Comments on: Fixing Triathlon's Drafting Problem

By: Triathlon race results

Triathlon race results — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:11:42 +0000

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By: Guy

Guy — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:21:44 +0000

One of the three sports is cycling. Drafting is a key and wonderful part cycling competition. Drop the anti-drafting foolishness and let the all the wonderful, exciting, complex tactics and strategies of cycling come into play in triathlons!

By: wsjinames

wsjinames — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:09:18 +0000

Yes, that does sound sensible.

By: Patrick McCrann

Patrick McCrann — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:52:56 +0000

I agree that trained refs help but not eliminate the problem. My argument is that a core squad of refs will learn where (A) drafting happens and (B) where it matters. Folks drafting in downtown Coeur d'Alene doenst matter. It's downhill and twisty and so on. But drafting up out of town or back in…well, you want to be there. So think of it not as 8 bikes covering 56, but eventually 8 bike patrolling the right sections of the course when it matters (like start of lap one and lap two heading out of town, but not really checking for drafting after like 3pm b/c everyone out there is just shagged and praying for the finish line).

By: mikehedman

mikehedman — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:14:55 +0000

I think the penalty tent is a joke. For all but the pro podium finishers, a five minute stretch and rehydrate break is a BLESSING, not a curse.

I think a much better penalty would be a 1 mile out and back run, with boxes of tomatos on the sidelines, with WTC employees encouraging spectators to get involved.

That would be for drafters.

For chinstrap, position violations, etc, throw them in the sin bin. Or at least, no tomatos for them in the run of shame.

My 2 cents – no drafting. As a crappy bike rider, I would certainly benefit. But I hate watching ITU and what it's done to triathlon. I guess I'm a purist – there are three disciplines, and you do them on your own. I would hate it if some bozo sat on my wheel for 5 hours and then dusted me on the run. Or some local tri club shows up and a mob of 50 people peleton up. Not my idea of a fun day. Not my idea of triathlon.

Then there's the danger. Do we then penalize people if they're drafting, and in their aero bars? Do draft legal IM's force people to only use the little ITU clip-ons?

By: wsjinames

wsjinames — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:53:02 +0000

I think of myself as a clean rider, but I know I double-check where I am as soon as I hear those motorcycles coming. After all, it is sometimes difficult on a crowded course to ride by the letter of the rules, so you make sure you're being well behaved when you know mom is about to check in on you!

I have to think that anyone being intentional about pack riding surely is more aware of the motorcycles than I am. This is an inherent flaw. Your idea of consistently trained "refs" will surely help, but not solve the problem.

I would like to think there would be a way to involve silent observers along the route. I don't think you could deputize people to hand out penalties, but you could deputize them to radio to the various officials that "there's a pack just passing mile 23 as of 9:05 a.m." I don't know how effective this would be, but I would think it would be worth trying a couple of times before going public with the announcement that it was going to be the new policy.

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:44:38 +0000

Raced Clearwater last weekend and now understand what drafting really can be – huge packs in places. I'm sure a lot of people in those packs were happy to get dragged along, but I think most were frustrated by the experience (although probably, like me, happy to have a very impressive bike split). The problem is the course – if its easy for everyone to go relatively flat, the course has to be wide enough for folks to overtake. You can't really penalise people for not overtaking when its unsafe to try and squeeze past. More space or fewer atheletes competing is the answer. The time-trial start probably helped things – maybe implementing that permanently, but with a longer gap between competitors / waves would help?

By: Patrick McCrann

Patrick McCrann — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:30:54 +0000

Especially interesting since Graham Fraser is organizing Gran Fondos now…could be a nice way for WTC to stick it to him (haha). Seriously though…do that, and then have the “one” race where you have to be legal. So it's go stupid fast everywhere, but on this day, on this island, you gotta be solo? Or not?

By: Dan Socie

Dan Socie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:05:09 +0000

Here's an idea – make Ironman draft legal. Thousands have already proved that it's safe. In fact it would be safer because no one would be looking over their shoulders looking for draft marshals. Call it Ironman Grand Fondo

By: Patrick McCrann

Patrick McCrann — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:57:30 +0000

I agree on all of that, particularly the lack of a need for enforcement on the part of WTC since the events go on and, as someone else said to me offline, a lot of folks “want to go fast.” Maybe it's pressure from athletes? Maybe folks boycott the expo so sponsors are hurting so they have to lean on WTC too? Not sure where change can come from, only know that everyone wins if it happens…as opposed to only a select few winning now.