In another thread (several actually) someone mentioned Bjorn
Andersson’s extremely low position. There has been some interesting debate over this.
Having seen his race I would propose the following:
Andersson’s position was a triumph. It enabled him to play his strongest card and build an enormous lead on the bike. The lead may have worked, it may not have worked. As it turned out, it did not. But it made for a lot of exposure for Bjorn Andersson in the form of pre and post race discussion (like this!) and a lot of time in front of the the television camera out on the road.
I think Andersson is a highly expereinced athlete well qualified to ride this position, one of very few conditioned enough to make it work. And it did work. He may not have won, but perhaps he had the best overall performance he could have while also maximizing his media visibility.
I told Bjorn on this forum that there was a difference between critique and criticism. We were critiquing Bjorn’s position because it was a bit “outside of the box” which is what made it interesting. It obviously works for him, so who’s to criticize.
Bjorn is a very modest man, so I’ll be bold enough to talk a little regarding his motivation for trying to ride so aero. He wants to go very, very fast, perhaps even faster than any one has ever gone. In order to ride 180km as fast as any triathlete has ever ridden you’ll either need a bigger and/or more efficient motor than any one ever, or have better aerodynamics, or both. He’s working on both, and he’s working on both about as hard as any triathlete I’ve ever known. This guy’s work ethic puts most pros to shame. Give him a year or two. He’s only 24.
Tom, good to see you in NZ. I thought those were white leg warmers you had on during the bike. It was only during the run that I realized it was your skin. Yikes. Scary.
Man, give a brotha a break- I trained all winter indoors on the Computrainer for that pasty white appearance. I haven’t had a tan since Curacao.
It was great to be in New Zealand. I enjoyed the trip, the race, and mostly the very fine fine company of many great athletes and volunteers and everyone. -Really a great time.
58 tooth with 700c – he’s got a 61 built for Kona.
Please tell me you are exagerating !!! Dude, where does that strength comes from. Pro cyclists cannot push a gear that big how does he do it?
Pro cyclists coast downhill. Bjorn hammers everywhere.
He’s also said in a different thread that he likes a low cadence, like 70-75 rpm. I’d also assume that he doesn’t spend all his time in the 11 tooth sprocket, rather most of the time in the 15 or 16 (I haven’t done the math yet), which gives a perfectly straight chainline. That’s the reason I like an 11 cog on my TT bike, not because I can push the 11, but because it gives a straighter shot at the 14, which I can.
With all due respect for pro-bikers but they compete in a completely different sport. Most pro-bikers that I´ve trained with like to train in a group with 10 others, hitting the front just every so often. They rarely train for the timetrial. When they do, it´s for a 30-50 k timetrial.
Triathletes train for an 180 k timetrial where you do ALL the work yourself (except for staggered races:). Björn usually bikes by himself. If he bikes with others he´ll be at the front anyway.
Björns been doing some roadraces as well in Sweden and he´s known to break up just any pack there is simply by getting to the front and pushing during a longer incline. Only a string of elite riders will be able to follow in his wake. He never wins those races since he doesn´t know how to sprint but in pure riding strength he is second to none of the riders I´ve ever ridden with and I´ve ridden with quite a few pro´s, some of which have ridden stageraces like the Giro for instance. Probikers really aren´t used to working from the front for hours on end…
This may sound as if I´m hyping him but I´m sure that Gordo or Molina could second my opinion. When riding with him one understands it better.
Since we´re all (at least most of us) saluting Björn I can´t help myself telling a story that illustrates what I´ve written above. Last year Björn and I was training in Mallorca (again). I got sick as it was a miserable year for me but another good Swedish triathlete came down, Ted Ås. Those two were hammering on the bike. One day they were out on a 3 hr temporide with Björn pushing at the front and Ted sitting on his wheel hanging on for dear life. Suddenly they start passing a few riders and than smaller groups. Funny thing is that they´re all wearing racenumbers… Short thereafter they pass a big group and five minutes after that they catch another four guys flanked by a motorbike with a TV-camera. That would have been the breakaway-group in the race…
Ted said that was the craziest thing he ever saw and he wished he would have a picture of the guys leading the race as they were passed by Björn and him… -That story in its own is legendary…
Triathletes train for an 180 k timetrial where you do ALL the work yourself (except for staggered races:).
I guess that would make Hawaii officially a draft legal race
Hey wasn’t it me just a few weeks ago talking about ridiculously low aero bars? to get really aero. 90 degrees and all that. Bjorn actually puts it in to practice except I’d like to see him tilt his pelvis a bit more. Mind you, where would his bollocks go? I have no idea how Bjorn sees where he is going. He looked awesone on the bike as he flew faster upwind uphill than I was going down wind downhill!
Tom, sorry I didn’t get to meet you at Taupo. If I knew you were there I would have made an effort to meet the master.
I really enjoyed Gordo and Scott’s seminars. Informative, relaxed and just plain cool. Their advice (including thier reluctant/half hearted agreement with me regarding divorce), helped me to a PB overall and a childlike enjoyment of the bike leg.
TriDork
p.s. I raced on my Cervelo for the first time at Taupo and I was amazed at the comfort on the really rough Kiwi roads. I’m not sponsored by them and they haven’t asked me to write a review on their website.
I am with you on Scott Molina and Gordo. They are fine guys. I have been a Molina fan for years and years- 19 years in fact.
I was utterly astounded when he looked over at me during the race- he going one way on the run and me going the other- and he said “hi”. Scott Molina said “hi” to me. That was pretty darn cool. I was super stoked.
Gordo give me the hand shake before the race started. It was cool.
You sure don’t get that being an NFL or NASCAR fan.
Triathletes train for an 180 k timetrial where you do ALL the work yourself (except for staggered races:). Björn usually bikes by himself. If he bikes with others he´ll be at the front anyway.
As a bike-racer observing Triathlon, I would hardly classify any of these guys racing it like a time-trial. A time-trial is an all-out effort with the one concern of finishing the distance in as fast a time as possible. If you did it right, you blow out everything you have 1 MM before the line. I don’t doubt he goes to the front on most rides, I observe lots of triathletes do this becuase they can’t get accustom to the change in pace of a bike race or group ride. If you said it was a 140.6Mile Time Trial then I would buy it since he has to go as fast as he can for THAT distance. Even as hard and as fast as the top guys go, I bet they would go still faster if you told them the finish line was after the bike leg. Mentally, knowing you have another discipline to go you are subsconciously going to hold something in reserve. that’s my 2cents for the day.
You gotta be kiddin me. Look at his race number for Pete’s sake. It’s better than double-oh seven. It’s triple oh seven! He’s even badder than a double-oh, he’s a triple oh!
Dude, where does that strength comes from. Pro cyclists cannot push a gear that big how does he do it?
