posted Aug 20, 2008

in my opinion drafting shouldnt be allowe4d, its not allowed at any race ive competed in and it means that the strongest overall wins. ITU triathlons tend to be about the strongest runner..hence gomez nearly always wins. I get your point, it may be more bring though. The olympic final was actually quite exciting because people did attack on the bike, doesnt happen often enough.

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posted Aug 20, 2008

The problem with non drafting for these pro guys is that it is almost impossible to marshall. I seem to recall it was the impossibility of managing this that contributed to allowing drafting. The trick now is in course design to generate a bike course that gives opportunities for the strong or brave cyclists to give it a go and feel they may get a reward.

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posted Aug 21, 2008

I have to agree with the original poster, I have raced / followed triathlon for 18 odd years now.
I have no interest in watching the ITU drafting races. I find them incredible boring, seeing guys sitting up on the hoods riding in a pack is not what triathlon is about.

Now you can be a good swimmer an average to poor cyclist and a strong runner and win big races.

I know it is impossible to draft bust as these guys are so close to each other. but drafing races are so dull to watch

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posted Aug 21, 2008

If the running came before the cycling would they not be more spread out therefore competitors would be in smaller groups and the cycling bit would be more vital to the result? Or would this upset the traditionalists? Or cause a problem I havn't thought of?

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posted Sep 10, 2008

They brought in drafting to try and attract TV Coverage. Marshalling the TT element with limited numbers of athletes is quite easy and since the DQ can occur without the athlete knowing the races used to be fine.
Of course in the days when elite races were non drafting us Brits were so dominant, Spencer 'Lord' Smith and an 'adopted son' Simon Lessing would have won all the Olympics for GB up to this one.
You had to be the strongest athlete in them days, and they are and will remain my heroes of the sport. I think the current format is a sham, it is simply not right that being poor at one of the disciplines does not disadvantage you overall. It doesn't help identify talent from teh grass roots either as we have the farce of having to pick up second rate 10K runners to develop into elite triathletes whereas the juniors in the sport have no elite to aim for.

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posted Sep 10, 2008

The rules for drafting where only changed for the 'PRO' waves, many to make it more interesting for spectators and of course T.V.
That is why you never see full coverage of an Ironman race, just highlights of the pros!!

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posted Sep 10, 2008

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posted Sep 10, 2008

they would be able to show full coverage of an Ironman race nowadays...

the number of packs you see cycling the course is getting ridiculous. the last race i watched was in switzerland where we counted groups varying from 7 up to 23 riders.

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posted Sep 12, 2008

Drafting has always been a problem in our sport. They tell you at the race briefings that if your caught you'll get warnded then pulled off after a second offence. If they ACTUALLY did what they said, on the downside you would only have a handful of people on the run!! On the plus side it would soon stop it happening! But, as we all know, there are just never really in truth enough referees on the course during the race, and they hardly ever enforce the drafting rules!

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posted Oct 27, 2008

Unfortunately, the only reason Helen Tucker got away from the group was because of drafting: no one in the rest of the peleton was prepared to sacrifice themselves to take up the chase, so it was a 'false' result.
Everyone knows drafting has ruined the spectacle and the credibility of the results. EESTIP's comment posted Aug 21 was absolutely right. The olympic triathlon was stupifyingly boring. What I don't understand is why in the face of such opposition to drafting, no one at the top is prepared to listen and do anything about it.

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