I have read two different reports as to what happened to DeBoom. One was that he injured his hamstring and the other was due to dehydration.

What a great race!

Macca got his ass handed to him AGAIN. Flat out. Despite winning IM Australia, this weekend was a whole different ball game showcasing the best of the best. It's easy to act that way (all cocky and what not) when you're so used to short course domination as MAcca was. I agree, his pre race attitude was a little disturbing. In my opinion, going from Short course to IM in such a short period of time was a bold move for him. As a tremendiously gifted physical human being, he just needs to loose his head-case attitide and come back to earth.

As for DeBoom...it was quite unfortunate. Being human, we are chemicaql and his chemistry wasn't working right that day. I heard that he was suffering from stomach issues and that he was hurling..perhaps leading him into dehdration. Reid was solid.

GRAZ......get your head out of your arse dude. Did you perhaps once while writing that post think that the chemical thing may have happened to Macca as well as De Boom? There was obviously something wrong with Macca, sitting back in the pack and not smoking his and everyone else's butt with his funny coloured Kestrel.
One eyed americans.....i hate em.

It not a nationality issue, Macca talked a big game and didnt deliver. He did finish, which is admirable. DeBoom has won two and doesnt talk smack, thats the difference. I am American and Id like to see Lessing or Walton do well.

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Where’s your head? You’re presuming Graz to be an American. No where in his profile does it confirm that. He could be…gasp!...French.

Do you think it was stomach issues that caused Macca to talk loads of smack he couldn't back up?? The guy is awesome. He had an off day for whatever reason. Hopefully next year he'll think twice before spouting off.

It seems as though Peter Reid didn't take too kindly to all the pre race talk either...

This from Peter's website:

"...There are a few guys that have never finished this race who are saying that they are going to destroy on race day. Poor suckers! They have no clue. I am quite upset that Tim is being overshadowed by guys like Chris MaCormick who didn’t even make it to the Queen K highway last year during the marathon..."

no doubt... look at what happened to Larsen....out at mile 85. Hey...I'm not about bashing macca. Got to give credit where it is due. Just as everyone else who FINISHED gets. But come on Paul, you've got to agree on on thing...especially after all his jibber-jabber before the race. Bold words and cocky statements mean absolutly nothing. He has yet to back it up.

Do I think he can win in Kona? sure.. but not until he looses his front and shows a little respect. I was actually hoping to see Luc Van Lierde win this year but for some reason, he just didn't show up...

Inside Triathlon just posted that DeBoom actually passed a kidney stone during the marathon! That's would tend to slow one down and DNF.

What was disturbing about Macca? Cocky? As far as I see it he simply stated that he felt in superior shape and that his training had gone really well and that he felt confident on putting out a great performance? Not cocky. Only honest and confident. Having totally dominated the triathlonworld for the past seasons (except Hawaii) and winning both long and short incl. ITU races it seems he not only talks the talk, but definitely walks the walk. And I guess he did just that, walked the race home. He obviously had some medical problems yesterday but still soldiered on.

´He predicted a high finish for him on good reasons. I don´t understand why selling oneself short beforehand should be admirable. Macca´ll be back until he wins it.

"...but definitely walks the walk."

That's right, and it seems he did a lot of walking on Saturday.

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E-Z

--It ain't a good idea to swim near MY bubbles!

Just out of interest, what was the actualy "jibber-jabber" that you were talking about?

As has previously been said, theres a difference between talking confident and talking cocky.

I would have thought you American lads would have been used to hearing "cocky" talk. Perhaps it just takes some getting used to when it comes out of the mouth of a non-american.

Cheers

Drummo

That's right, and it seems he did a lot of walking on Saturday. [/reply]

WOW! What involked such a spiteful comment from you?

Macca is a personal friend of mine, and I have to tell you all, that it is not in Macca's good fame and character, nor spirit to talk down to others. Macca is a warm hearted, generous and encouraging man. Perhaps what you perceive as 'Cocky' is what he perceives as pre-race psychological confidence.

What a disgrace!

Bernie

I'm with Bernie. Anyone who puts it on the line to race over there deserves respect, particularly the likes of Macca who is a gifted athlete (and more importantly) a good guy to boot. If Macca hasn't lived up to your contrived perceptions of PC pre race interviews, well I would suggest that this is less Macc'a problem than your own. To openly gloat over the fact that he (or anyone else for that matter) didn't win reflects no credit on anyone in my opinion. Acknowledge it and analyse it to death by all means, but the bottom line is (in my view) the guy doesn't deserve the sort of personal vilification that is apparent in some of your posts. Projecting love from Oz .....

