That’s my rule of thumb generally. I run a compact and would run a 12-30 or 11-28 (I’m 200#)

Was just wondering about course conditions. At Alcatraz it’s very crowded narrow roads in very bad shape in many parts of the course making a roadie preferable (to me)

I predicted the end of the full when they started the 70.3 and that was the old course. This will do it for sure

Absolutely. It's sad, but the writing has been on the wall for a long time. Triathlon had such a good thing going in BC.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

I wish I was doing triathlon. This would be my absolute dream course, with over 8000 ft of climbing and some technical stuff looping past the swim start. I like riding the loop around the lake....that climb from the sea to sky highway to swim start is pretty hard too. That's no joke on the third lap. Damn, get me a doc to fix me up ASAP....this is my dream course with a ton of climbing and largely protected from wind.

This bike course should be way tougher than IM Tahoe.

In terms of what bike, it's still going to be fastest on the TT bike. Lots of long straightish descents to ride the top tube on like Sebi Kienle!!!!

Have you ridden Alta Lake Road (sounds like you have)? Folks familiar with it say it’s an unsafe road for this many athletes, both topography and road surface wise. One coach running a clinic won’t take athletes through there. Thoughts?

I hadn’t yet signed up and hotel can be canceled for free, but we got a smoking Air Canada deal that would cost more to change than the fare

The loops frankly don’t bother me (except to the extent it causes crowding), the total elevation doesn’t bother me, but roads that are dangerous enough that locals avoid them, do. Crashing ain’t fun (as you are well aware), being taken out by another racer ain’t fun (as I am well aware).

And it may be ST heresy, but sometimes my bike choice is based on safety over speed (ie escape from Alcatraz, roadie for me). I am neither going to win this nor set a PR. A true completer. And I did it in 2013 so I’m just going there to enjoy the town and do a little race.

Alta lake road is not that bad, at least two years ago. If they had the turn around at the bottom of the hill over the tracks that would be bad, but it ends on an uphill.

Crowding will be another issue though, looks like the half route goes to the top of Callahan and the full turns around a few km up.

Honestly if they run the math right on start times (full at 6:30 half at 7:30) I honestly don't think myself or others in our range (read off the bike 6:30-7:30) will see too many if any halfers.

Maurice

I don't recall the surface being that bad, and I don't think the athlete density will ever get huge, depending on numbers and spacing between 140.6 and 70.3. I am having a bit of difficulty reading the athlete flow though and it appears there is 2 way traffic at some points, so that changes the story....if they need to build up distance, could they just not make athlete do several loops inside the Whistler resort. It should be a 4K loop so do that up to 5 times before you head out (like loops at Esprit) and get rid of the lake loop and then do out and backs to Callahan Valley. This way, the loops inside Whistler are done early before traffic becomes an issue vs a 2 way gong show on Alta.

Also I have not been on that pavement on Alta since 2015, so it could be a lot worse.

Looks to me like Alta is two way the entire length

I am an ex road guy. I live here in Whistler about 50% of the time (skied today!!)
I ride that road every time i go through the area instead of riding the highway. I love the climb and love getting away from the traffic on the highway.
The road surface is not too bad (at least last year it was not - but the winter weather does cause problems sometimes so next year things could change).
The road is not as wide as the highway but it is not crazy narrow or anything. The decent down might be more technical than anything on the old course and if they turn around before the tracks they might be turning around on the decent which could be questionable.
I personally am not too worried about the Alta lake section. However i have no interest in 3 loops of this course. 3 times up the powerline back from Calighan will SUCK. I would much prefer 2 loops of the new 1/2 course (it looks great)
BUT.... WTF. I am still signing up. I am 6 feet tall and 158 pounds - I am all good for the elevation!!
Warning - this bike course will be hard to get a good rhythm on.

Just trying to find a two loop, if the full goes to the top of Callahan at two loops then only 165 km or so.

