How good are elite triathletes?
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The thing is with drafting Tri races is that they aren't ridden as fast/hard as they would by a triathlete in a non drafting race. This is because there's no point riding as hard as you aren't gaining distance on your competitors.
Top long distance triathletes tend to be tremendous at long distance TTs.
He has been mentioned before but Philip Graves exploded into the domestic TT scene this year winning the RTTC National series comfortably and giving many of Matt Bottrill's course records a close run.Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
ABCC Cycling Coach0 -
Yes agree didn't mean to imply that the triathletes could only do 27mph in a bunch - elite athletes tend to be good at what they do and i'm sure that the guys in the Olympics would be at the very top end of amateur cyclists and maybe as testers would beat some semi pro road men (or even a bit better - I don't know). Because the cycling element is the least important and the way it tends to be ridden as a way of getting from the swim to the run I'm sure there are big differences in cycling ability within the group which don't get shown up.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0
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But you are all talking about ITU draught legal triathlon. Everything else ie longer than Olympic and nearly all amateur stuff is non draught legal where the bike becomes the most important leg of all.
In ITU stuff it's really all about how well you can swim to make the selection then how well you can run.0 -
In my own experience as a reasonable swimmer, no matter how well I swim a better cyclist will catch me, however no matter how good a cyclist you are, a better runner will take the event.
Not sure how many are aware but when the original fella's created triathlon (ie iron man), none of them were keen swimmers so they deliberately shortened the swim leg compared to the equivalent cycle and run legs. A swim equal to a running marathon should be 9-10 kms (1k of swimming = 4 to 4.5ms of run effort), instead of the 3.8kms - big difference!!'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP0 -
Bo Duke wrote:Not sure how many are aware but when the original fella's created triathlon (ie iron man), none of them were keen swimmers so they deliberately shortened the swim leg compared to the equivalent cycle and run legs.
Not true, the original race was a combination of three endurance events on Oahu, the Waikiki rough water swim, the round Oahu bike race and the Honolulu marathon. The waikiki swim was 2.4 miles hence the classic ironman distance.
I am not arguing though that the swim is disproportionately short.0 -
I'd say a triathlete will be better at cycling than a cyclist would at triathlon!0
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When triathletes turn up on my club ride, I steer well clear. Handling skills are very poor and I hate having to lend a spare tube to someone who has failed to bring even a pump.0
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Round here lots of triathletes come out on what are the local training rides - I dare say there are loads of triathletes that don't and which I never see but if a triathlete trains like a cyclist they will typically be as good at riding a bike as a cyclist. Many of those triathletes have come over from the dark side and become cyclists who do the odd triathlon.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0
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Funny you mention that as a black triathlete friend of mine used to bike and run like the wind but bob up and down like a rubber duck. He'd enter relay Olympic distance races, I'd swim the first leg he'd do the bike and run! It was fun because I knew the swim was my only part so I'd go hell for leather to place him in a good position that reflected his potential.'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP0
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Rick Chasey wrote:
All. Fairly sure his time up the Alp a few years ago was still faster than the fastest time an amateur did the L'Etape one year and he barely made the time cut.
Any idea what the time was?BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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The other thing to bear in mind though of course is that top triathletes have to spread their training time across three disciplines rather than putting everything into one event.0
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We've a few triathletes in our club, and to a person, none handle a bike very well. they are fine going in a straight line though!0
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Wasn't the triathlon originally conceived to answer who was best, the swimmer, cyclist or runner. Looks like it's answered that one then...0
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I've done loads of group rides over the years with various cycling clubs, not a triathlete amongst them, and still with a significant proportion of riders who have no clue how to ride in a bunch. Lost count of the number of times I've dropped off a bunch ride because I value my personal safety.philbar72 wrote:We've a few triathletes in our club, and to a person, none handle a bike very well. they are fine going in a straight line though!
Sure, triathletes rightly get some flak for being a bit ordinary as "bike handlers" but so are a big chunk of the local club numpties.Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS0 -
Wheelspinner wrote:
I've done loads of group rides over the years with various cycling clubs, not a triathlete amongst them, and still with a significant proportion of riders who have no clue how to ride in a bunch. Lost count of the number of times I've dropped off a bunch ride because I value my personal safety.philbar72 wrote:We've a few triathletes in our club, and to a person, none handle a bike very well. they are fine going in a straight line though!
Sure, triathletes rightly get some flak for being a bit ordinary as "bike handlers" but so are a big chunk of the local club numpties.
that's also very very true.0 -
what is it with unrepentant dopers turning to triathlon:
http://www.finisherpix.com/photos/my-ph ... l#88295267
This is Vino at a half-ironman in Budapest this weekend. His bike time was 2:07 - about 8 minutes slower than the (c-list triathlete) pros. his overall time of 4:26 was respectable for an amateur - he's no Lance that's for sure :P0 -
Crozza wrote:what is it with unrepentant dopers turning to triathlon:
http://www.finisherpix.com/photos/my-ph ... l#88295267
This is Vino at a half-ironman in Budapest this weekend. His bike time was 2:07 - about 8 minutes slower than the (c-list triathlete) pros. his overall time of 4:26 was respectable for an amateur - he's no Lance that's for sure :P
What was his run time? I'd imagine he's not really built for half marathons.
Sincerely hope he had a fully gold Specialized TT bike.0 -
YorkshireRaw wrote:Crozza wrote:what is it with unrepentant dopers turning to triathlon:
http://www.finisherpix.com/photos/my-ph ... l#88295267
This is Vino at a half-ironman in Budapest this weekend. His bike time was 2:07 - about 8 minutes slower than the (c-list triathlete) pros. his overall time of 4:26 was respectable for an amateur - he's no Lance that's for sure :P
What was his run time? I'd imagine he's not really built for half marathons.
Sincerely hope he had a fully gold Specialized TT bike.
1:37
this is where he realised he had forgotten the gold bike:
http://www.finisherpix.com/photos/my-ph ... l#88318319
full pics here:
http://www.finisherpix.com/photos/my-ph ... /1163.html0
