WTC changes drafting rules for IM WA
A 12-metre draft distance will be enforced for the first time on the Ironman Western Australia bike course this December.
World Triathlon Corporation has initiated the rule to ensure an equal race for all competitors by stamping out the drafting issues created by the old seven-metre rule.
“The 12 metres will be measured from the rear wheel of the leading bike to the front wheel of the following bike,” WTC Australia general manager Shane Smith said.
“Under the previous rule the seven metres was taken from the front wheel of the leading bike to the front wheel of the following bike, which resulted in an actual draft distance of less than seven metres.
The action WTC Australia is taking ensures a true 12-metre distance between bikes.”
Smith also elaborated on other rule changes that will come into effect at Busselton, in the first year that WTC has both owned and operated the event. “A further major change to assist in eliminating drafting will be a new requirement for competitors to pass the rider in front of them within 25 seconds once they have entered the 12-metre draft distance,” he said. “Competitors may not drop back out of the 12-metre draft distance once it is entered, and failure to complete the pass within the time limit will result in the overtaking rider receiving a drafting infringement.”
Overtaken competitors must also drop back out of the draft distance within 25 seconds of being overtaken and before they attempt to regain the lead from a front-running bike.
“Immediately repassing prior to falling back 12 metres will result in a drafting infringement,” Smith said.
Drafting infringements will attract a four-minute time penalty, down from five minutes in previous years. There will be two penalty boxes on each lap of the bike course.
Ironman Western Australia bike course record-holder and past champion, Australian professional triathlete Mitch Anderson, said the move was a “step forward for clean racing in Australia”.
“It’s great to see WTC Australia leading the way in minimizing drafting and trying to limit packs in the peleton,” Anderson said.
“This gives age groupers and pros alike every chance to be the best triathletes they can be.”
WTC will also implement a “three strikes policy” at Ironman Western Australia 2010. This new rule will see any competitor receiving three penalties for any infringement throughout the race disqualified.
Detailed information on these and other special rules will be available at www.ironmanwesternaustralia.com.
Comments (13)
by bBoy60, 14 August 2010About time..what will all the "hard athletes" do now?? LOL
by Me, 14 August 2010First of all I don't like drafting in the race and I agree the people that do it are cheating.
by dazler, 12 August 2010However, they only needed to enforce the current rules against the "bunches" not against individuals down the back.
The new arrangements are Crazy ideas. In several races I have started to pass and either hit a hill or the wind has picked up and I realised I wouldn't be able to pass so I have dropped back the required distance. The new rule means I will have to "dig deep" pass the rider and then I will no doubt ease back as I will have to recover (which I hate riders doing even under the current rules).
It also means I will have to be riding at least 3.6kmph faster than the rider in front to be able to pass. That is a huge difference in Ironman.
1400 competitors x 12 meters = 16.8 kms. Good luck everyone. Looks like the long day could have just gotten longer. As per previous comments, old rule worked fine if it was policed properly. The large groups will still get out there and the poor bugger trying to make an honest effort, but just coming up short, will get caught out as usual. Best of luck to those going down for the race.
by Fred, 11 August 2010Wow - what a rule to enforce - 12m gap between EVERYONE out on the bike course and its a 3 lap bike course preceded by a mass start swim (great way to break up a field) What a joke, how many draft busters are you going to have out there. And what about with the pros.... think if the usual group of 8-10 get together and you want a single motorbike to now cover almost twice the distance for policing duties.
by biggy, 10 August 2010As for the quote regarding Anderson's comment "...limit packs in the peleton" i thought a peloton was a word for the main bunch in a bike race? I'm confused.
As for commentor Brett's comments - dude whats the difference between 7m and 12m if everyone's sticking to each other's wheels like glue? Its the rule enforcers that need to change and do their job properly. AND -the new rule is front wheel to rear wheel so Covering 12m in 25sec is actually more like 14m in 25sec cos you have to have your front wheel go past the person you are overtaking's front wheel.....
How about just a longer loop and a harder bike course and some wave starts?
