He might need them! Mola run the last 2.5k in 6'58",after apoor T2. He's in another league.

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Sr. Salitre

What Mola did today, how he executed the run was brilliant. 2.5k into the run you're thinking he doesn't have a chance, 4k into the run he's breaking Yee for the win. I'd imagine everyone started out way too fast and he just ran his race.

Katie Z just showed dominance. Tayor Spivey looking incredibly strong and Taylor Knibb almost grabbing 3rd! Non Stanford's run looks back on point which could be a good sign that she is back to her world champion fitness.

One thing... the commentary was horrible, some of the worst i've listened to. We've been spoiled with how good Super League commentary has been. When they did talk it was short dialogue, dead space, and most of the time wasn't helpful and often times negative criticism. Those two didn't seem to work well together.

I finished watching both races and just felt unfulfilled and disappointed. The races were both exciting but you would never know with how mono toned the commentary was. The video coverage remains great and they are trying to make it more exciting with shorter distances. The race course was suited for excitement but ITU failed to deliver a good production.

Bring people on with more personality, dynamic voices to discuss the race tactics and athletes. Ian Murray, if you see this... i'd LOVE to see you on ITU Commentary. You'd rock it.... Rant over.

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Inside The Big Ring: Podcast & Coaching

One thing... the commentary was horrible, some of the worst i've listened to. We've been spoiled with how good Super League commentary has been. When they did talk it was short dialogue, dead space, and most of the time wasn't helpful and often times negative criticism. Those two didn't seem to work well together.

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I cringed today and I normally don't "complain" about the commentary. I've done it 1 time in my life (PA at a race that was also broadcast online for said event, so not exactly the same but similiar). It's hard as fuck. But this is the top level, you shouldn't have commentators say "oh I didnt know he had a bad near death crash" (when talking about Yee's crash 2 years back). It certainly didn't flow very well.


(I've not watched women's race yet...which they don't have the replay available yet??)



My call on the US getting 3 men is dictated on Matt McElroy and Pearson getting those top 15 WTS finishes (especially at "flat" and "easy" courses) to secure the points and move up especially since they don't have the max year 1 scores yet. Matt got his 20th and Pearson DNF'd. I dont think Kanute will have the ability to score well enough to jump into top 30 overall, as you need top 12/15/18's to start getting big jumps on athletes. Looked like Pearson had some type of mechanical on lap 1 or start of lap 2 of the bike.

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

ITU puts so much resources into putting on great races in great venues but at the most fundamental area they miss the boat. Great races can be missed when whats being talked about and how its being talked about is subpar. You can't grow the sport when it's being announced like this. Barry has had his misses, but when he is in the booth its way better. Lisa Norden also does a fantastic job. Emma Snowsill, amazing work. I feel like you could go and hire two boxing announcers with no background in the sport and they could make it feel more exciting than what was done today.

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Inside The Big Ring: Podcast & Coaching

Who was the female commentator today? I only turned it on exactly at the start so didn't hear any intros. Replaying it now and I dont think they introduce themselves.

Emma Cairney (spelling??)

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

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought this. No talking would have been better, that was the most unexciting commentary I have heard on ITU in a long time.

the two of them had zero chemistry. He does much better with Barry.

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

I concur. I don't know who they were, but race commentary is not their forte.

The video coverage was good, minimal Moto bike drafting options, but the producer who decides to keep the camera on Mola while 5th through 40th fight for the finish doesn't understand much about the various dramas playing out behind the podium.

We miss some dramatic sprints for the line, and you can hear the on-site announcer and crowds cheering wildly in the background while the producer gives us shots of the winner (often Mola) wandering around the finish pen. They need a better producer who understands an international audience.

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)

Agree announcing listless, especially on heels of Super League.

Hah! I am just replaying the women's race and was just thinking this commentary is sub-par to say the least, wondered if it was only me and came here to find this thread. Hopefully Barry sees this and relays this back to his team...

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

The commentary was so bad on so many levels.
No excitement for the actual race. Not just lack of knowledge of the athletes but thinking someone is good/bad at something they are actually the opposite.
When she said that triathletes need bigger chainrings than stand alone cyclists I almost turned it off.
When she said that Summer Cook gets dropped because she's in too big of a gear and the solution was..... a bigger gear on her bike...I decided that we need to write to ITU to get her fired.
They didn't once mention that Knibb bridged a gap early without brining anyone with her. Or that she's 20 years old. And she was hanging off the back to make sure other girls pull. (because she's so confident none of them can ride away from her, not that she was "getting gapped")

The actual racing was freaking rad. Both races were great to watch.
And the video coverage was on point.

It's a long ways off but if the US women have a discretionary spot, I think they should give it to Knibb. She's the only girl (other than Flora) who can bridge any gap or make a breakaway stick in any scenario. That could be extremely useful for Katie/Kirsten.

Well I said this jest, turns out it now does not sound that ridiculous!

