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Sold out races and sold out principles
Published 19 hours ago
Description
Kona, crowded racecourses and a cyclist who apparently thought “unsupported” included hanging onto a bloody van. Plenty for Caroline and me to get stuck into in this episode of The Brick Session.
We start with some observations from Kona, rather than a full results rundown. For me, the 20-metre draft zone has changed the dynamic of the race and made it a much fairer contest. But the conditions raise a harder question: whose responsibility is it to stop an athlete when they’re no longer in a fit state to continue? Watching professionals stumbling, collapsing and looking incoherent makes uncomfortable viewing.
Where does celebrating resilience end and somebody’s responsibility to intervene begin? Do we really have to wait until somebody dies?
We also discuss Lucy Charles-Barclay’s second consecutive Kona DNF and the difficulty of moving forward when you might not have a clear explanation for what went wrong. Sometimes there’s no neat answer, and that lack of closure must be brutal. There’s plenty of sympathy here for a former champion who has already shown how resilient she can be.
Credit where it’s due, too: Kona’s commentary and production have improved considerably. Will McCloy brings enthusiasm, wit and proper preparation, and I think he’s raising the standard for everyone around him.
From Hawaii to Portugal, where I was working in the media, we discuss the appeal—and the reality—of a race weekend with around 5,500 athletes. Beautiful location, huge atmosphere, but getting around, reaching the finish, finding food or even a toilet could become an endurance event of its own. How many athletes are too many? With races filling up, the appetite for Ironman clearly remains strong. But are we becoming too comfortable with congestion and drafting in a sport built around individual effort?
We look at young riders walking away from professional cycling and discuss what might sit behind those decisions: pressure, team culture, personal values or simply deciding the life isn’t for them. Without detailed explanations from the riders themselves, it’s speculation—and we acknowledge that.
There’s also a return to the Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee drama at Cozumel, and the criticism aimed at Henri Schoeman for carrying on to win. Should he have stopped? We discuss sportsmanship, competitive responsibility and whether the reaction was fair.
Then there’s Max Agut’s disqualification from the Trans Pyrenees Race after organisers concluded he’d held onto a vehicle on two climbs. He’s now banned from all Lost Dot events. We discuss cheating, credibility and why, for me, that sort of conduct should carry consequences well beyond one organiser’s races. “Human powered” really shouldn’t need explaining.
We squeeze in some swimming analysis before finishing with a thank-you to our listeners, patrons and everyone supporting Peak Education Nepal. We share updates on our projects, including replacing the roof of a small mountain school.
A few laughs, a bit of swearing and plenty to discus.
We start with some observations from Kona, rather than a full results rundown. For me, the 20-metre draft zone has changed the dynamic of the race and made it a much fairer contest. But the conditions raise a harder question: whose responsibility is it to stop an athlete when they’re no longer in a fit state to continue? Watching professionals stumbling, collapsing and looking incoherent makes uncomfortable viewing.
Where does celebrating resilience end and somebody’s responsibility to intervene begin? Do we really have to wait until somebody dies?
We also discuss Lucy Charles-Barclay’s second consecutive Kona DNF and the difficulty of moving forward when you might not have a clear explanation for what went wrong. Sometimes there’s no neat answer, and that lack of closure must be brutal. There’s plenty of sympathy here for a former champion who has already shown how resilient she can be.
Credit where it’s due, too: Kona’s commentary and production have improved considerably. Will McCloy brings enthusiasm, wit and proper preparation, and I think he’s raising the standard for everyone around him.
From Hawaii to Portugal, where I was working in the media, we discuss the appeal—and the reality—of a race weekend with around 5,500 athletes. Beautiful location, huge atmosphere, but getting around, reaching the finish, finding food or even a toilet could become an endurance event of its own. How many athletes are too many? With races filling up, the appetite for Ironman clearly remains strong. But are we becoming too comfortable with congestion and drafting in a sport built around individual effort?
We look at young riders walking away from professional cycling and discuss what might sit behind those decisions: pressure, team culture, personal values or simply deciding the life isn’t for them. Without detailed explanations from the riders themselves, it’s speculation—and we acknowledge that.
There’s also a return to the Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee drama at Cozumel, and the criticism aimed at Henri Schoeman for carrying on to win. Should he have stopped? We discuss sportsmanship, competitive responsibility and whether the reaction was fair.
Then there’s Max Agut’s disqualification from the Trans Pyrenees Race after organisers concluded he’d held onto a vehicle on two climbs. He’s now banned from all Lost Dot events. We discuss cheating, credibility and why, for me, that sort of conduct should carry consequences well beyond one organiser’s races. “Human powered” really shouldn’t need explaining.
We squeeze in some swimming analysis before finishing with a thank-you to our listeners, patrons and everyone supporting Peak Education Nepal. We share updates on our projects, including replacing the roof of a small mountain school.
A few laughs, a bit of swearing and plenty to discus.