If you ever want to see some of the funniest shit at a bike race, hang out right before T2 at a Tri. I have never seen so many crazy-ass dismounts or stops as I have at races this year. All it takes is one pic in a magazine or watching a pro or good age-grouper do something, and viola tri trend.
What I speak of is the dance of death, or the bike dismount. Done correctly it is fast and saves maybe 5 seconds. For Elite racers that is important. For the other 97%, the acrobatics are just not worth it.
The best examples of dismounts are as follows:
My fave, the step over the top tube. If you are really brave and dumb, make sure your foot is out of the shoe that is still attached to the pedal.
The look staright down and not ahead shoe loosening.
The step through a la cross dismount, but oops, left shoe stays put.
The disengaged $250 shoe gets scraped on the ground, then caught, then flies from pedal.
The one foot out of shoe, one foot in.
Seriously, there should be a rule that if you try a stupid-ass dismount you get a two minute penalty.
If you want to see how stupid and unsafe you are, go watch a race. All the lemmings are doing it.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
One, or more, in every crowd
We went to the Patriot's Half-Ironman yesterday. After last year's event was cancelled due to a hurricane threat, Kara came back to exact some revenge.
This race is a topnotch event. Kudos to set-up events crew and Greg Hawkins.
Since this blog is about the DRAFTING problem in triathlon, I will not mention the swim and very cool run course. Having raced the road for about twenty years I know what drafting is. Getting back into tri's this year I know and see what drafting is. That being said, here are my thoughts on Patriots'.
There will be some people that have zero respect for their competitors and the spirit of triathlon. I was following the race, about places 20-50 for the first twenty miles. There were no issues in this group. Everyone went out of their way to ride a clean race, on some really tight roads. Once I finally caught up to the top twenty, to follow Kara, I could see there was some funny business going on. There was a line of eight that was rolling along, at least four were flat out drafting. Granted at that level there is very little difference in talent and speed, however a rule is a rule. The top guys were clean, from what I saw. Three things stuck out, Lucas McCollum is a stud, is that not correct Trdina? Ira Gallagher is an even bigger stud. This kid rode the fastest bike split, WITHOUT AERO WHEELS! Spoked wheels and the fastest split over 56 miles. If you can call a woman a stud, then Kara fits the bill. She had the fastest female bike split by 5 MINUTES, and top 10 overall out of 700ish. But, this blog is not about accomplishment. It is about stopping cheaters. I wish I knew the number of the Masters male who called Kara a BITCH, because she called him out for drafting her and then another guy in front of him. I followed the last 35 miles of the race, and saw this guy blatantly draft on 4-5 seperate occasions. I actually yelled out to him, " a little close are we today?" He heard me, and kept on cheating on. Poetic justice is when I saw him on the run, he was reduced to walking.
So how does this get fixed? More moto refs is a start. Less entrants is a solution. I am sure Nation's Tri in DC with 6,000 people will be a clusterfuck today.
Ultimately it comes down to respect for the race, yourself, and your competitors.
Think about it, THERE IS NO MONEY IN AMATEUR TRIATHLON. You just cheated to get a medal that is worth $2.39. So when your wife and kids ask how you did, smile wide and say. "I cheated my ass off and even called that fast chick a bitch when she called me out, isn't my medal cool?"
Drafters suck.
www.drafterssuck.com
This race is a topnotch event. Kudos to set-up events crew and Greg Hawkins.
Since this blog is about the DRAFTING problem in triathlon, I will not mention the swim and very cool run course. Having raced the road for about twenty years I know what drafting is. Getting back into tri's this year I know and see what drafting is. That being said, here are my thoughts on Patriots'.
There will be some people that have zero respect for their competitors and the spirit of triathlon. I was following the race, about places 20-50 for the first twenty miles. There were no issues in this group. Everyone went out of their way to ride a clean race, on some really tight roads. Once I finally caught up to the top twenty, to follow Kara, I could see there was some funny business going on. There was a line of eight that was rolling along, at least four were flat out drafting. Granted at that level there is very little difference in talent and speed, however a rule is a rule. The top guys were clean, from what I saw. Three things stuck out, Lucas McCollum is a stud, is that not correct Trdina? Ira Gallagher is an even bigger stud. This kid rode the fastest bike split, WITHOUT AERO WHEELS! Spoked wheels and the fastest split over 56 miles. If you can call a woman a stud, then Kara fits the bill. She had the fastest female bike split by 5 MINUTES, and top 10 overall out of 700ish. But, this blog is not about accomplishment. It is about stopping cheaters. I wish I knew the number of the Masters male who called Kara a BITCH, because she called him out for drafting her and then another guy in front of him. I followed the last 35 miles of the race, and saw this guy blatantly draft on 4-5 seperate occasions. I actually yelled out to him, " a little close are we today?" He heard me, and kept on cheating on. Poetic justice is when I saw him on the run, he was reduced to walking.
So how does this get fixed? More moto refs is a start. Less entrants is a solution. I am sure Nation's Tri in DC with 6,000 people will be a clusterfuck today.
Ultimately it comes down to respect for the race, yourself, and your competitors.
Think about it, THERE IS NO MONEY IN AMATEUR TRIATHLON. You just cheated to get a medal that is worth $2.39. So when your wife and kids ask how you did, smile wide and say. "I cheated my ass off and even called that fast chick a bitch when she called me out, isn't my medal cool?"
Drafters suck.
www.drafterssuck.com
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
New & Improved, with more piss & vinegar
Blogging may be dead, however Facebook is just not conducive to full text rants. That being said I am back, and more than likely not better than ever.
The purpose of this blog will be to point out to all in Multi-sport that, in fact, drafting is cheating. If you do not have the talent to ride on your own, too bad. If you do not have the cash to buy EPO, too bad. If you do not have the moral fiber to respect yourself, your competitors and the race, well that is bad.
Look for more to come in the future. Website, T-shirts, paraphenalia, race reports, call-outs etc...
Till then,
DRAFTING IS CHEATING!
The purpose of this blog will be to point out to all in Multi-sport that, in fact, drafting is cheating. If you do not have the talent to ride on your own, too bad. If you do not have the cash to buy EPO, too bad. If you do not have the moral fiber to respect yourself, your competitors and the race, well that is bad.
Look for more to come in the future. Website, T-shirts, paraphenalia, race reports, call-outs etc...
Till then,
DRAFTING IS CHEATING!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)