Instagram is blowing up from EPB not getting picked. I'm really disappointed with PTO. Whoever made that decision should step down. It's not fair and not right. What idiots!!!

EPB must be devastated. She has won nearly every race she has entered this season. Lawrence has done nothing all season.

This is the sort of BS you expect from governing bodies, the PTO is supposed to be a fresh start.

Spirig isn’t better than EPB but I can understand why she has been picked. Former champion last race of her career etc.

Can someone explain David McNamee’s comment about choosing someone who cheated by drafting? Is he referring to Spirig? If so, didn’t she ride with Gentile so wouldn’t that infer they were all cheating?

Yes, although based on the coverage Gentle was definitely the least at fault of the four riding together - she seemed to be on the front the most, and was the only one I was actually making an attempt to drop back when she was passed.

I think it's a little unfair that Nicola is being hauled over the coals on instagram for one race, just because it's still fresh in everyone's mind. She's had an amazing career and I kind of get them going for a legacy pick.

I agree about the Edmonton drafting challenges: Lopes was the worst imo, but as a draft-legal WTCS athlete she has no experience of maintaining 12m let alone 20, and her instinct is to maximise the draft advantage, if lack of refereeing allows it.
Think Spirig should have tried harder (she is sufficiently experienced in middle distance even just this year) but zeroing in on that and castigating is, as you say, unfair. Her selection was entirely predictable (see my OP) for Olympic Champion / legacy / end of career reasons.
I can't see why Lawrence might be a better pick than Pallant: well the only reason I can think of is that they want to match her up against Salthouse again.
https://www.tri247.com/...-cup-wildcard-debate

Replying to last.

Crazy selection with no EPB.

Surely the only possible reason to pick Holly is to have a Holly vs Ellie Salthouse 'Karma' re-match as that was one of the most talked about last year.

Don’t let facts get in the way of mkq having an anti British rant, whoever they are they’re frothing here.

Seems like those calling Spirig were right, probably for the reasons most claimed. If you use the “marketing rationale” I’m guessing they picked Holly over Emma because of her rivalry with Ellie last year.

If the PTO “championships” are going to be based on marketing and/or sentimental appeal then it does raise the question as to whether these races are actually a championship, or if they are an exhibition. Seems a bit off asking people to race and qualify and trumpeting that you will have the best athletes compete against each other, remunerating them appropriately, only to have some of the best athletes miss out because you want to sell the spectacle. Hard to be critical of hr PTO, but this is not what I imagined from them.

Well, I've said it about 100x. Nothing about the PTO is about the Athletes. They push that verbiage out there, but the actions don't really grow the sport in a professional capacity. The bonus system only pays to top athletes, not developmental pros. Can't get into a PTO race if you aren't a proven winner. They're hoping to create a broadcast product...which they are doing poorly at.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I think at this point it's a catch 22 scenario. Being as young as it is still, they likely are still in the phase where they have to showcase that this is actually sustainable and/or more importantly marketable...IE- how to bring in money.

So I think the initial crop of athletes who are laying the foundation may miss out on things, at their expense but the overall good may be that it becomes a markable product and then suddenly it can sorta go back to being a fair competition.

So I think it's yes it's sorta still an "exhibition" of can this theory even work still, so they are having to make some "questionable" decisions still, that may not be the fairest from a "fair play" standpoint...But that may allow the sport to capitalize in the future.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Clearly you haven't seen what Lawrence looks like when she races :)

I honestly think this might be the reason. Holly has twice the followers on FB and this plays into it.

Is PTO perfect? No. But it does provide them a lot of additional opportunities.

It pays well for the top athletes. And it pays really well for the MOP/BOP pros in non-Collins races.

In Collins Cup, the top 4 athletes for each country do need to qualify so we can rightfully call it a championship. Wildcards and special invitations are for marketing purposes, but that also isn't a bad thing for athletes.

These big price purses bring more eyeballs and anything that gets the athletes more eyeballs will also help them get more sponsors/followers.

Are you guys talking about her race suit?

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

Sadly my mind was thinking in that direction too. But Emma is actually quite charismatic, and also races in a nice suit.
So yeah I'm still at loss as to why that pick was done.
Is she at least standin and getting a bit of the split, or who is EU standin?

https://protriathletes.org/media-releases/collins-cup-2022-team-europe-captains-picks/


their reasoning for beekegard should have been the same for females , ie 3rd fastest time last year and next highest ranked atheltes outside the 4 fixed slots... simple emma pallant on top of that with pretty good 70,3 races this year.
the next place than they can think if they wnat to give a legacy sport or grittiest athlete spot . but not having emma is a bit bs. especially if you see the correct beekegard justification for his pick it makes it even clearer pallant should be in. but honestly there is no rational justification to pick spiirg and lawrance over pallant

There is no such thing as "correct justification." These are subjective picks.

Spirig is a legend retiring this year
Lawrence brings greater fanfare

Both of these are "rational" justifications. Performance isn't the only factor, otherwise they would just take the top 6 ranked athletes instead of having captains picks.

Captains picks are in case someone has an off race or can’t get a visa to race and qualify. Someone like Lucy who had an injury but could have been fit in slightly different circumstances.

Captains picks are to ensure you have the best racers on the day. Isn’t that why they have called it a Championship. Maybe it needs to be changed to pageant so they can justify picking someone like Holly. A couple of years ago she was a brilliant athlete but not recently.

This is 2020 FFS, we should not be picking athletes on how hot they look in a bathing suit. Do men get picked on the size of trunk packed into the shorts. NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Where/when did the PTO say this?

Does Captains pick in the Ryder Cup pick someone who can help the team win or help the team look good?

EPB is now on the start list for the LC World Champs the day before for GBR. Interestingly so is LCB.

What does Ryder Cup have to do with PTO?

I take that to mean PTO didn't say it's "in case someone has an off race or can’t get a visa to race and qualify"

you can repeat your purposefully biased opnion 100 x but just check the reality ,
you can enter many smaller pto races but the main pto races are like the world series you need to have a good ranking which is fair .

they have maternity leave,

iam not saying what they do is good as i would like to see more money for developmental pros as well but just dont lie all the time. make useful points ,

I think the pto is far more for the athletes then not. I think some aren’t seeing that by focusing on every single decision they make and deciding is that fair or not.

Again this is all still an evolving organization. I think this is far better fair for the athlete than an event like Island House that truly was just an millionaire wanting to have 10 athletes all racing on his private island, etc.

I think this is all just part of the growing pains that you have to keep in check. There is still some give and take that the athletes are going to have to suffer and deal with. But I think it’s still in the direction of the greater overall good for the athlete. It’s just still in it’s infancy that there are still going to be major growing pains associated with it.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II