How much effect does the conditions in Hawaii have on who wins/what type of Athlete wins? Over the last 3 years we have seen strong riders dominate (though they both run pretty solidily too!). This has surprised me as from what I have read the cycling conditions over the last couple of years have been good. I would have thought that the stronger riders would have the best chance to win when the conditions are slower meaning there is more time to to get a bigger gap. Is this just coincidence?
Is it just that the best long course athletes at the moment are the stronger cyclist?
Or maybe the good conditions actually aid the strong cyclists? Perhaps the benifit of riding in the “Kona express” is greater when it is windy? Maybe getting to the run with more fatique due to tougher conditions helps the strong runners to dominate?
I probably reading too much into it but I thought it is quite an interesting topic.
I think there is a tactical element here as well. There can be a group that forms and they ride at the pace dictated by, I guess, each other. A more “tactical” race where athletes are keying off each other may result in a slower (or faster under the right circumstances) race. It may be a function of the race circumstances too.
It’s interesting to speculate on this. The last three years have had rather benign conditions, by Hawaii standards, at least in terms of the winds on the bike. It will be interetsing to see what happens in the next year or so if/when the conditions get really ugly on the bike with strong and gusting, mumuku winds.