the future. Larsen and Brown both come to my mind. That 1:10 run is simply amazing though. Probably means he is capable of a 2:30 IM run. WOW! Lots of really good people out there. I can't see any of them dominating the others for any length of time.

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks

How many and where besides last years Ironman? Here's something from RST about that. You might recognize the author's name.



This thread is based upon an erroneous premise and is, therefore,
ridiculous and insulting to the men's champion. Tim Deboom did NOT
recieve a drafting penalty at Ironman. As one of the leaders, he was
carefully watched and monitored for his entire race. The penalty he
received was for 5.10g Overtaken. He was passed in the first six
miles of the race and failed to exit the zone within 15 seconds. the
zone was ten meters. He was back at about seven meters when 15
seconds was up. Therefore, though he was in technical violation of
the rule, I can say that he was extremely clean throughout his race.
For anyone to claim otherwise is in contradiction of the facts. we
are extremely strict in Hawaii and Tim Deboom is a true champion, who
in no way cheated to get there.

Charlie Crawford
Head referee, Ironman

I'm not too clued up on TDB's racing CV, but I'm pretty sure that the first two IM's he won (I think one was NZ) he got drafting penalties. I have no idea whether these were the rule or the exception and I don't know if this makes him a cheat or not, but the fact that he was able to win (at least twice) after a drafting penalty probably says two things: he's an amazing runner who can parcel out his energy extremely well, and maybe a 3 minute stand-down in T2 isn't the best remedy for drafting.

In one post race interview TdB said that he spent the time in the penalty box stretching, fueling and preparing mentally. Then he went out and ran everyone else down; maybe a better penalty would be the system they use at a Euro IM (Austria, I think): you get caught drafting, you run an extra km or so. The RD picks distance that s/he thinks works out to an appropriate time, and then the guys who do get caught on the bike don't get a rest before they start running...

The time I remember seeing him (on TV) in the penalty box he was pacing around and not very happy. Not that they showed every second of him in the box but it didnt look like he any means of refueling on hand and he certainly didn't look like he was going to still long enough to stretch.



Honestly, I don't understand why so many people take every opportunity, no matter how slight, to bash the guy. There are an awful lot of pros who get penaltys and warnings during the bike. Who was it that went home this year after being tossed for drafting twice? So what if he's not hanging off the front on the bike and rely's on a strong run to win? So what if he doesn't crash and burn like Macca? He's racing for a living. He's racing to win and to put food on the table. That's a different mindset than all us armchair quarterbackers. He wins. Don't matter how he does it. Doesn't matter by how much. Doesn't matter if all you naysayers think he's "really racing" or not. You think he wins by "not really racing"? In the end, TDB wins and he gets $100,000 and that's all that matters. I wish I had the balls to sit here and take apart someone else's performance when I can't get within 4 hours of their IM time. I don't feel I have the right.



Sorry for the rant. Need caffiene.

It seems to me that the rest/stretching question is a non-issue. Nothing prevents anybody from taking 3 minutes (or as many as you want) in the transition area to stretch, refuel, massage yourself, read a book...

To decide whether the drafting penalties are appropriate is a whole different question. But it would be unfair to blame TdB for what the rules are. As long as he races within the rules, he can do whatever he wants in the race!

yeah...i recognize the name. he's someone who's paid to make guys like tim look good. remember 1/2 IM Cali? one of just a handful he's been flagged for drafting, or had it insinuated by several others that he was drafting. I know once a guy gets nailed once, he gets a rep for it andd then everyone watches him a little closer, look at spencer smith. but seriously, i stand my what i wrote, nearly every race he's in where there are alot of infractions, he is one of them

Some of you guys are nuts. Deboom is a class act all the way. It is a race. All that matters is who gets to the line first. He doesn't pout, he doesn't whine, he doesn't complain. He worked his way up through years of hard work and now just wins. Can any of you jokers critizing Tim even come close to running sub 6 miles in the Hawaii heat?

look, leave the personal attacks at home. if you read what i wrote first, you'll see that i said i respect him, his hard work, and his athletic ability. he is a great athlete. he just taks "full advantage" of the draft zone, and pushes the limit a little too far for my liking. i haven't said anything that isn't true, and haven't spoken any heresay, just what has actually happened, and i don't agree with his race tactics. don't like it? tough.

tommy

You call TDB a "cheater" then cry about personal attacks. Grow up. He won two in a row fair and square. The officials watch those guys like hawks. When you win an Ironman then you will be taken seriously. TDP is a champion, he deserves better than to be criticized by the likes of you.

