Hi Guys,
Just share with you guys what happened in IM Brasil this year… There was two PRO: Alexandre Manzan and Renato Dantas that did race as Agegroup athletes…
They were trying to get the slot for Hawaii … but this is WRONG… They receive money to train… they have sponsorship… They have all the time to train…
I was really impressive with the Organization… They took the slots from them !!! They did the right thing to do !!!
Congratulations to the organizers for sticking up for the true age-groupers!
At first I thought this was just another rant about retired pros now racing AG - but if I understand correctly, and they were indeed card-carrying (ACTIVE) professionals, the organizers and RD for IM Brazil should be commended.
Kudos to a job well done!
Khai,
That is what happened !!!! They are ACTIVE and very ACTIVE pros... Just FYI one of them was 7th and the other was 18th....
And after the race in the podium... ( because they were 1st and 2nd on the age group 25-29 ) they made a protest saying that Application was accepted !!!! This is wrong... Imagine one of us trying to consolidate a very high volume of training with Professional life.... disputing places with one of them....
They should be suspended for that! Didn’t Zack get suspended for accepting a beer from a spectator? (Please correct me if it was someone else, or I have that wrong - details are sketchy at best in this brain of mine)
A year’s suspension should teach them a thing or two about trying to cheat their way into Hawaii like that.
NO! Not Jugen Zack. It was Chuckie V. and yes, he took a beer (in a bottle, I believe) from someone and carried it on the run.
In my head I was debating between Chuckie, Cam Widoff and Jurgen Zack - but I went with the German 'cause hey… it’s beer!
the question here is if they have a current pro license. if they do, then the action was appropriate, if not, then i don’t think so. this sort of thing seems to happen with europeans as well. they come to north america, get an age group hawaii spot, and then return to europe to race pro.
i noticed that a guy named marc bamert raced pro at IM florida last year. he then picked up the hawaii spot racing 25-29 at half ironman california this year. he is registered pro at this year’s ironman switzerland. in my mind that’s a problem.
but this is not an issue of training time, sponsorship, etc. there are plenty of age groupers with that. some better than others. by racing pro, it’s a little tougher to qualify for hawaii (although in some races it is actually quite easy) by racing age group, you give up the opportunity to take home prize money. you shouldn’t be able to have it both ways.
brent
something that hasn’t been brought up that I’ve seen anyways, though I haven’t read all the comments…the fact that sometimes the only way some people can enter an ironman is by racing pro because they don’t have to enter a year in advance…I am an age grouper, but have a pro card…I have a chance through a sponsor to get a free spot for ironman canada…I will race pro if I have to even though I am an age grouper…just because you have a pro card does not mean you do it for a living which I’m sure has been brought up before…
just because you have a pro card does not mean you do it for a living
this is true, due to the unfortunate fact that there is very little money available in this sport, but that nothing to do with the rest of your post.
I am an age grouper, but have a pro card
no. if you have a pro card, you are a pro. period. unless you relinquish your pro card you shouldn’t be allowed to race as an age grouper anywhere, at any time. don’t try to claim to be an age grouper while reaping one of the (very few) benefits of carrying a pro card. that’s just sad. if you don’t think you’re good enough to race as a pro, you shouldn’t.
While I certainly understand the frustration with closed out AG IM races, I’m with kp on this one Canwi. If you are not going to commit to racing pro in ALL the races you race that have a pro field, then you shouldn’t carry a card. By doing otherwise you are watering down what it means to be a professional triathlete. Racing professionally takes a certain level of commitment. If you are not willing to be at or above that level, then you are AG. Otherwise you are just a pro “poser”.
To my understanding, if you qualify as an Age Grouper you gotta race as an AG, no?
To my understanding, if you qualify as an Age Grouper you gotta race as an AG, no?
correct.
I am amazed by this idea of using amateur or pro status based on the available benefits/awards on any given day. Whats next for these guys? Bring a few phony i.d.'s to registration with various ages on them. Check out the depth of field in each category and register accordingly? I can see it now, Alexandre Manzan wins the 45-49 year old category and takes home a case of powerbars at the podunk triathlon. He must be proud. Maybe with a wig and a jog bra he can take on Natascha in Kona this year. I think I will start suggesting this idea to athletes we sponsor. Maybe a quick email before each race weighing the potential results and exposure between age group and pro racing on that weekend. Something like" Hey mister pro guy, I know you have been training hard and are in good shape but the field looks pretty deep at this weekends race, may I suggest that you race age group and crush the field of amateurs. We will run a big campaign about how much better you are than all the other weekend warriors. Next week you can go back to pro when the field is weaker. O.K."
Occasionally a few of us ride over to the local Starbucks at lunch and have a coffee outside. There are two handicap spots right in front. It has become great entertainment, albeit sad, to watch the Lexus/Porsche crowd swoop in, pull the handicap tag out of the glove compartment, hang it on the mirror and then run off to do their shopping. Meanwhile some poor old lady is wheeling herself across the parking lot because Mr. “I’m in a hurry and I know someone with access to handicap tags” has taken the spot. I imagine these guys from Brazil would be down with that too.
Paul,
I’m british so not sure of the legality of that in the US, but what those Lexus guy are doing is not only highly unethical but very illegal - they can be fined heavily and if they are using a relative/friends card, this will be taken away…
We once left a note on a guys car who did this, aparentely he never parked their again 
Sam
Take a digital camera with you to Starbucks, take a few pics of those a**holes cars (showing the license plates), and email them to the local constabulary. I, for one, would love to see these cretins hung by the short and curlies.
Hi Leng,
i did not have any sponsors at that time(2003) for almost 2 years despite competing some races at elite category in Brazil in olimpic distance races.
My last sponsor was Pao de Acucar that stopped on may 2001.
Renato
Is this a record for time between posts?
I was just thinking that. And how did he get wind of this thread a decade later?
I was just thinking that. And how did he get wind of this thread a decade later?
Googled himself?