I’m not sure how it works but it looks like you get a warning first? if that’s correct, that’s what happens if you give authorities to wrong people.

Well, they take down your number so there shouldn't be any confusion with giving a warning. I surely wish a warning had been issued.

I also feel the pack was a hinderance as when it slowed you were stuck. It was a friggin mess.

sounds like the same issue over and over again... too many bikes on the course.

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80/20 Endurance Ambassador

I finally thought I had dropped the group and wham! Some guy pulls ahead and slots directly in front of me.

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How quickly did you start to move out of the draft zone and did you make it out of the draft zone? Because he's suppose to slot in front of you when he gets ahead of you or else he'll be in blocking position.

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

Sounds like a terrible situation but I have to ask, when the guy slotted in front of you, did you keep pedaling in aero? When someone slots directly in front of me, unless they are riding like 2mph faster than me, I always get out of aero and soft pedal a bit, usually drink some water. That way it makes it obvious I am trying to drop out of the draft zone.

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

I got out of my aerobars. There wasn't even time to drop back. It was instantaneous with the official pulling up next to me. I'll try to be a lot more aware from here out, although sometimes shit happens.

I'm with you, it was pretty awful. Honestly, when it is crowded, the first 1/3 the race, it kind of is what it is. I am always more annoyed by like the guys I saw who where still at it at the end of the course, sitting 1/2 wheel length back when it finally opened up. That was just blatant and frustrating. NC was my second 1/2 IM and prob my ~10th? Tri. Never seen the draft packs like this race, it looked like what was described at IM Texas recently. Was thinking about this some over the weekend and I had a couple thoughts to why it was so bad in particular:


1. Self-seeded rolling start. It seemed EVERYONE was bunched up at the start of the bike. The first 20 miles was practically one peleton, but even the back 1/2 of the course it was pretty crowded. My guess, is the self-seeded rolling start tends to group people by ability. At the least, perceived swim ability should be roughly correlated to finish time. So, you get everyone, Man, Woman, 70 year old rockstar - literally everyone who is planning a X MPH or whatever average entering and exiting the water at the same rough time. Compared to age waves, where you will get a spectrum of skills across that age group - age-based you could get sub 5 hour and 9 hour finishers alike within one wave.

2. Super flat course. On a couple of more hilly events it seems like a nice few climbs work to really separate the packs. Us dweeby twiggy but higher w/kg guys can separate on climbs and then on the flats, the Clydesdale raw power or aero guys pull away on the flats/downhills. Lends it self to a lot more natural passing. There was no such feature on the bike course.

3. Headwinds: It could have been my imagination, but it seemed like it was 70% headwind to me which augments things and makes it a challenge to get away. Seemed nearly all day, light headwind on the way out and then reversed to a stout headwind on the way back was my impression.

4. People not passing by the rules. One problem I found was like you said, the "slot in." If I did keep a 6 bike distance, it was was like open season on that slot, because it looks so huge when everyone else in the line is doing 1-2 bike lengths for the next mile. It was very difficult to keep any sort of rhythm. Required a very surgy race just to keep clean air. When the slot in happened (frequently) I tried to make it clear I was not going to take an advantage from whom just passed me. after a pass I took a moment to stretch and I sat up on the bull horns and stopped spinning until I was again nearly 6 lengths behind. Maybe that could have helped you, to make it more clear you are dropping back? Just a thought. I have actually gotten a "thumbs-up" by a moto ref once at a different race for doing that.

Should you have to do that? Probably not, but my impression was they were aware of the draft packs and they were trying to police it but as always there weren't enough refs and it sounds like you got unlucky. My family said there was "a lot" of people in the penalty tent at the end of the bike course, which made me feel a bit better, like they were trying to do something. No idea how much "a lot" is though.

I agree with all points, especially the 70% headwind. I think a fast swim, flat bike course and steady headwind contributed to the packs forming. I'll be more aware of it from now on, but like you said I've never seen anything like it.

So the guy passed you directly as the official was beside you 2 at the same time?

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

It's a fecken PITA when someone over-reaches to get past... then the moment they go past the whaaaankers slow down because they couldn't sustain the speed.

The rules need changing to say if a racer go past it has to be past by 20m first. Then at least as soon as they slow you can just overtake again.

So you want someone to pass someone and then have to look back to determine 20m? And you think that's a safe move?

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

The guy passed me and instantly the official pulls up as he slots in and tags me. I thought you've got to be kidding.

You are supposed to have your feet out of your shoes when doing a flying dismount, otherwise it would be pretty tricky to unclip while you are dismounting.

I was working tech support riding with the rear of the race. On 421, I saw the huge packs of 20-30 riders coming in as I was going out. Looked like most of the riders were enjoying the ride. Saw three huge packs before I got north of where The course returned to 421. When I saw the narrow back road, I saw what helped them get formed. I had one Marshall come by me as I was driving with the 10-12 mph riders.

Didn't notice any draft packs out there. Pretty lonely day on the bike.

That's incredible timing that he shows up at the same time you got passed and then didn't give you the prescribed time to fall out of the draft zone. That's incredibly odd circumstances.

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

Yeah, a bit lonely when you're out on the front all day! ;-)

Hahahaha, nice race!

Just bad timing. I only wish he hadn't been such a dick. I've been pulled over by the police with much more understanding and courtesy.
I guess by the time he got to me his patience was gone. Wrong place at the wrong time.

Duh...

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What's your CdA?

If he fell because his cleat didn’t unclip, my feeling is that his feet were still in the shoes...

I saw a few packs but it was a pretty uneventful bike course for me too. There was about 4 guys near me the whole time. The highlight for me was grabbing gatorade at an aid station and having it squirt all over my visor and making it hard to see hahaha.

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Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

Seriously annoying. I was holding a 20mph pace and routinely had people slot in front of me and then let off the gas only to cause me to drop down 2-3mph. At one point heading back on 421 a group of 15+ came up on me, half passed and then backed off leaving me stuck in the middle. I popped up and freewheeled to drop out of the pack. As I fell off the back the marshal bike flew past me to the pack and paced them. I was excited that they were all going to get a penalty as he spent a good 10min beside the pack. Got to T2 and only saw 2 people in the penalty tent; I was livid.

I know... was just saying that you'd think unclipping before a flying dismount was the obvious thing to do.

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What's your CdA?