TTL Bulletin - Olympic Preview + Eric's Mountain Bike Race Recap
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Olivia Vallone
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StB2: Sold out!
Designed by @dannydrawls, hand printed by @dazeprinting, and hand numbered by the team, SHRED TIL BED 2 (Nick’s color) has officially SOLD OUT!
Thank you to everyone who was able to get orders in! We are stoked to see these out in the world. We promise these prints will bring your indoor pain cave to the next level, or be a lovely conversation starter hovering above a coffee table. Wherever they end up, tag us in your pics!
If you missed out on this drop, don't sweat it ✌️ We do collection drops every few weeks. Stay up to date on the latest drop by following our Instagram.
Happy shredding!
New Youtube Vid: Eric's 100 MILE Mountain Bike Race
Last week, Eric competed in his second ever 100 mile MTB race. If you want more than his race-recap in the pod, check out the latest Youtube show to experience a piece of his adventure!
It's a common misconception to think mountain bike training is similar to trail running, but it is a whole different game! It's way faster, way more technical, and way more dangerous. Check out this most recent vid to get the full scoop on how Eric trains to catch big air, tear through rocky terrains, and send it for 100 miles!
Podcast
Last week on the Pod, We Discussed:
🚵 Eric's Race Recap of High Cascades 100
🪳Paula's experience of having a bug stuck in her ear (gnarly)
🚲 What to watch out for when buying used carbon bikes
⚙️ Crank length, waxed chains, and ceramic components
🏊 How much faster it feels to swim in a wetsuit
🥵 Side stitches: Why we get them and how to prevent them
👀 The ON Cloudboom prototype
🧤When to wear cycling gloves
🤩The best 'do-it-all' bikes for athletes looking to reduce amount of equipment
Photo: Tommy Zaferes/World Triathlon
All You Need To Know About The Olympic Triathlon
Latest Update:
Both Races Tmrw, July 31st
Women's Race: 8am CET
Men's race at 10:45 CET
*Both races could potentially be moved to later in the week if the Seine's conditions do not improve in time.
The Olympics are officially underway and the triathlon scene has never been more exciting! The hype continues to amplify as 55 of the best male and female triathletes from around the world have gathered to compete in what promises to be an insanely competitive race amidst the formidable Parisian backdrop.
The course feels straight out of a movie with so many iconic Paris landmarks worked into this Olympic venue. The swim begins in the Seine, the bike ride on the Champs-Elysees, and a finish on the Pont Alexandre III bridge over the River.
Here's a bit of a course preview:
The Start: A floating pontoon in the Seine, at the base of the Pont Alexandre III bridge.
The Swim: Two laps, the 1st 910m and the second 590m (1.5 km total) with an Australian exit - when athletes briefly exit the water during the swim. Athletes will exit the water on the first lap, run the 20m pontoon, then dive back in for their second lap.
T1: Athletes will exit the water and climb 32 steps to reach T1 located on Pont Alexandre III. This is a demanding transition where athletes can burn a match to gain a few seconds heading out on the bike. In an interview with Bethany Mavis from TriMag, the USA Triathlon high performance director, Ryan Bolton, describes T1 as “rigorous” and compares it to dashing up a 50m hill. As a draft legal race, these few seconds are pivotal as they can determine if an athlete will be in the lead or the chase group.
The Bike: 7 laps of a 5.7ish km loop, 40 km total. Remember the Olympic Triathlon is a draft legal race, meaning athletes can form packs and ride closely behind each other to reduce wind resistance while conserving energy. This strategic element of the race enhances the dynamic and tactical skills required for a strong bike. Athletes will “feel like they’re in the Tour de France” as they zoom down the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysées. The corners in the course are actually pretty wide, meaning they don't require a high degree of technicality so athletes can pedal right through them. While the course has minimal elevation gain and a singular 180 degree u-turn, it contains varying road surfaces such as cobblestone. This course requires constant focus, a high confidence in handling, and will elicit intense speed from each competitor.
T2: Back into transition on Pont Alexandre III
The Run: 4 laps of a 2.5km loop. Similar to the bike course, the run course has a minimal amount of elevation gain and contains varying road surfaces. There are very few other technical elements, meaning this will be the most intense part of the race where athletes can showcase their raw speed. Bolton says, laughing. “The strategy will be, ‘Run fast.’”
The Finish: Right next to transition on Pont Alexandre III bridge
Unfolding entirely within the heart of Paris, the triathlon course is one of the most centrally located venues among all the events at the Games. While its highly accessible location can foster massive amounts of spectators, recent updates are making fans, athletes, and journalists suspect that this was perhaps an over-ambitious setting for a triathlon.
The Main Issues: Water Quality and Condition of the Seine
While the men's race was scheduled for today, July 30th, World Triathlon released a statement this morning declaring the water unsafe for athletes to swim in.
The issue of water quality has been developing since early this week when the Olympic race directors prohibited athletes from entering the water due to a hazardous amount of bacteria and E. coli. While the joint statement from Paris 2024 and World Triathlon expressed they were "confident that water quality [would] return below limits before the start of the triathlon competitions on July 30,” this unfortunately is not the case, and the men's race has been postponed until after the Women's race tomorrow.
The final call for both races to take place tomorrow, July 31st, will be made around 4am, 4 hours before the women's scheduled start time. If the levels are still unsafe to swim in, both races will be postponed once again. If conditions have still not improved by the contingency dates, the swim portion of the race will likely be canceled.
The River's Current
In addition to the water quality posing issues for the Olympic triathlon, the strong current is also presenting challenges to its execution. For the event to be safe and fair, there's a rule that the current speed of the river can't exceed one meter per second. According to Tim Heming with Triathlete Magazine, the Seine has swelled after the rainy deluge on Friday, and its flow has surpassed the legal limit of one meter per second, the amount allowed around the buoy turn before it’s deemed too fast.
When swimming against this current, as athletes will have to do numerous times in the looped course, experts estimate that an elite swimmer’s typical speed of 1 minute 10 seconds per 100 meters would be extended to around 2 minutes 45 seconds when swimming against the current upstream - athletes would barely be moving forward!
The strong current also places a significant value on specific starting position on the pontoon - the athletes in the middle having an advantage over the athletes towards the edge. Heming reports that athletes assigned to the sides of the pontoon were warned that they would be penalized if they chose to hold back after the gun and then run more centrally on the pontoon before diving.
While we hope the triathlon can occur without sacrificing the swim, it will be a great race no matter what and certainly a fantastic event to watch for all beginner, intermediate, and advanced triathletes! Paris 2024 promises demanding, technical courses on a sporting level, while ensuring the athletes’ safety. Scenic and urban, lively and energetic, these courses will provide the ideal setting for a thrilling and dramatic competition.
Photo via@worldtriathlon on Instagram
Stay stoked,
-Eric & Paula
(and Olive, the intern)
