Where to find draft-legal events?

[Chronofish]

"Leon Fortunato" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Anyone know where to find non-pro, draft-legal triathlons
> / duathlons in the U.S.?

I've read just about the entire thread and I still don't get
it. Why is there such hostility. You may be man enough to
race every weekend, maybe even race every Saturday AND
Sunday - but you still wouldn't be able to race all the
races. Point being that even if there were non-pro draft-
legal races - there are going to be plenty of non-pro draft-
illegal races to guarantee that you will be able to race on
any given weekend with the format you want.

Not only are the anti-drafting folks against drafting in
their race - their against drafting in every race. I don't
get it. If you don't like - don't race an ITU style event.

On the flip side, I would like to see the Olympic Committee
pickup "ITTT" (non-drafting Individual Triathlon Time Trial)
as an event. Not as a replacement for the current Olympic
Triathlon, but in addition to it. This format would be a
true time trial in the sense that there is no mass start (no
drafting on the swim).

The "purity" of the sport argument is bogus. Someone sat
down and made up rules. Someone else can sit-down and make
up different rules. You either choose to participate within
the confines of the given rules or not to participate at
all. I guarantee you that no one will miss you, and the
"sport" will continue regardless of your idealism.

-CF

BTW: To answer the original question: No. It will be
difficult to find due to liability issues. Though I'm not
sure why it's any more different than a cat-5 road race.

 

[Harold Buck]

In article <SsJec.127$n%[email protected]>,
"IMKen" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I can not understand anyone drafting in the amateur ranks
> but of course there are a few with low character / self
> esteem that will try.

This is probably related to the "it's not illegal if you
don't get caught" mentality in so many team sports these
days. Personally, I don't understand how it makes you feel
good about yourself if you win by cheating, and if you cheat
and still don't win you must *really* suck.


--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Th-
en it was every other day. . . ."
- Homer J. Simpson

 

[Tom Henderson]

[email protected] (Witheld) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I agree with your sentiments, but you oversimplify the
> remedy. I observe far more "ignorance-violations" than "cheating-
> violations". Both diminish the quality of the event
> equally.
>
> Other than classic drafting, position violations are the
> equivalent to driving's "crossing-the-gore". Most people
> who do it don't know, understand, or care that it is
> illegal.
>
> rsquared
>

True, and there will always be a few who jump in without
learning the rules. I still don't think the solution is to
simply give up and make all tris draft legal. Besides,
imagine how dangerous a novice who doesn't understand
positioning rules could be in the midst of a peloton.

Tom

 

[Tom Henderson]

"ChronoFish" <[email protected]> wrote in
newsSWec.2167$S42.6@lakeread03:

> Someone sat down and made up rules. Someone else can sit-
> down and make up different rules.

I think the biggest problem is that the folks who decided to
re-write the rules did it specifically for the debut of
triathlon in the Olympics.

This also happened to another sport I was involved in its
heyday, beach volleyball. They changed the scoring rules,
put a time limit on the games and completely changed the
character of the game. Basically, all of the fans and
participants who pushed to grow the sport to the point where
it made the Olympics ended up seeing a sport they'd never
played in the games. The division between the pro and
amateur ranks grew, and the amateur sanctioning organization
fell apart. Since the amateur base financially supported the
pros, they slowly began disappearing into obscurity also.

I don't think this is as likely to occur with triathlon, the
amateur base is much larger. I do, however feel that the
rank and file triathlete has a right to feel betrayed that
their sport is not the one that made it to the Olympics.