I fall in on the pro TDB side. He's a class guy, came up the old fashioned way, hung in there and now enjoys World beater status. By the way, not to scrub ANYTHING off of his WF run, but it was 20km not a full 1/2 due to the course change. Still amazing, and still has to be considered among a handful of the best runners in the sport. As for the drafting/rule bending business. I hardly think a guy like him (or most of the Pros) deliberately say, "hey, I'm going to see if I can get a pull off somebody today". They know the risk and the downside. It might mean no payday, no contract renewal, no finish. Bad deal. The rules for the Pros are much more stringent, so it's to be expected that you are going to have a few close calls, and penalties. I do not see him getting two and out, like some. Another point, he is not shy, anybody see the Kona awards speech? He's comfortable and quite animated on his feet in front a crowd. He just does not go in for the hyperbole pre race, as some of the athletes seem to do. As for Macca, I would argue that he is NOT the next Scott/Allen killer IM guy as some continue to believe. His best distance is probably the 1/2 where his huge Vo2 can make the most impact. Yeah, he has won two Aussie IM's in front of the home crowd on cooler than Kona days and with little challenge. I say, his prediction of 6 Kona wins is going to be a tough road.

[/quote]

Dude, you're going to have to back your statements up with some evidence. I'm only aware of Deboom getting ONE penalty in the last few years, and according to an earlier post that wasn't for drafting. So where are you getting this stuff about cheating. Cali-Lite last year means nothing. It was stupid course, making it impossible to ride clean. Deboom didn't get a penalty, but he along with most of Pro's did not have a good, clean race. I have a picture on my calendar from that race. It shows FIVE Pro's riding together and ALL FIVE of them are within the lead biker's draft box. ALL FIVE! Tim Deboom is not one of them, but the winner of Cali-Lite was! Drop Cali-Lite from your list of accusation, that is not a valid race. So, what other races do you have? Where are these penalties you are referring to?

Lori Bowden, PNF, and Fernanda Keller all got penalties last year in Hawaii. I suppose they are all cheats too?

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Justin in Austin, get it? :)

Cool races:
- Redman
- Desoto American Triple T

And you know what: He is a genuinenly nice guy. He recently held a garage sale selling some of his stuff and I picked up a few things. Heck: I bought my race wheels and shoes from him. He is friendly and amicable. While listening him talk to some of his friends I gained a new respect for him as he discussed others in the sport. I hold him with the greatest respect. He is a good man and a great athlete.

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Jon Bergmann
http://jonbergmann.com

Alright...enough. Tim got penalties at both IM NZ races and IM Hawaii 2001. He was possibly drafting in cali-lite, but we can't say for sure.

I said before, i respect the man, his athletic ability, etc. sorry to have caused such a rift among the staunch TDB supporters. he is a nice guy. i just like guys like peter reid a little better, and steve larsen, who races with his heart and not necessarily his head. tim is a great guy and a fabulous triathlete. sorry if i offended anyone with my opinion. maybe i was a little to harsh in my assesment.

guys like slick need to learn that this is a forum, and not to get too personal. you act like i was calling your mother a cheat. i ment nothing harmsul by it, so why do you attack me personally (i.e. "the likes of you")? that's pretty harsh for someone you've never met.

All in all, tim is fast, he races to win, i respect him and everyone else on this forum, hold no hard feelings toward anyone, and want to wish every mom out there happy mothers day.

later tators,

tommy

As a comparison (but not saying one is better than the other), winning in Hawaii is like winning a gold medal at the Olympics. You don’t have to set the world record to win the gold. TdB is doing that. He will keep racing the way he wants, running over the top of people, why change it if he keeps winning?

That being said, those who can win while setting world record times are the people who are on the way to legend status. But at the end of the day, it’s about results on race day.

Macca has the potential, but that doesn’t always translate into success (even though being a biased Aussie, I’m sure it will)! I think it took Mark Allen a while to win at Hawaii even after dominating so many other races, not unlike Macca. But until he crosses the line in first place, it is all just conjecture.

There are also a few other pro’s out there who might having something to say about the final result as well – I’m sure nothing is certain in Hawaii.

Cheers

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Fortitudine vincimus - "By endurance we conquer"

If Deboom, or any athlete, pays the price for drafting by sitting three minutes in the sin bin, is that cheating?
I would think it's cheating if you break a rule and there is no consequence. If a basketball player fouls another going to the hoop, and the player gets two free throws, did the one committing the foul cheat?

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___________________________
And the road gets rocky along the way
But if it gets too smooth, it's time to call it a day
-Kinks

Charlie Crawford is the USAT Commisoner of Officials. He's the Head Referee at IMH and the guy that gave TDB the penalty. He very strict when it comes to competetive rules. If you want an honest assessment, ask Charlie. If you want someone to make you look good when you aren't, you'd better find someone else.

It seems rather harsh to label someone a cheat because of some infractions. All pros are closely watched by the most experienced officials and it's pretty risky for them to deliberately cheat. Not that some won't try it but it's costly too them if they get caught. Also, the draft zone is longer for pros so it's easier to get caught in it. Tim got an overtaken penalty for being 7 meters back which is OK for age group but 3 meters too close for a pro.

As far as drafting, theoretically you can move through the draft zone in 15 seconds if you're going 1 - 2 mph faster than the person in front. But if you're 12 seconds into the pass and the other person speeds up, you're in trouble if someone's running a clock on you. And obviously the extra 3 meters makes a difference. If you're racing aggressively, it's not so hard to get a penalty without deliberately cheating. Personally, I'd want to see more than just infractions before I decide whether some is a blatant cheat or just prone to get enthusiastic and mess up.



Larry