Assuming 100% compliance and strict 100% enforcement.

More likely that some people follow the rules and lose time while others skirt them and gain time. I predict as we saw in Lahti, with the leader Knibb cutting the course and gaining an unfair advantage, per the officials reasoning, that the leaders descending will get away with pushing over that line, while anyone attempting a pass further back in the field will get nailed.

The pros should all unanimously agree to race the course in such a way to dare Ironman to DQ the entire field. Would be awesome if all the pros decided to ride the entire descent over the line and Ironman is forced to DQs everyone with no winner.

Like Lionel Sanders making a front pack swim, a man can dream can't he?

are you going to stay up and watch it? I'd like to, but doubt i'll make it. hear you on centerline rule.

---

http://www.PatGriskusTri.com USAT Certified Race Director
2024 Races: USAT State of CT Age Group Championship/State of CT HS Champs/ CT Club Championship - Sat June 15th (Oly/Du/Sprint) Hopkins Vineyard Tri at Lake Waramaug Saturday July 13th http://www.HopkinsVineyardTri.com

I’m wondering the same thing about staying up

Do you know Will we be able to watch it from the beginning on YouTube if we wait until Sunday AM?

The stream is likely going to be split into two parts.

For Lahti, they did have it set so you could rewind / re-watch until the Live ended. Then it just became a “regular” video.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I'd be all in for a regular video, if that's what they do again. i just don't have it in me tonight(doubt you do either rrheisler!) . hoping for that, thanks for the intel.

I'm taking a nap (sponsored by a Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned) in the comfy chair and will start my coverage shift around 12:30 AM Eastern.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

As we noted in our article tonight about the centerline -- it's still referee's discretion.

So, for example -- the pass RVB made on Ali Brownlee in that race came up during the briefing. Everyone agreed that RVB moved across the centerline in the interest of his and Alistair's safety and that *most likely* that would not be penalized.

It's also been made clear that referee's were given discretion to hand out warnings before moving to the penalty cards. And, again, only the head race referee can issue a DQ.

I think ultimately this will wind up being a pretty fairly ridden race. You've got a bunch of very qualified French officials on site with decades of experience. Jimmy's there. And for my own sake I really don't want to be doing a bunch of centerline stories...

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

couldn't have picked a better sponsor (jealous) good luck!

i'm sure you mean this piece https://www.slowtwitch.com/..._Fireworks_8795.html

Guilty of forgetting there's a Front Page at times ;-) Thanks man!

I’m going to be really mad if I can’t watch at 6am during my trainer ride. Lol. Thanks for the heads up though, looking forward to it.

---

My Strava | My Instagram | Summerville, SC | 35-39 AG | 4:41 (70.3), 10:05 (140.6) | 3x70.3, 1x140.6 | Cat 2 Cyclist

Yikes, the best conclusion they could come to was that it would maybe be penalized? So basically nothing got solved and they can still make arbitrary calls.

Why even have the rule? In the RVB clip he goes over the centerline 3 separate times, by choice, trying to make a pass. He could break (or even just coast as he's pedalling the whole time) to avoid a "safety issue" like crashing into Brownlee.

So the rule is you can't cross the centerline unless you want to pass someone at the exact moment that they are choosing to use the left side of the lane (blocking). And even then, if the official randomly decides that you actually can't cross even in that scenario, you get DQed.

No.

No official on course can make a DQ call.

They can choose to issue a one minute blue card penalty. If it is determined in that official's judgment that the athlete was putting themselves, another athlete, race staff, or the general public in danger with their move (so essentially a determination of reckless behavior), they can then report that action to the head referee. The head referee is the only one who can issue a DQ.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

just know yellowcarguy, the broadcast time has changed, check the front page article.

Okay, thanks for the DQ clarification. Aside from DQ, it still sounds like penalizing centerline crossing is very up in the air.

Watching that clip over and over, I am 100% sure that Rudy could have avoided crossing the centerline AND have everyone be safe.

What he couldn't do was avoid was crossing the centerline AND have everyone be safe AND pass Brownlee at that moment.

So that's my main point. It seems like you can cross the centerline if you want to pass someone.

Sure, we can say he's crossing in the interest of safety, but that's only the case if you start with the assumption that he had to pass right there.

And to muddy the waters, IM is still clinging to the idea that the center line rule on a closed course is in the interest of safety. If there's no car present, there's no safety issue. Cyclists and cars alike have to decide if there is a car when they make a pass. You don't get a ticket from the police because "there could have been a car" when you cross a dotted or imaginary line.

Cyclists have to make the judgment all the same.

IM claiming safety is cover for a blown call mingled with an insurance-necessitated rule.

You put the rule there for insurance purposes and you don't enforce it unless there is legit reckless behavior with incoming traffic. Otherwise you warn, whether that's in the rulebook or not. We all agree IM can't remove that rule for legal liabilities, but it's crazy to suggest a racer is creating an unsafe situation when there's no car coming. Penalties shouldn't be applied on hypothetical actions.

Y'all are an interesting bunch. We have an extremely interesting race about to start and all you can think of is "coulda, woulda shoulda" about your hero from a race in the past. This race will finish in about 9 hours and I bet you folks will spend the next few weeks crucifying and asking for DQs for any athlete today that crosses the centre line.

The power of YT influence is huge. How about realizing you are being influenced and maybe letting things go?

A few things to note:
- In June the IM nice course wasn't completely closed to cars everywhere. It may be different now
- even if the course is completely closed to cars they can in no way guarantee that a car hasn't slipped through somewhere. The course goes through plenty of villages and residential areas. It makes sense that IM will insist on the center line rule. How much they'll enforce it is to be seen
- the descents can be done very fast without crossing the center line. This a course that has to be known well and with confidence to be ridden fast but it's not the Alps.
- a pass on the descents may be difficult for Pros but really the field should be spread out by the time they get to the long descent at 135k
- for AGs I'd imagine it'll be trickier to respect but very difficult to enforce.

We're the pros who demanded clarity and expressed frustration over ambiguity influenced by YT personalities?

It's got nothing to do with that. Race is on, enjoy it. Sanders gots nothing to do with Ironman trying to save face and navigate legal necessities.