Allen & Scott '89 Geometry/Position

Triathlon Forum
22

Wasn’t the drafting of the ABC vans a factor in coming off the bike fast and still have fresh legs for the run. I have the video and you can see Sam Posey riding at the back of the van with the doors open not too far from Allen and Scott. That is the reason why NBC tries so hard to use motorcycles and to avoid providing an advantage.

I know that the chase pack have stretched the rules and has received a definite drafting effect (especially this last year with the rule change). But even considering that drafting behind a skinny triathlete a couple of bike lengths away pales in comparison with a van with the doors open.

This is not intended to say that they received a free ride by any means. It was a hell of a race and I watch the tape 20+ times a year for motivation because I feel that this is the greatest race in the history of the sport by arguably the 2 greatest athletes our sport has seen. The only reason I bring up the van is to point out that there are considerable confounding factors.

BTW this post has gotten me motivated to transfer my tape of this race to DVD before it loses any more quality. On another tangent watching the commercials from 1989 brings back alot of memories from my senior year of high school. I think I will watch it tonight!

23

Matt, when you do your calculations figure in that Dave Scott rode a 74 degree seat tube, as that was his response.

24

You e-mailed the grip ?

What else did he have to say for himself ?

25

Family talk! You would have to reach a mor enlightned plane to truly understand, young one.

26

“Which I think is comical. It’s like saying that recent winners somehow take it easy or don’t need to run fast because because there is no one chasing them.”

I don’t understand that logic either. Why won’t people not just admit it - Scott, Allen and LVL were just faster than the current triathletes.

27

http://chrisgloe.home.mchsi.com/Picture1.jpg

"Why won’t people not just admit it - Scott, Allen and LVL were just faster than the current triathletes. "

Because they aren’t.

This is from a project I did last semester (statistics, YUK!). Anyway, my conclusion was that since about 1990, the variations in finish times (top-ten and finishers) are due to random events (weather, heat, etc.) not due to an overall increase/decrease in finishing times. Some years are fast years (1996), some years are slow years (2001).

Chris