Anyone got any thoughts on this one as the big race dawns on the horizon ?
All top ten men from last year are returning…should make for some fun spectating.
This seems a quiet post on a hot topic. Did I miss an alternative one ? The bike leg should be interesting this year but even as a fellow brit I think Lessing will be too tired to do anything…
I think we all care about big cycling races rather than big Tris…I speak for myself anyway!
Fair enough Stephen. Any thoughts ?
Hi Brice,
THere was a thread two weeks ago titled Kona predictions. Check for it.
I think we all care about big cycling races rather than big Tris…I speak for myself anyway!
I think not.
To answer UK’s question, in a race where absolutely anything can happen, it is pretty hard to “discuss” anything about what will happen to any particular person. Generally, some pros will drop out, someone will go really fast at some point in the race and there will be winners. Not sure what else you can talk about. But feel free to start us off. 
On the contrary, if the outcome was easy to predict, then it would be boring to comment. Me think anyway.
We have a very open race at Hawaii this year (and every year more so as the pro fields get deeper and deeper), and that makes it harder but all the more fun to make predictions.
There is a trend that is developing and I am not sure that other have seen it. A number of short course athletes with outstanding credentials have jumped up to the IM disatnce with a huge fanfare. They have gone out and had some extraordinary races at other IM events, but when it comes to IMH, it’s the veteren long-course specialists that seem to always carry the day. I am wondering if this trend will continue this year or will this be the year that Lessing, Macca and the former short course guys break things wide open.
The three most consistant men at IMH over the last 6 years have been Peter Reid, Tim DeBoom and Cam Browne to the point that each of them is a very good bet to finish on top or in the top three. Each have had their problems, but they have got the race down better than enyone else and it’s pretty straightforward - stay close on the swim, cycle within your means but stay close to the front, then run to a top three place or the win. Last year was obviously an exception - the 1 in 10 time that the race for the men is actually won on the bike. I would not count on that happening again this year.
Fleck
I hope it is Lessing who pulls it off, but aside from him, I’d like to see Macca or Faris (proven in Kona) pull it off.