I can feel your love Gris.

It's a wonder why they didn't get stuck into others who didn't win, like Larsen or Brown and the AGers perhaps.....where was Bush????? Oh that's right, we have to put up with him this week in Oz.



I Personally didn't here what Macca said before the race. I'd like to hear more.

I never said he was "walker" in the "game of life."

What you see as "spite," most of us know as fact. There were times during the marathon where he walked. In all honesty, I think his past two Kona experiences will make him better than he already is. And there is no doubt in my mind that he will one day be Ironman World Champ.

I'm sorry if you choose to be offended by a nobody on an internet website. Have a nice glass of wine and relax. There's always next year.

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E-Z

--It ain't a good idea to swim near MY bubbles!

I was lucky enough to "catch up" with Macca last Sat, before he headed off to Hawaii, and he was his usual relaxed enthusiastic self. No big talk, just a big smile, some idle chat and real appreciation for our well wishes.
He is a very unassuming, relaxed guy who enjoys a beer and loves his sport, and is anything but an egomaniac.

Maybe he is just learning to play the "big talk" game you guys in the US love so much from "your own", but being an Aussie he obviously isnt as good at it as some others....give him time I'm sure he'll perfect it.

He's not doing too bad for a guy who races all year, at all distances all over the world, not just a "one trick pony".

E-Z, in your post above, you gave a thumbs up to Macca's walking. That is spite my friend, no matter what language you're talking. *Pausing to take a sip of my wine* - You are a spiteful person. Do you feel no shame? I would!

Of course it will make him a better athlete. Why wouldn't it?!

So tell me EZ, what makes you qualified to know these 'facts'? Please do provide such evidence. I'll be awaiting with baited breath.

ok folks...let's cut it there...

Macca has all the rights to be cocky. the guy is world champion, he won IM Oz twice, he won wildflower twice and tons of other races. He fought a tough IM in Roth against Lothar on german home turf where noone dares fighting the germans anymore and nearly got him...
Who wouldn't be confident with this??

Besides, the difference in attitudes makes the sport fun...colorful characters...
Why was men's tennis way more popular 20 years ago? because of fights between MacEnroe/Connors/Lendl/Borg and the swedes...different personalities...
That's why women's tennis is more popular right now...

Let Macca talks smack as he wishes. he is a great athlete, has the right to be confident and will probably talk IMH one day.
Besides, he probably doesn't give a rat's ass what anyone here thinks and he is probably more bummed about his race than anything anti-macca would say about his attitude...

I guess its pretty "EZ" to sledge a guy like Macca for going 9.35 when you have posted numerous better IMH times yourself (and this would certainly provide an appropriate basis for comparison), but in the absence of tangible results from others in this forum, let me say this. My understanding from reading quite a bit about Macca is that the guy goes hard - leaves nothing on the table - and if he comes up short? So what, there is always the next race (which is not in 12 months BTW). What an admirable attitude. A part of this approach though is that you will on occasion come up just short. Would it be appropriate to vilify anyone who has raced hard and come up short at Kona? I don't think so. The small number of athletes that are able to operate at the sustained levels of Macca, Jason Shortis, Luke Bell and those other Amercan guys whose names I can't recall are incredible and any of them on their day has the potential to win. Lets not put them down for having the courage to back themselves and being prepared to say so before the event. It not that hard to provide a pre-race predication once you are finished is it? It does take quite a bit of courage though to face your demons and make predictions, which may or may not ultimately be proved to be correct.

Francois, thank you for your fair post. I would still like to hear EZ's "facts".

Tell you what, on Aussie-centric forums we don't go shooting down non-Aussie athletes, like they obviously do on this US-centric site! We give them equal respect, as we all should.

Cheers Francois!

I'm no more qualified than anybody else.

By the way, it's documented on www.Ironmanlive.com for everyone.

How else may I help you?

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E-Z

--It ain't a good idea to swim near MY bubbles!

Hmmm. . . What in the hell was any guy who didn't run 8:22:35 on Saturday thinking? They all suck. They should have stayed home. Apparently a lot of folks here already knew the inevitable and could have saved all of them the trouble of flying down and making asses of themselves.

Lots of specious arguments running rampant here. . .

EZ, you haven't addressed the question but don't bother, you are not only spiteful but tedious too.

TriBriGuy, I'm glad to see that EZ's attitude is the minority.