That's never going to happen and I'm happy to place a $10-100k bet on it.

The traditionalists in this sport would howl. The whining we've all heard from people when the IM World Champs aren't in Kona is nothing compared to what it would be.

Second there is the safety issue. At least with the current drafting rules there is some risk reduction for the RD/parent company.

Finally, and some of this is speculation on my part, yet if WTC was really as upset as a small slice of their constituency about drafting, they would solve the problem and it would take 1 season to solve. Yet, and here I'd be willing to wager some $ again, it's not a big priority to them, they think the amount of drafting isn't that big of a % of their racers and/or they just don't care and/or they have bigger and more issues to worry about that impact the sustainability of their business model than drafting.

Finally they also know a few things. The majority of competitive people will choose one of their branded races over another brand or even a local race bc the competition is deeper, people can say they've done an IM (even though they could say that with the few independents), the product, while generic from race to race is a proven commodity. You know what you're going to get.

The majority of people when given the choice between an IM branded or non branded race do not possess the courage to choose the non branded race over the branded race, they want to go race with their friends - all 2000 of them, or some other reason.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

There's a fair number of cyclist's turned triathletes who are poor swimmers. There's a fair number of people in tri's that excel specifically at one aspect, but the one's in question here are good cyclist/poor swimmer.

Good cyclists tend to think everyone else has the same skill set, and weave their way through packs in a manner that spooks unsuspecting riders. The pace line is fine, but the groups that will fan out across the road leave no choice but to break the rule and cross the road or take advantage of draft and weave through the pack. One rider in the group gets passed too closely, he get spooked and weaves away, overlapping wheels, and 10 riders are on the deck before anyone knows what happened.

It's not super hard to ride in a pack, but it does take practice, and I've seen too many people watch the TdF and assume they can automatically ride like that.

[/quote]

Finally, and some of this is speculation on my part, yet if WTC was really as upset as a small slice of their constituency about drafting, they would solve the problem and it would take 1 season to solve. Yet, and here I'd be willing to wager some $ again, it's not a big priority to them, they think the amount of drafting isn't that big of a % of their racers and/or they just don't care and/or they have bigger and more issues to worry about that impact the sustainability of their business model than drafting.[/quote]
That is the point I am making. The organizers don't care. The people who do it don't care. The people who don't do it will report it to the race authorities and the race authorities don't care. The only value the rule has is so that racers can wag their finger at other racers after the fact.

Look again at the first pictures in this post. Nobody here cares. So why have the rule?

Most DL races for AG athletes are not 1200-2000+ person events.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I decided years ago to be a Duathlete (aka crappy swimmer) where I have the incentive of being somewhat AG competitive versus a MOP/BOP Triathlete. I've often thought "Man I wish IM did Duathlons" but seeing this sort of thing I'm happy that Dus are mostly smaller scale, local and independent. There's a limit to how many cyclists a course can handle. The temptation of large bunches blowing by must be like chocolate cake to a dieter. "Watch and pray that ye not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak."

Buy local - support your independent RD!

Look at the picture in this thread. This isn't an isolated event. It is chronic at every flat 70.3 with multiple loops.

I would venture to say this is a "renegade" DL race with 1200-2000+ participants, wouldn't you?

The only way to enforce any kind of drafting rule in these races is to have a TT start for the bike leg. Until they do that, the No Drafting rule should be dropped as it is impossible to fairly enforce.

Lmao...another one who doesn't know the rules. 10m is not "perfectly legal". In fact that isn't legal at all.

12m is the legal distance in case you were wondering.

Also 7m and 15m depending on the race.

Ironman is 12m. We're discussing Ironman races.

"Settling in" at 7m would be a pretty big drafting violation.

It’s 12 m from the front edge of the preceding rider’s front wheel, so for practical purposes you’ll be looking to ride ~10 m from the back edge of the back wheel.

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

Saying every race is a bit of an overstep. Does WTC have a chronic drafting problem? Yes.
Is it every race? I've been prone to make hyperbolic statements to make a point and I suspect that's what you're doing by saying every race

I will also admit this is A BIG issue & that WTC and it's enforcement arm have zero desire to solve.

The rolling starts are one way to have more of a TT style start to the bike leg. We've also seen at IMFL when they cx'd the swim and did a TT style start ~ a decade ago they still got large packs. The rolling starts lead to less density hitting the bike course at the same time vs wave starts.

It's also more of an issue at certain races. IIRC Sunshine coast only has the short, steep hill leading out of T2 and is kinda notorious for drafting. I've spectated at 70.3 & IM races all over the US, multiple places in CAN as well as BEL, MEX, AUS, NZ and I'm probably forgetting a country or two. Not every place has this problem, some places it's chronic like MEX. Never been to a race there either to race or coach/spectate that didn't have a huge draft pack with officials doing nothing or next to nothing to break it up.

Some places like Dominican Republic have gone to draft legal in a lot of their sprint or Olys. Which is also a pretty good place to go to coach or race if you ask me.

In fact the DR might be your racing ticket!

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Still 12m. Measured from front wheel of leading rider. Most people breaking the rules are within inches.

Reply to nobody in particular but the MX endurance podcast guys say drafting is awesome all the time, because they are peddling the Sub-7 concept.

No, they’re not doing either. If you claim they “say [illegal] drafting is awesome all the time”, give me one quote. Just one.

They liked Sub7 and criticized Super League. They are not peddlers for Macca or anybody else.

Even when they talk up an athlete’s chances, they make sure to clearly state they’re representing him (if they are) so they may be biased. Peddlers don’t do that.

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