ok, so i’m watching the tricasts on the ITU website, and it’s just so freaking entertaining, it’s constant non-stop action, not that i already didn’t know this, but man is there ever alot of pressure riding on these guys shoulders the whole race. It could be anybody’s race anytime.
I have enoyed watching the ITU races on TIVO. I think they come on OLN, not sure.
prolly in the US, oln canada blows. we dont even get the IM races… 
But man is this ever excitement or what! Holsten Cityman triathlon, WOW.
I realize that people are pretty passionate about this topic( for and against) but the ITU races are indeed great to watch. If anyone has seen one from start to finish, they will see that it is, very challenging, that the competitors are not just cruising along, and that it is great action. Unfortunatly, Americans who tend to be the most outspoken critics of this type of racing, have likley never seen an ITU race from start-to-finish. I only wish they had a chance to watch it in full and see for themselves what it’s all about.
Fleck
agreed, i’ve been on the edge of my chair all morning watching these.
I think ITU races are great to watch - I’ve seen two in person (the Bellingham Cookie tri qualifiers). They are spectator friendly due to heavy loop courses and the competition level is mind boggling.
OLN just showed the ITU Gamagori 2005 race yesterday.
true that. anyone who’s actually watched one has immense respect for these racers.
-mike
Ironman is overrated.
ITU racing is underrated.
I got to race Emma Snowsil once at a local half-iron here in Alberta… she kicked my ass nicely. I have a feeling she could smoke most of the female competition at any IM with her fitness.
word. i trained with a french pro for a few days this summer before the edmonton ITU. it doesn’t take long to realize that the back-of-the-pack ITU guys are absolutely incredible athletes; the talent’s just so deep.
-mike
the whole way through those races it could be anybody’s race. they are all mostly equal in every feild.
ITU is like NASCAR in the sense that they have found a formula that makes for close racing and interesting TV coverage. The draft legal biking has a lot to do with it. It brings a bunch of athletes heading out together on the run so there is drama until the end. Like it or not that’s the way it is. In contrast compare any ITU coverage with NBC coverage of Kona. It’s so boring that they have to fill it up with “special interest” stories.
I watched that race a few times, thanks to TIVO. But, I swear both ITU and WTC need the crew from NFL films to come in and do the production. We need cameras in the water next to leader’s head. Maybe wire the guys up with little video cameras (like helmet cams) for the bike (front and rear). We need to see the snot flying. Crashes need to be done in slow motion. I want to see the elbows getting bumped in the corners and hear the remarks out on the course. Show us the passing. Show us who’s dropping back or catching up. And, they could do all that for the men’s race too. Now, that would be something to watch.
-jeff
yeah, it is a lot of fun and “so exciting” to watch. i especially like to watch the crazy (a delicate way of saying ‘not smart’) tactics many itu athletes use. like 2 people off the front of the bike pack(s) working like crazy for an entire 40k to fatigue themselves into oblivion, while riders in the back pack(s) (who were slower swimmers) just put out moderately while riding well within the massive draft of the pack.
then, of course, as anyone could easily predict, one of the rested riders in pack cranks out a quite impressive 10k and whips the butts of everyone that was strung out ahead of them in the small rider groups. it is always such a “big” surprise and oh so “exciting”.
but the real surprise (to me) is how in the hell can athletes with such amazing and stunning raw talent not have the brains or coaching to use the easy tactics of itu races to their advantage?!? this is the part that i find so amazing. i just can’t stop myself from laughing and groaning at their hilarious antics.
maybe that is why lance was such an impressive rider. not only did he have enourmous genetic talent and drive, he ALSO had the smarts and cunning to actually use every available and legal tactic at his disposal.
oh well…
no, ironman is like nascar… ITU is like formula1 racing.
almost no drama in nascar.
Ironman is overrated.
ITU racing is underrated. Amen brother.
Who ever had the idea of miking them up, that is awesome. I’ve heard quite a bit of jabbering in some of the bike packs in the 6 or so ITU races I 've seen in person. Truly awesome athletes.
Some swim shots from under water would be cool, as well as shots of the tatics that come into play at the turns. Most triathletes who are FOP swimmers could learn a trick or three from watching turns and we all could learn something from watching th transitions.
I realize that people are pretty passionate about this topic( for and against) but the ITU races are indeed great to watch. If anyone has seen one from start to finish, they will see that it is, very challenging, that the competitors are not just cruising along, and that it is great action. Unfortunatly, Americans who tend to be the most outspoken critics of this type of racing, have likley never seen an ITU race from start-to-finish. I only wish they had a chance to watch it in full and see for themselves what it’s all about.
Fleck
I believe it was you who said, in another thread, that one difference between American and Canada is that Americans aren’t allowed to watch endurance sports for more than two minutes! You are exactly, right! I would love to see some coverage of these races. Silly American ideas of “sport”.
-C
A lot of those “crazy” bike breakaways are for the bike primes they offer. Five hundred bucks can be a nice little payday for many a stuggling pro.
In any case, the bike leg is a contant surging, sh*t-fight to weed out the weaker riders - i.e. me. I raced some ETU races this year for the first time. I also ride crits and road races with a couple of cycling clubs and can tell you that, in my experience, draft legal bike legs are much more tactical.
Also it doesn’t happen like this: “while riders in the back pack(s) (who were slower swimmers) just put out moderately while riding well within the massive draft of the pack”. I’m a slower swimmer and come out low to mid 18’s and for me, the bike leg is spent working flat out with those around me trying to get into the second pack. The faster guys come out and start ragging it straight away to maintain/ develop breaks and only really sit up in the last few km’s, if at all.
Luckily, I’m not trying to make a living from racing or else I’d be very hungry.
FWIW, i think it’s great to see a couple of guys burrying themselves of the front of the main bike pack. Occasionally they manage to hang on for the win.
What a large peleton riding at moderate pace followed by a 10k footrace ? The best bit is T2. Go back to the worlds circa '93 when drafting was banned - now THAT was exciting…
It may look like it from the outside but it’s far from “a large peleton riding at moderate pace”. See my post above.
Ultimately though, I think that they’re probably more fun to race in than spectate at.
no man, it’s a race to catch the guys in front… Theyr ace so hard and everyone pretty much comes in off the bike at the same time… within 2 minutes of eachother.
Say the leader comes in at 1:52:39 and another person comes in at like 1:53:00, the 1:53 is already like 10-15 guys back. It’s rediculously exciting. I’m going to try to get a few ITU national races in, not the WC circuit but definitely some canadian ones, HOPEFULLY. If i’m still not a tool.