Comments on: IM PRO registration or IM PRO loyalty card? http://www.graemestewart.me/im-pro-registration-or-im-pro-loyalty-card/ Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:07:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Say NO To Drafting » Could WTC licences record drafting points? http://www.graemestewart.me/im-pro-registration-or-im-pro-loyalty-card/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Say NO To Drafting » Could WTC licences record drafting points? Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:51:42 +0000 http://www.graemestewart.me/?p=53#comment-4 [...] Officially this is to compliment their new anti-doping program and to improve the quality of competition, unofficially I have my own ideas. [...] [...] Officially this is to compliment their new anti-doping program and to improve the quality of competition, unofficially I have my own ideas. [...]

]]> By: maryka http://www.graemestewart.me/im-pro-registration-or-im-pro-loyalty-card/comment-page-1/#comment-3 maryka Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:38:23 +0000 http://www.graemestewart.me/?p=53#comment-3 I actually do think the AG standard will go up (albeit in a few years after the new system takes its toll). To get within 5% (slots) or 8% (money) of the WINNER'S time in a race to qualify is a huge change from 10% of the 2nd-place time which has been the system up til now. And the slots will be more toughly contested, no more cruising to a 5th place finish for that last Kona slot well off the winner's pace because your nearest competitor is so far back it doesn't matter what time you put in. There are a lot of mediocre pros who would make awesome age-groupers that will want to get to Kona some way or another -- many of them will drop down to AG again once they realise there's no chance they'll ever get a slot via the pro route. Personally I think this is a good thing for the sport... if you look at this year's Kona results, nearly 75% of the pro field finished *behind* the top 10 age-groupers and that's just wrong. Either the pros are elite -- like they are in every other sport in the world -- or they aren't. This is a step in the right direction to make the elites really be elite. I actually do think the AG standard will go up (albeit in a few years after the new system takes its toll). To get within 5% (slots) or 8% (money) of the WINNER’S time in a race to qualify is a huge change from 10% of the 2nd-place time which has been the system up til now. And the slots will be more toughly contested, no more cruising to a 5th place finish for that last Kona slot well off the winner’s pace because your nearest competitor is so far back it doesn’t matter what time you put in.

There are a lot of mediocre pros who would make awesome age-groupers that will want to get to Kona some way or another — many of them will drop down to AG again once they realise there’s no chance they’ll ever get a slot via the pro route.

Personally I think this is a good thing for the sport… if you look at this year’s Kona results, nearly 75% of the pro field finished *behind* the top 10 age-groupers and that’s just wrong. Either the pros are elite — like they are in every other sport in the world — or they aren’t. This is a step in the right direction to make the elites really be elite.

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