Can't remember who was saying Yee was in with a chance in Tokyo on the course, I for one didn't think he'd be ready, has there ever been a better debut in WTS??

Other than the Yee factor a bit of a strange race, I'm actually surprised and equaly impressed Mola was able to win considering I think he hasn't raced and you had most the Superleague lads in attendance (Luis in particular I'd have made big favourite for this) so I'm glad I didn't have a chance to bet.

I'm glad the front pack swimmer girls were able to make a lead stick (without Duffy) on what appeared to be a none bike friendly course.

I don't know if Zafares is racing Bermuda, but I think potentially Duffy is going to need to break by herself on the bike, I wouldn't fancy her chances over Zafares at the moment on the run.

Stanford is looking like her pre Rio self again, the change in training camps obviously doing her wonders.

I can confirm the BBC wasn't much better, to watch the race (I've let my Triathlon Live pass run out for financial reasons) we had breaks in sound and missed Mola's interview and half of Yee's.

I disagree the footage of the race was on point, they missed part of the crucial battle with Mola and Yee with some weird far angled shot of the race and cut to some complete random athlete at some other crucial part on the run.

Watching the mixed relay, how are some of the women still not doing flying mounts and literally stoping to get on their bike? Drives me crazy.

During the women's race, they sometimes didn't even seem to be paying attention to each other. The female noted that Jeffcoat had fallen off the front pack, and then 5 seconds later the male made the same announcement as if he had just noticed it, clearly not having heard her say that just moments before.

Awful performance, from the British team I thought, had the talent racing to do much better.

Its starting to annoy me a bit why a few certain athletes are giving the relay a miss, what's Mola's excuse?

So you think Federations should force athletes to compete in events they don't want to?...

That would turn out well, I'm sure.

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"Good genes are not a requirement, just the obsession to beat ones brains out daily"...the Griz

what's Mola's excuse?

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Smart coaching. Spain isn't dominant right now due to weaker female side. So why "waste" performances by him when your going to be at best 6th/7th/8th. Spain will easily qualify for the MTR in the "last chance" race with all the non-Q teams.

In ITU especially at that top top level, you don't waste performances. You race with very focused objectives, and right now Spain doesn't have the overall squad to use up the A listers at this point. But it also really doesn't matter for the men, as they'll likely get 2 if not 3 men almost guranteed....They have 4 guys ranked in the top 20. 2 pretty much guranteed and likely the 3rd would have to be injured to likely fall out of top 30.

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

Where did I say they should force athletes to race?

This isn't stopping Schoeman and Murray representing S.Africa, I've noticed Gomez hasn't represented Spain in the past either (maybe he did at some point in the past but can't remember off the top of my head)

I'm sorry, but the excuse of the rest of my countrymen not being good enough for me to compete is exactly the attitude I'm being critical of, if that is the case.

Louis and Beaugrande don't always race for France either. Every federation can do what they want, it's not up to us. Maybe Spain are trying out a number of different guys to try to find the right one to take the 2nd place in the team when it counts.. actually Alarza didn't race either. Some countries used to look at relay as a place to introduce their development athletes to the WTS circuit. Spain is still giving lower ranked a chance to race. If they feel confident enough that they can qualify in the last event once the top 7 aren't racing they may be using this series as a way to train and develop for the future. May not be the athletes decision not to race either.

So you just ragged on the GB team who did use their top performers from the available roster this weekend while also complaining on another team for not using their top athletes.....makes sense.....fans going to be fans.

You do understand the hypocrisy of your initial statement yes?

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

No, please explain??

She is so strong on the long pull. She did quite a few hero pulls, including riding Jeffcoat off the pack on a straightaway. Weirdly she was also dangling off the rear quite frequently, but would then just ride past the whole line and everyone else would have to turn it up to get onto her wheel! I guess she just needs more experience riding in the group?

Holland was a bit of a head scratcher though. I realize it is early in the season, but her run looked pretty good compared to the way she let that group ride a minute into her. I expected her to be cooked for the run, but she evidently had plenty left. Looks like more British triathlon domestique shenanigans where she just let Lee and GTB do the work (ineffectively) while she saved it up for the run. Good to see the break get rewarded in any case.

I was under the impression that Knibb was watching the group as she was at the back. She's strong enough to do that. She didn't have problems holding a wheel when she was 2nd or 3rd position. I could be wrong.

Holland is a solid rider, but I don't think people are realizing how strong Knibb is on the bike. Learmouth is probably a top 3-5 rider (Knibb/Duff are in front of her) The front group had two of the best riders in the sport AND a very motivated/strong Zafarees and Spivey. I mean, they DROPPED Jeffcoat. At the Grand Final Emma bridged the 3rd group to the front group almost entirely by herself. And they dropped her!
In short, I don't think the UK runners were strong enough to bridge that gap.

Yee made it to the front group this weekend. I'm curious if anyone thinks he has a 10% chance to make it to the front group in an Olympic or a sprint with a more challenging course? I don't. But he's only 20 and a lot can change in the next 18 months!