I suspect he was saving a whole lot for the run (and also suspect that the bike leg was long and the run leg was short - triathlons allow length to vary by +/- 10% on any one leg (though the total distance is fixed). This would help explain a slow-looking bike leg, and would also help explain a run that I consider pretty remarkable.A 1:17 half is about what you'd expect him to run in an *open* half based on his marathon PR (i.e., without swim and bike first), though I suspect he could run way faster than 2:46 with serious training. For the end of a half Ironman, that is an extremely impressive half, and the winner's 1:12:xx is a monster run.
categorically wrote:
It seems to me like Lance should be able to go MUCH faster on the bike leg.
In the 2005 Tour de France, Lance's last win, he averaged 25.9 mph for the entire 2200 mile race. In this half ironman he only went 25.3 mph for the 55 mile bike.
Even without drafting or help from teammates he should be able to go faster on a single 2 hour time trial.
Either the swim is taking a lot out of him or he is saving a lot for the run.
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