Four reasons not to go to Cleveland

Question:

Some people just can’t win, can they? Everyone (myself included) gripes about drafting all the time. So Cleveland (the amateur race anyway) designs a course wide enough to accommodate everyone ..w/out drafting…and now it is "boring." Well, I’d rather have a "boring" course w/out drafting, then a scenic ride through Shaker Heights w/ drafting b/c the course is too narrow any day! Traci Riccitello

Response:

Methinks it was a sour grapes sort of thing…..Since it’s an itu world cup race, maybe we’ll go somewhere else…it was a boring course anyway, it’s always too hot there, muggy too,…you get the idea. I’m guessing that the widened course would be loudly hailed as a welcome revision in the abscence of the itu involvement. So, Jim, Traci… What’s the fallout been from the lobbying of the US pros by USAT, itu, other athletes, etc. regarding the recent itu congress stuff, draft-legalization, etc? Does all this cause much concern among the folks who make a living in this sport? Kurian Davis

Response:

I have enjoyed the Cleveland NCC tri four of the past five years as a "Citizen Racer".

I have done this race since 1988 (with a few only a couple of misses). It is often the highlight of the year, but the conditions have been deteriorating. Now I have a list of four reasons not to go. 1. The new bike course sucks. I love the old course through Shaker Lakes.

I disagree with you here. The old course was fun, but could be dangerous with its narrow, pot holed roads through the Shaker neighborhoods, the snake like down hill leaving Shaker Hts that was difficult for most novice triathletes making it dangerous for faster bikers, crossing Euclid Avenue (twice) is not safe (even on a Sunday morning), and riding Martin Luther King Drive is not wide enough with cars and riders in both directions. Just to name a few… Outside of the safety issue, the old course was a draft fest, especially in the neighborhoods. The new course virtually assures that the age-group and citizens races can be virtually draft free and safer. The course is very similar to what Leon’s Tri has enjoyed for years (BTW: Leon’s is not know for its scenery or sweet smell either, but jeez…they’re both though industrial centers within metro areas. We can’t have farmland for every race.). I don’t believe we athletes should understate the work that a race director must do to convince a major city to shutdown its main inner city expressway to cars so that a triathlon can take place. It’s hard for me to believe a better corporate race sponsor then the National City Corporation (NCC). If race directors courted and held sponsors like Caress has with NCC, we wouldn’t need to talk about pro’s drafting to get TV to attract $$ for the pros, the federations, and the equipment sellers. 2. The transition area is a disaster. Broken glass …

This is a problem. An athlete’s responsibility, but the race director could help here. 3. Drafting. OK, I race against myself, but it still galls me.

I agree here also, but that’s a pro’s decision. The age-group race should not have any drafting with the new bike course unless the age-grouper WANTS to draft. 4. The entry fee is now $100 for the Citizen’s Race. Prereg in March is only $80, but preregistration that early is little more than a gamble.

This is what really gets me mad. I feel that I’m providing the funding for all the other races that are planned to occur that weekend. We’re asked for this outrageous amount especially by March 1! You’d think that we’d get a discount as a "good customer" as opposed to "hey, sucker, you’ve done this race before…so how about financing us?" PS: Mike S. – sorry to have picked your original posting apart. It gave me an opportunity to get some of my opinions off my chest. I’ve felt this way about NCC since I received the early "financing" mailing. So, thanks!

Response:

A $100 entry fee is absolutely a ridiculous rip-off for a race of this length. If you pay this much to race in Cleveland, then…well…I can’t say it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I have enjoyed the Cleveland NCC tri four of the past five years as a "Citizen Racer". It is often the highlight of the year, but the conditions have been deteriorating. Now I have a list of four reasons not to go. 1. The new bike course sucks. I love the old course through Shaker Lakes. 2. The transition area is a disaster. Broken glass covered the place where we waited to take off for the swim. One guy in my wave dropped before starting because of the nasty shard of glass he had to pull out of his foot. 3. Drafting. OK, I race against myself, but it still galls me. 4. The entry fee is now $100 for the Citizen’s Race. Prereg in March is only $80, but preregistration that early is little more than a gamble. Sorry Cleveland, Muncie is looking better all the time. Her’s your chance to give me one good reason to try come back.

– Marty Miller (aka The Noodle) Proprietor of "The Triathlete’s Web" http://w3.one.net/~triweb/triweb.html

Response:

I have enjoyed the Cleveland NCC tri four of the past five years as a "Citizen Racer". It is often the highlight of the year, but the conditions have been deteriorating. Now I have a list of four reasons not to go. 1. The new bike course sucks. I love the old course through Shaker Lakes. 2. The transition area is a disaster. Broken glass covered the place where we waited to take off for the swim. One guy in my wave dropped before starting because of the nasty shard of glass he had to pull out of his foot. 3. Drafting. OK, I race against myself, but it still galls me. 4. The entry fee is now $100 for the Citizen’s Race. Prereg in March is only $80, but preregistration that early is little more than a gamble. Sorry Cleveland, Muncie is looking better all the time. Her’s your chance to give me one good reason to try come back.

Response:

As I raced at NCC last year too I can agree with you about all of those issues. The new bike course is the most boring thing I’ve ever done. Woohoo another old building. The air isn’t all that great either. Transistion was bad, but that was due to the construction that was still taking place, by August that should be fine. However the exit from the water is horrible. The ramp we ran up didn’t have rails and I saw 3 people fall off and take a long fall back into the water. I don’t know what Muncie’s like but it has to be better than National City.

Response:

Filed under: Lobbying

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