Mark, pictures never tell the entire story, and has been posted on ST many many times. One snap shot cannot be used to convict a person of drafting.

But, I am very very sure it happened, but why would I waste my energy bitching about it? Like it is going to change my life. Na, I would rather try and put my limited energy on positive things. If I do not get a worlds spot because folks are drafting at Nationals, you will not hear me bitching about it on ST. But, I will be wearing my mirror.

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

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Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

just to be clear, I was not advocating penalizing one group (delibrate draft seekers) and not the other (accidently drafters). Rules should be applied evenly and fair across the board whether you are an 8:30 finisher or a 16 hour finisher.
Who is to say that the 16 hour finisher isn't actually racing? In here we get all caught up on "you're only racing if you are going XX:XX fast" but I ahve a client that is in the 70+ age group and raced to the line last year in an Ironman, barely made the cutoff with a couple of minutes to spare and got a Kona slot, in part because most of those in his age group either didn't finish or didn't make the cutoff on a tough day. Point being, that guy/girl that is back in the 14+ hour range could still be racing and is just slower because of age.
Of course there are also those that are just out there to finish, ride with friends etc. Same rules apply to them also. It is a race right?


Mike,

I agree on all counts. That's why this is so complicated, messy and for the most part intractable. The bottom line is their is no easy solution. Consequently it just drifts and we fiddle around the fringes with things that look like something is being done, but really nothing is being done.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Being a somewhat slow swimmer I didn't see the massive draft pack but it annoys me that it happened. I only saw drafting in little 5 person or so groups on the out-n-back. As Dev and Lakerfan pointed out, we can be sure that there were a few Kona slots in that pack.

Even more annoying is that pros are doing it when they have all that road and can easily sit at the legal 10m length for them. That just makes me feel sad inside..

This group passed me too. When I realised how many of them there were I backed right off and let them all draft themselves past me. It was a disappointing moment. My race blew up on the run, but my anticipated time would have earned me a spot in Kona. Losing that place to a pack of drafters would have ruined my experience. As it was i had a tough day but loved it.

I think what was most disturbing about this situation was how many individuals didn't seem to have a problem with being in a 75+ bike pack. There were a number of individuals who were visibly frustrated -- namely the small group of guys around Dev and I who were in a nice rhythm riding relatively well spaced out when it hit us -- and then there was the a large number who were clearly quite happy "working" with the pack to the best of their ability. I heard the following responses from 2 different athletes:

"What can you do? Just go with it!!"

"Let's get that pace line going again!!" (It's possible I misunderstood the intent of his comment?)

Admittedly, I initially handled the situation poorly as I attempted to get in front of this pack. Of course, being a powermeter dude I was unwilling to maintain 80+% of FTP in order to drop them so I was just swallowed up again. It took me a few minutes but I eventually realized the only way to get out of the situation was to just let them go. I think I just had a hard time losing 75+ spots on the bike in a matter of a couple of miles but you MUST stand by your principles in situations like this.

Btw, maybe I just had my blinders on but I only remember seeing one marshal the entire ride. Something that was upsetting to me was the fact that not one single athlete was sitting in the penalty tent at the top of Richter (which I believe was the next penalty tent).

I realize my comments add very little constructive help in solving the situation but I think it's reflective of some significant changes in the mindset within the competitive AG group over the last year. I actually believe this is a much tougher problem to solve then some people make it out to be. Personally, I would limit the number of participants as a starting point. 2200+ is just too many, imho. I hardly think that's going to happen though.

I obviously cannot comment on what occurred within the Pro field but I got an earful from one of them after the race.

Thanks, Chris