Ok, so the Super League kicks off this Friday (Australian time). Who else is really looking forward to this?
Predictions? Do we see someone different excel at the shorter distances?
Is Alistair Brownlee going to dominate the time trial on the bike?
I am, but I’m also not.
- The format is overly complicated. This is supposed to enliven the sport and attract new fans, but with the complications new fans will not know what the heck is going on. Short courses, high action are great ideas, but this is not a good execution.
1a. I don’t think athletes are going to race overly hard for the first or second round to conserve for the final. 10 minutes between is not much time. I predict tactical more than “throwing down”, at least until the last round.
- Prize money is too heavily weighted for the win. $50K win, 25k second then counting down with 10th getting more money or paying deeper.
As it is, $2,500 for 10th means expenses aren’t even covered. I think this would attract much deeper fields and you’d have athletes whom were perhaps really strong cyclists but talented enough to win trying to thow down in their individual strength which would liven the race up a bit.
2a. A “Prime” for first across in each leg / segment / whatever could be exciting, as with intermediate sprint points in stage racing.
I don’t think the prize money and travel is that if of an issue
“The Super League Triathlon Championship series feature the world’s best male and female triathletes racing under contract” Gives the impression that they are paid just to turn up and prize money is on top of that.
As for deeper fields, same as above, athletes are on contracts, not anyone can just turn up.
Sounds too much like Super Friends
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Hard to get excited when only info is about this one event. Thought I read somewhere next potential event not until October? May change mind once/if the rest of schedule and age group events are announced and if any events will be scheduled in U.S.
I followed them on twotter a couple weeks ago, haven’t seen a single piece of media related to ladies, so tweeted them and asked if it were a sausage-fest or not. They’ve chosen not to reply.
Whats the story, have I missed something? Are there female events?
I am.
Gomez, Murray, Brownlee are the favorites for me. But young guys that are great in all 3 disciplines could be good in these short formats (I’m thinking about the late addition of Matt Hauser for example, who is in top form having just finished the Australian junior races finale). Jake Birtwhistle could be a threat (with his very fast 3k run form) but there are question marks over his ability to swim very fast over 300 meters and bridge on the bike.
Love the format, and to reply to a comment above, don’t need to know if there will be another weekend later in the year to get excited for this one weekend on Hamilton island. Wish I could be there in person (Macca, I haven’t received my invite in the mail yet??).
Will watch the races live on TV and record them at the same time (Foxtel).
I am. Always great to see new ideas popping up in the world of triathlon.
The issue of being male only is understandable, however they could have addressed this a little better. I see Super League as being a potential game changer in terms of TV coverage, something our sport has struggled with for some time. Hopefully the next version is female only and promoted just as well.
Have to agree - male only is just odd when ITU has done a fair job being gender balanced since its inception. (I don’t believe this is ITU, right? But these are ITU athletes being invited to the event)
Is it fair to say that I’m not excited solely because of Macca’s involvement? Is that topic banned from ST?
lol - I like Macca
Committing to a female race date would have addressed this issue. Being vague doesn’t help.
Regardless, im excited as im sure most people are. Nothing else to watch this time of year (WITH DECENT COVERAGE ANYWAY)
I was referencing the rape accusation which he ran away from
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It’s exciting but 2:30 a.m. here in the eastern US is either a bit to late or early for ideal real time enjoyment. My forecast is that Alistair and Javier will put on a clinic.
Hugh
Yep very exited for this. Some really interesting interviews and other snippets on their social media pages. Like for instance each athlete randomly drew another’s number to sort out the swim pontoons positions. Gomez drew Mario’s and slightly shafted him by putting him on the worse side, and then Alistair drew himself.
Not entirely sure what sort of shape Alistair is in but if anything this format is probably better for him if his run isn’t up to full power. He’s got massive amounts of strength and endurance and can draw on his swim and bike. Will be interesting to see what Murray can do given how short the swim is. Will there be any repeat of the sort of cramping that Mola suffered from in Island House? Obviously Gomez is in good nick.