Does WTC have the budget to close more road and also space out the day a little? Send the faster age groups off near the end --- have waves going from 6.30am til 8am. Give the older athletes a head start and you wont get bunched up until near the end of the bike leg.
Fun and Games really
too many people on the course is the biggest problem in my view.
by Brett, 10 August 2010wave starts would of been a better measure in all seriousness.
but good on the wtc for having a crack.
I think this is a great rule change and hope it is enforced at Busso aggressively. I am sick and tired of seeing people stick to other peoples wheels like glue as they draft their way to brilliant bike splits. 12m is easy to judge, it is 6 bike lengths and everyone has ample time to practice it now. And as for the whingeing about 25 seconds? That is a long time, if you can't cover the 12m in 25 seconds then perhaps you shouldn't have tried to pass in the first place. The rule is actually not significantly different from the current rule. The current rule is if you enter draft zone you have to pass, so if you guys haven't been doing that then you have been cheating the rules.
by nic, 10 August 2010so this means if you get passed by one athlete you sit up slow down and move back 12 metres. Then the next rider behind him is going considerably faster so he enters the zone and passes you, so you go backwards again and so on. So you may as well sit up, stop, pull out the picnic blanket, and watch the race from the sideline. Good on you idiots ruin the sport for the everyday athletes. There are 1500 or more athletes on course how many draft busters maybe a dozen. You will never stop the cheaters only ruin some poor athletes day that is just out of breath at 20 secs into the pass as the leader puts on a spurt of speed. The rules are very poorly policed at moment, a group of riders in a pack for half the race, and they bust one or two of them. JUST BUST THEM ALL. and keep doing it till they stop. pull them all over behind the front guy and take their numbers one by one and let them go at 20 secs intervals as you give them a warning then get serious on their penalties next stop. Soon stop something if you pull over a pack of 50 riders.
by TheCam, 09 August 2010WTC IMO you have managed to take two decent ideas and by fusing them together messed the whole lot up.... Increasing the distence by nealry DOUBLE, fair enough, ensures that there can be no dobut. Tick. You have to pass in 25 secs if you enter the "zone" Tick.
by beav, 09 August 2010By combining the two you have created an unmanageable mess that wil complicate athletes & TO's days alike.
What I believe this rule change will do is turn a huge % of the MOP field who try to race clean into cheats, ANS ensure that TO's take more flack because the rule is much harder to judge.
Was this rule change socialised with athletes prior to becomming law?
great point trifemme. the athlete in front could easily increase their pace if they see you coming. to avoid themselves having to then drop back 12 metres.
by beav, 09 August 2010great point trifemme. the athlete in front could easily increase their pace if they see you coming. to avoid themselves having to then drop back 12 metres.
by beav, 09 August 2010great point trifemme. the athlete in front could easily increase their pace if they see you coming. to avoid themselves having to then drop back 12 metres.
by trifemme, 09 August 2010Lets just have two sports, because we have a race organiser redefining the rules here.
by beav, 09 August 2010Nonsense, impractical, unenforceable, unfair. An athlete cannot control the behaviour of anyone in front of them, so the obligation to pass once into the draft zone is most foolish.
And why REDUCE the penalty? If you are trying to send a message, increase it.
Think again WTC.
both 12 metres and 25secs are very hard to guestimate in a race situation.
12 metres plus the extra 2 bike lenghts you will need to move back over is also a long way to travel in 25secs. Will take a big effort to overtake someone who is going only just a little slower then you. The passed person will also likely to have to brake or comletely sit up and slow down to then get back 12 metres, as after such a big effort to pass you the passer will likely slow down. I have no idea what 12 metres looks like on the road, Will be lots of arguments on course as officials hand out these penalties.Try and count to 25 whilst riding your guts out at 40kmh and see how accurate you are.
The 7 metre rule was fine. Just needed more effective policeing. No 2 persons guess at 7 metres would be the same so good luck with 12.
Commend them on trying something, but this will make for a frustrating day for age groupers with many a race ruined over guestimating. plus lots of surging then slowing,then surging,then slowing.