Bingo. I mean we all "know" what we can do based on our long training days. But it's funny that come race day, we all turn into super human studs that hammer the bike. ;)
M~

Me like. :-)

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Maybe I should edit that to say:

But it's funny that come race day, some of us turn into super human idiots that hammer the bike thinking we are way faster than we were in training and couldn't possibly blow up on the run. ;)

And our runs would have also been super human too if we hadn't has GI issues. ;-)

I don't know the answer so I'm going ask this question.

Historically, how may athletes have entered into the sport of triathlon at the Pro level and placed Top 10 (or top 5) consistently their 1st year?
Could also narrow that field down asking for only athletes that entered into the sport their 1st year at the Pro Level (not working up thru the amateur level).
Is there anyone?? Again, I don't know so I'm just asking if there has been anyone??

Granted, you could say Lance has a few years experience under his belt back when he was a teenager....but in all reality since that was so long ago...does it even really count for anything today?? I mean if anyone on here was a National champion runner back in their teen and then dropped out of the running scene for 20 years....think you could just jump back right in there and compete at the National level again??

Michael

My answer will be very US centric because I raced as a top age grouper with a lot of these guys and then/now as a pro with them. So, they are 'older' and may be some new folks that I don't know about. And, these are all males. Laura (Reback) Bennett, Barb, and SheilaT were all short course women who came from a single sport background and had very quick success.

I turned pro in 2004 after finishing 2nd at USAT Amateur Nationals. 2004-2009 I flirted with the top-5 and was regular in the top-10.

TJ Tollakson turned pro maybe a year or so later. He, I believe, had a similar trajectory though he focused more on Long Course racing early and has won both 70.3s and had a few IM podiums, and I believe 1 win.

Michael Lovato has won a few IMs, a few top-10s in Kona, and I believe that his first IM win came not too long after he turned pro.

Tim DeBoom won age group Nationals and turned pro. He had pretty quick success, but I think dabbled in some of the early draft legal racing and short course before moving to long course.

Andy Potts I believe did a race or two after college turned pro, and then made the Olympic Team or was very close to making it. He's had the quickest rise in recent times to my memory.

Hunter came up through the age group ranks.

But, has there been anyone who came from another sport at the National/Olympic level, turned pro in triathlon and in that same year or 1 year later was in the top-5 in relatively solid races? No one that i can think of off the top of my head.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

Steve Larsen - 4th Wildflower Long Course, 1st IMLP, top 10 IMH. I'd say that is better thus far.

And yes it does count for something. And the analysis is actually meaningless in my opinion as you have narrowed the potentially applicable talent pool down to pretty much nothing, of which Lance is one member of that small population. You would be better to look at folks who went from high school to professional sports as a corollary and thrived, such as Kevin Durant.

Except - KD played 1 yr of college ball.
You could have said Lebron, or Kobe, or KG.

Larsen is a good example, but - Lance is already a much better all around triathlete than SL ever was.

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float , hammer , and jog

Yep - Larsen. 2000. He was on a P3 that if I recall properly that had Mongoose stickers on it. He simply rode away with the win - but, like many other events - that was not Kona. All the Kings horses and all the Kings men were not out there to play on that particular day. LP is no Kona.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I have such low affinity for Bron and Kobe that I would never hold them out as a worthy example of anything other than selfish behavior.

Re: Lance v. Larsen the question was about their results, not their well roundedness.

But IIRC Steve's bike split was 12 minutes faster than anyone else in Kona. Unfortunately his swim and run were not up to snuff, but he was 12 minutes faster than Stadler!

I recall Stadler coming into T2 saying Larsen was a rocket!

Didn't it take Kobe until his 3rd year to become a full time starter? http://en.wikipedia.org/...281996.E2.80.9399.29

Sir. Lancealot would have been at least four hours ahead....if not further.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?