After watching the elites race the NYC tri, I have a more positive opinion about ITU style racing. First off,
the draft legal format takes away the most subjective of the rules, the drafting call. Race
officials are able to concentrate on other areas of the rules rather than trying to interprert
a bikers intentions. Sure, many packs formed, but it was very exciting to see the bikes sprinting en masse
toward t2. Some people complain that it is less exciting to watch riders in packs. But
as a spectator, I really wouldn’t be able to watch the triathlon bike race anyway. I would most likely be able to see the bikes leaving and entering transition. And it was exciting watching the bikes speed through Central Park on their way into t2 .
It also made for a very interesting run. The top 3 elites ran together for about 4 miles.One of the elites dropped off the pace between miles 4 and 6 and then it was just Victor Plata running with Jarrod Shoemaker. Shoemaker took a commanding lead at the last turn as they headed towards the finish line about 1/4 mile away. I can’t remember watching a more exciting finish to an olympic distance triathlon.
How dare you! You know there is nothing more exciting then none drafting races. Long line of triathletes slaming on thier brakes to keep that magic distance because the sport has become to big to realisticly same that drafting might work.
Stick to the old ways I say! Who wants an exciting finish when we can watch some guy hammer the bike and be passed on the run. That is exciting!
It’s the old tired way or the highway in my book!
Yeah, draft legal can be very interesting, with a proper bike course like in Athens for the olympics.
Then you know that the winner is a true and very complete triathlete, strong also on the bike.
Unless you are a lady…
Unless you are an alien on the run (for whatever reason) ! Honestly, 3+ minutes before the 10k run should have been enough for Loretta.
By the way, Kate Allen being a long course athlete (most of the time), she must be not so bad on the bike either.
That may have helped her conserve all her energy for the run. Strong on the bike doesn’t mean that you will break away, it could also mean that you will be fresher than the others (with a tough bike course) after the bike.
I was replying to
“Yah, draft legal racing can be interesting.”
The ladies triathlon at the Olympics this year was a disaster.
“Some people complain that it is less exciting to watch riders in packs.”
Strange then about all this fascination and non-stop discussion here and elswhere about this little bike race going on over in France right now!
Glad you were able to see that style of racing first hand. If people would simply open their minds and have a better understanding of what’s going on they would see the excitment of this style of racing. It’s not for universal use, that’s understood, but I wish people would see it for what it is.
Good point on the rules inforcement. Consider this huge whoo-haaa right now between WTC and USAT and consider the volumes of bytes and ink that have been devoted to defending one side of the great drafting debate or the other. Consider also that this whole issue of who’s policing and how they are policing the no-drafting rules would disappear, if drafting where allowed. Again, I say this is not for all, but it was one of the key drivers when the ITU wresteled with the issue over 10 years ago. Finally they said, OK swim, bike and run however you want and the first across the line wins. That’s simple and straight-forward and many people in and out of the sport get it!
Fleck
Well, as a person doing lots of races, I would agree that since the age groupers should be racing for the fun of it, having the drafting rule get thrown out would make it easier for everyone. I know at the TBF for real yesterday, there was some guy complaining about a person drafting. I guess he does this every race. Who cares!! I know that I was having a tough time keeping to the letter of the law! I kept trying to pass this one person but everytime we hit a hill, I just could not keep up. I would then catch him back on the flats, and go through the same process. I always believe in any rules in life, they need to not be subjective. And, drafting to a large extent is subjective. Seems like the only people who really complain are the poor swimmers. I know for me that I am decent in the swim, and then the bikers pass me on the hills. I would love to be able to ride with the pack without the fear of getting yelled at or a penalty, since, I tend to be okay on the run.
So bottom line, get rid of the drafting rule for all. Or as Greg has posted, keep it for the “expert” class, but get rid of it for the age grouper!!
Dave
From the perspective of this age grouper, throwing out the drafting rule would be the ruination of the sport for me.