6x1km loops on the bike course could break it up nicely as well.
Here we go again, let’s try and just find every negative possible…Geeze. If you bother to listen to or read the interviews, 25 of the top women have been offered contracts and signed LOI for the series. Look at the top ITU and long course, lots are out pregnant at the moment and can’t race. Once ITU season finishes the rest of series with womens events are to be raced during the ITU off season. I am excited for this first event and the others to follow, obviously so are the best athletes, that is why they are there.
I’m pleased to see things mixed up a bit but this format does seem needlessly complicated and repetitive. All of the events are some variant of a 300m swim, 6k bike and 2k run, they’re going to spend more time in transition and dorking around in between stages than actually racing. It would’ve been nice to see some longer format racing on at least one of the days, but I’ll be tuning in to the highlights just to see how it plays out.
Does anyone know who is actually behind this venture? I presume there’s some middle/far-eastern bankrolling going on here to attract such a decent field.
I think there is a lot of variety on offer here.
Firstly on the 1st day you’ve got triathlon away from the swim, bike, run format. You’ve got a swim finish on round 2, and a bike start of round 3.
On day 2 there’s a 6km uphill TT before they go off according to their time gaps in a swim, run, swim, bike, run that’s going to split the field.
And then day 3 throws a little game theory into the mix as the competition gets whittled down over 3 stages.
I mean it’s triathlon, there’s not going to be any Shakespearian twists. Ultimately they’ve got to swim, bike and run but to me it seems a lot of people on here are unnecessarily griping. But that’s typical of online forums, people will complain about anything. They’re even broadcasting it on their own website for free!
I am, but I’m also not.
- Prize money is too heavily weighted for the win. $50K win, 25k second then counting down with 10th getting more money or paying deeper.
As it is, $2,500 for 10th means expenses aren’t even covered. I think this would attract much deeper fields and you’d have athletes whom were perhaps really strong cyclists but talented enough to win trying to thow down in their individual strength which would liven the race up a bit.
2a. A “Prime” for first across in each leg / segment / whatever could be exciting, as with intermediate sprint points in stage racing.
It is weighted for a reason, to attract the top fields with great depth all wanting to win the big $$$ - this they have done
I doubt there would be too many expenses for the athletes as they are contracted, that is how I interpreted it anyway.
And 2a… the brief today mentioned they receive bonus points, similar to primes except they are seconds taken off their total time. Not little $ but could be the deciding factor in the big $$ final, so even better.
It’s exciting but 2:30 a.m. here in the eastern US is either a bit to late or early for ideal real time enjoyment. My forecast is that Alistair and Javier will put on a clinic.
Hugh
I will definitely be watching, although not live! It should be a fun way to begin the days this weekend.
It’s not that complicated. I think you and others are just used to the super standard stale formats we have had for a while now.
Super League is about bringing back the glory races from the 90s, which had every pro excited and ready to race. Look up F1 triathlons in Australia, and other super sprint races in the States from that time. Some were done in a velodrome - 25m temporary pool in the middle, ride on the track and run laps at the base. The switch up in order also promotes different kinds of racers and tactics. The fields were totally stacked and the racing super hot.
It’s not that complicated. I think you and others are just used to the super standard stale formats we have had for a while now.
Super League is about bringing back the glory races from the 90s, which had every pro excited and ready to race. Look up F1 triathlons in Australia, and other super sprint races in the States from that time. Some were done in a velodrome - 25m temporary pool in the middle, ride on the track and run laps at the base. The switch up in order also promotes different kinds of racers and tactics. The fields were totally stacked and the racing super hot.
If I’m correctly reading the website, it looks like tv broadcast partners were lined up all over the world to broadcast this event…Australia, Europe, Asia, etc., pretty much everywhere except here in the U.S. Is this correct? If so, I’d think it would be somewhat difficult to generate much “glory” interest here in the U.S…just my thought. I like watching the monthly tv broadcast ITU events but really don’t have much interest in “live streaming” as the only way to watch.