How fast did Dave Scott run his first marathon?
How much faster was Steve Larsen’s bike split than the rest of the field his first year in Kona?
Larsen probably rode about 20 minutes faster than most. He came out of the water about 10 minutes down and came into T2 about 10 minutes up as I remember.
“How fast did Dave Scott run his first marathon?”
Are you talking IMH or stand alone? At IMH (Honolulu course) Dave went 3:30 in 1980.
“How much faster was Steve Larsen’s bike split than the rest of the field his first year in Kona?”
In 2001 Larsen went 4:33 in some of the worst winds ever. I believe Stadler had the next best bike split at 4:45.
Haim
That’s what I thought about Larsen. Isn’t that perfect evidence of what a cyclist can do against a bunch of IM pros on the bike?
I am talking stand alone for Scott. I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2:55. He obviously improved dramatically over the years on the IM run.
That’s what I thought about Larsen. Isn’t that perfect evidence of what a cyclist can do against a bunch of IM pros on the bike?
I am talking stand alone for Scott. I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2:55. He obviously improved dramatically over the years on the IM run.
Yes and no re larsen. Lots of cyclists have been at Kona. Larsen has been the only one I know of (other than John Howard when there was no real competition) to dominate the bike. I don’t think any other than these two have ever had the fastest bike split. If he hadn’t had his problems on the run in 2001 he would have changed the way the race is fought out several years before Stadler. Because he didn’t win it remained a tactical/running race until Stadler dominated and won on the bike.
Cyclists are better cyclists than triathletes but they don’t always show it in a triathlon.
I certainly could be wrong, but wouldn’t Larsen be considered the most pedigreed pro cyclist to race in Kona? Certainly there is nobody in Kona with the cycling talent of Lance. I would say this, Lance would have to focus more on the run than the bike to win in Kona and that could be enough to allow Stadler to stay with him on the bike.
I certainly could be wrong, but wouldn’t Larsen be considered the most pedigreed pro cyclist to race in Kona? Certainly there is nobody in Kona with the cycling talent of Lance. I would say this, Lance would have to focus more on the run than the bike to win in Kona and that could be enough to allow Stadler to stay with him on the bike.
Howard’s pedigree is/was just as strong as Larsen’s at least I think most would agree. There have been several TDF riders who have done Kona with “mediocre” bike results. Some were given qualification waivers by WTC early on I believe just to see what would happen. I think they all held back because the run frightened them. The run didn’t frighten Larsen, having done a sub 3 hour in LP his first marathon ever. I am blocking on the names but they have been there.
was he 12 minutes faster than anyone else OR 12 minutes ahead of everyone else on the bike. I actually remember a pro, I think it was Hell on Wheels, coming into T2 calling Larsen a “rocket”! Some people just don’t understand how much 12 minutes is when you get to that level.