Amen brother. I had a blast. I attacked every chance I got. Does this mean that Slowtwitchers will boycott 70.3 races becuase the drafting is just too much for them to handle? Man, I hope they boycott full IM’s too so it is easier for me to get in.
You people need to relax. You are all still MOP’ers (OK, most), so just chill and enjoy the races…if you are capable.
Clearwater is here to stay…and I think it was awesome!!
It had nothing to do with your racing capabilities but with wanting a fair race on the Championship for the series. I didn’t do Clearwater this year for health issues but I did last year and while I enjoyed the experience very much and the race organization was 1st class except of the bike, I agree with what Aztec said ; those who cheated justified their position by stating everyone is doing it, but in the end it was their choice.
Last year I can say I rode legal most of the time. Coming out of town it was difficult and I drafted for a few moments when getting into the high way as a pack was forming. Once on the highway it was easy to drop back from the group and ride legally. In fact I was constantly trying to get away from the packs because it was dangerous out there. 20-30 tri geeks with poor handling skills riding 25+ mph on a narrow lane, with traffic to the right (or left) and most on the aero bars, that was just an accident waiting to happen.
Anyway, I don’t feel I earned my bike split, I rode 10 min faster of my PR. Granted due to the great tail wind we got on the highway after the turn around and the legal drafting I could have ridden faster than my PR but prob no more than 5 min (+/-) specially given my power average.
This year one of my athletes who usually place at most big 70.3 races on her AG barely broke top 20. It was as bit upsetting to say the least because many of the girls that beat her had 25-30 min PRs on the bike. Many qualified to the WC just a few months ago on flatfish courses and rode a lot slower, but magically within 8 weeks of training they went faster than female pros!
Anyway, my athlete is not going to go back because she is disappointed with the cheaters. I am not going to go back after learning nothing has changed from last year to this year. Many athletes I know won’t go back or won’t consider taking their slot and go there for the 1st time until something changes there. Is that a boycott? Hardly, we are just a group of athletes who are disappointed as to how that aspect of the WC has become such a problme over the past years and until things change we’ll be happy to spend our time, energy and $$ somewhere else.
Some (many) of us enjoy racing the 70.3 distance and we don’t care for IM. For those of us knowing we can compete year around and go to the WC and test ourselves against some of the best athletes at that distance is what fuel our motivation/desire to do better. The 70.3 WC offers that opportunity and at the end of the day placing will be irrelevant, but you do want to compete and test yourself in a fair playground where we all play by the same rules. I don’t think it is unreasonable for us as athlete to have high expectations from WC for the series do you? I mean it IS the 70.3 WC and not your local small race. I am sure mnay athletes whether FOP to BOP will be happy to go to Clearwater and enoy those racing conditions so you are right the race is here to stay; although IMO it won’t necessarly continue to bring the best athletes (speed or integrity wise)
I simply point out there error (in knowing the rules and in their judgement). I’m not well known for calling a spade a shovel. (a spade is a spade and a cheater is a cheater)