I have always been of the strong opinion that most local tris strongly favor the best runners. (Doubt this? Check the time difference between the median participant and the person who finishes a the 5th percentile. Running usually has by far the largest differential. Plus, we keep IM distances but not the difficulty - a olympic distance swim across the local lake isn’t even CLOSE to 1/4 the difficulty of the swim in heavy surf at Kona!) Anyways, once you allow people to draft you REALLY give the race to the best runner. It all comes down to who is the fastest runner in the bike pack. Wow, how exciting! We might as well just skip the first two legs… Since I’m a strong swimmer\biker but middling runner, my competitive position would really suffer. It’s already all that I can do to hold off the hounds baying at my heels during the run. If you allow them to draft, fugeddaboudit!
Yep, each person, depending on their strengths, either love or hate drafting. But, having a rule that is subjective. Is this better or worst for our sport? This is why I believe the “age grouper” division should be out their for the fun of it. If one wants to be “competitive”, then have the expert division. This way the poor RD can have a chance to be successful, rather than the AG’s always bitching about drafting.
Seems like the olympics clearly answered their opinion by allowing drafting.
Dave
Personally, getting smoked by slower people just because they run faster isn’t much fun. Turning tris into essentially runs is fun for those who run fast, but not for the rest of us. The way it is now, age groups allow me to compete and take home an occasional award, whereas this 44 yr old would never even come close in an expert division.
Conversely, one could say we should relax a bit when we see a guy drafting a bit (most of the drafting age groupers are ignorant vs doing it deliberately), since we’re out there for fun, eh? 
Bring your best bike, bring your best skills, strategy, and game and let the best man (or chick) win. Drafting rules are bunk.
Bring your best bike, bring your best skills, strategy, and game and let the best man (or chick) win. Drafting rules are bunk.
HEAR, HEAR.
I second
dave
.
Do you people really want me and every other clue-less, but enthusiastic cyclist hanging out a couple of inches from your back tire at high speeds (I might be able to hang with you for a couple of miles and if my concentration lags for a second, we are all going down)?
Do you really want to be in a peleton(sp?) with all those tri pohzers (other people’s word, not mine) with no knowledge of bike etiquette, all drifting and braking?
I do not care what Elite’s do. I barely pay attention to who they are (exept for the attractive females, I try to learn their names). But Age Groupers can NOT be given the go ahead to draft. That would be crazy… but it may increase the interest in the sport for spectators (morbid fascination and all).
GREAT point.
I’ve seen newbies to pack riding do very stupid things and cause crashes. Earlier this spring I had the guy in front of me drop his water bottle, brake, and then turn to get it, right in the middle of the pack. He took out my front wheel and caused a big pile up.
The elite riders can handle it. 95%+ of the age groupers cannot. It would be very dangerous.
Let’s keep the distance in there. Penalize people for unsafe and illegal riding. That’s the only way that it will continue to be fun for most everyone.
Good point. This IS the reality of the sport of triathlon that many seem to struggle with, that regardless of the distance or the format( drafting or no) this sport has always been and remains to this day more about running than the other two sports. Note that I said “more” and not “all” You do need to get to the run, well placed and in reasonable shape to strike out for the win or place. Here’s two bookend anecdotal experiences of mine that will illustrate this.
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My first triathlon in 1981. At the time I am a 15:00 min 5K runner. No formal swim training or bike training. About 100 people entered in the race. I finish in 3rd place mostly on the strength of my run. Passed all kinds of people on the run like they were standing still. I was WAAAY back after the swim and bike.
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Fast forward to 2004. Been retired from serious triathlon training for 7 years. Decide to do a sprint race( 750m/30k/7k) on a lark. Modest bike fitness but next to no swim or run training for a LONG time. Survive the swim. Hold my own on the bike. Everyone seems very bike fit with all the fancy gear. Get out onto the run and I am passing people like they are standing still. I am suffering from some weird deja vu. I run to 2nd place in my age-group and 14th overall in a 300 person event.
Did I say that it’s mostly abouty the run.
Fleck
I’d also add that I don’t think banning drafting at the olympic level would work very well, when all the athlete’s are so close in ability. Personally, I like the olympic format…and I think a lot of people are discounting how much effort is going into the bike leg.
Draft-legal in age group racing is not going to happen folks, and for a reason much more basic than anything yet cited here. The reason? Almost all of our races take place on roads open to the motoring public - and if you think the non-triathlete motoring world tends to bitch now, just wait until they encounter the packs that would develop in a draft-legal world. Permits are tough enough to get as it is - if we started allowing draft packs, they would rapidly begin to disappear.