You could do 3 loops up to Callahan and turn around at Alpine...completely avoiding west side road.

That's only 184 km with 11000 feet of climbing ;-)

Maurice

I think if the route turned right at the highway after riding Calighan and went to Brandywine falls before turning around they could get the distance they need and make it a two loop course.

That would be better, turn at branywine, turn at alpine, all the way to the top of Callahan. Two loops and done. Avoiding west side road.

My only thoughts are that there was a reason they couldn’t do it that way.

Maurce

Pavement is nit too bad. No shoulder though. Lots of driveways. It's a very residential road. No rhythm just grind up coast down.

2 ways on Alta seems like really not that great especially on loop 1/2. By loop 3, it should be well spread out into single riders. I am trying to understand where the Alta turnaround is and if it is on a downhill, flat or uphill. I assume on a flat or uphill because the lead into that turnaround is a pretty high speed downhill and a bit technical too (I have only ridden that section uphill)

That coach likely doesn't do Alta road due to no bike lane with a group of different abilities and speeds. It is a much safer road compared to riding on a highway rd once you take into number of vehicles and speed, plus it will be closed to traffic.

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Technique will always last longer then energy production. Improve biomechanics, improve performance.
http://Www.anthonytoth.ca, triathletetoth@twitter

The WTC maps are not all that precise but looking at google sure looks like the t/a is at the tracks at the bottom of a decent hill

No, it says u turn at stone ridge drive.

Slight up hill if I am seeing it right.

I don’t see that road as a major issue at all.

Also honestly looking at probably 1100 or so for full and 7-800 for half. If they space it right I don’t see congestion issues.

My money also says it’s closer to 10k feet.

I honestly don’t see drafting issues.

Maurice

Ah, thanks.

I think the half turns around at Stonebridge Dr. I know the full map labels the road, but judging by the picture of the route, Stronebridge is actually further north than shown (I believe it's the road right by the 110 km marker). It looks to me that the full turns around at the tracks.

Neither the cue sheet for the 70.3 nor the full mention the turn around points.

It was around 1200 finishers in the half last year. That makes a pretty big difference!

In any case, kudos to the RD for making this come together. After succussfully dealing with the host communities, im sure that getting the two fields on the course will be a cakewalk!

Just looked at them again, as I was curious if the north t/a points were different,,, that wold be very confusing. The full map has a little marker that looks to point to the t/a and says stonebridge. The written description doesn't say where it is. The 70.3 map doesn't describe the t/a point, but the written description says t/a at stonebridge.

So it sure looks like both turnarounds are the same. Far as I can tell it's about an 8 mile out and back from 99 to t/a, and t/a is at the top of a hill

Compare the two maps again.

The half shows the turn around on the north half of Nita Lake and it's a north/south turnaround (approximately where Stonebridge Dr is).
The full shows the turn around west of Alpha Lake and it's a east/west turnaround.

The full map shows a road just west of Nita Lake that's on the northern half of the lake. I'm guessing this is to represent Stonebridge Dr and the map just mislabeled the road.

Full
Half

Yeah, I do see that. But maybe because the scale is different? I'm not familiar with the area but just pulling up google maps I don't see any roads intersecting ALR from the north between Rainbow Park and the tracks other than Stonebridge.

I've tagged Christine/RD on a facebook page and asked, this should be easy to figure out

Per the RD, the turnaround for both is at Stonebridge. Still tweaking the maps.

You are certainly accurate in your assumption. In addition Alta lake has serious gravel on the side of the roads (certainly not swept in june), many pot holes, speed bumps and the road has no shoulder as you mentioned. If the full had these roads to themselves I wouldn’t be concerned. Adding 1100-1500 for the half will be treacherous. Spacing will be critical.

As for elevation, I am with Maurice on this one...by all my calculations (I have ridden all these roads many of times) I see the elevation being over 9500. Coming back from Callaghan heading to Whistler x3 will be killer :)