Same view here. They are looking for 1) a Leg 1 relay guy and (2, secondary requirement) a domestique, acknowledging that neither would be competitive in the individual (so how best to race/employ?)
Wilde in particular needs marking, but the French may need to be too: you could see them trying a 1-2 (or 2-3) with or without Blummenfelt or other strong cyclist.
In the unlikely event that Yee doesn't make the main pack out of T1, neither Dickinson nor Brownlee could drag him back up alone but they'd sure add firepower to the motivated chase.

Reading across to the British women, it's the same boat but there GBR has the triple luxury of two athletes both of whom will be equally capable in the MTR and the assurance/consistency for many months of Potter's close to front pack swim. You @kajet think Wilde doesn't need marking 'cos "0 attacks on the bike". Well Knibb needs a permanent marker clipped to her wheel (Coldwell) because Knibb's sole path to success is a breakaway, and she's one of a kind. Alone she couldn't make it stick, but with Duffy, maybe (NB that's Duffy's only route to a medal too). I expect a German to be on similar Knibb marking duties. Periault will not make the front pack so Lombardi and Beaugrand will just hang around, save energy, and hope.
I note that Dickinson is on the start list for 70.3 Warsaw next weekend (also Iden btw) presumably in case yesterday didn't go as well as it did.

I think most of you are missing that they are looking for the second relay guy, not a domestique for Alex Yee, which clearly doesn't need one as shown in Cagliari.

I don't know what GB Tri are prioritising, but I'll just point out that there is more history than just Cagliari when talking about Dickinson serving as domestique for Alex Yee. Without Sam, Alex may or may have not won the Commonwealth Games two years ago. Hayden had had a great swim and was out front with two others on the bike. Sam buried himself to bring back the Yee group. Without him it's probable (but not certain) that Yee may have started the run with a deficit to Wilde, changing the whole dynamics of the race.

Yeah but cmon commonwealth games field is tiny and with only 3-4 relevant competitors…
It was Yee, Wilde, Hauser and nothing more, or thereabouts.

I think that comment is demeaning. The GB-Tri teams represented their home nations and the fields weren’t as strong as this years WTCS but they weren’t weak.

I don't know what GB Tri are prioritising, but I'll just point out that there is more history than just Cagliari when talking about Dickinson serving as domestique for Alex Yee. Without Sam, Alex may or may have not won the Commonwealth Games two years ago. Hayden had had a great swim and was out front with two others on the bike. Sam buried himself to bring back the Yee group. Without him it's probable (but not certain) that Yee may have started the run with a deficit to Wilde, changing the whole dynamics of the race.

Pretty sure Dickinson said he was going long after this Olympic cycle.

Well he has signed up with Bahrain Victorious so I assume that's the most likely course. But same for Stapley and Waugh (will we see those two soon in a race près de chez vous?) I guess Waugh will/can still finish well up in the WTCS final rankings with her flame still burning whereas others have post-Olympic dumps (Hamburg, Weihai and Torremolinos-Andalucia).

I'm not convinced we will see Jonny Brownlee at middle distance. I can see him retiring, I don't think the fire burns so bright in him as it does in his brother

pro tri news has listed all the teams that have been announced
no suprises so far . apart form the fact that i would say for hungary did not go for devay but he was the 3rd placed athelte.
i think so far every country went with the highest ranked atheltes
france is announcing in 20 hours

France have said their announcement is tomorrow at 14:00 so it looks like there are no appeals against their decision.

So if the French selectors go 'highest ranked athletes' too that's Bergere (#1), Le Corre (#7) and Coninx (#11 and 2023 WC)
https://www.triathlon.org/...c_qualification/male
I assume Coninx will be back running by now and that's the differential between all 3 and Luis: he is (now and for the last 18 months) the weakest runner.

Announcement will be here: https://www.youtube.com/live/aV5q_W584Ms

Really recommend watching "Brillons a Paris" (latest episode here: https://www.youtube.com/...nF7W68Q&index=17 ; English subtitles available)... Dorian was back training pretty much immediately. Series is very good and features the federation staff. I guess we'll know shortly but I think they're probably going to pick Pierre, Leo and Dorian with Vincent as an alternate. They seem to work very closely with the athletes and the race results are only one of the decision parameters, as they should be. On the women side, Cassandre, Leonie and Emma clearly have this in the bag.

I guess apart from Coninx fitness .the other question they will ask is how are they going to break the pack in the swim
And with Devay not there ,the only way to do this would to have Vincent only focus on swim and bike to the games
So in a way France has to ask are they going with a domestigue or not.
Without Luis for take out speed and then Devay for crusing speed and somebody to exchange the lead, the chances to get away in the swim are a lot smaller.