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Signalled by Marshall for Drafting?

Hi all,

Completed SD today at Ldn tri. Went well and was putting in a good bike section. Was in a group of about 4 cyclists that were of similar ability but were well spread out. I started an overtaking manouvre but cyclist to my left sped up leaving me cycling along side when a motorcycle marshall pulls up next to me and points to his leg and wags his finger. I can only assume that I was being cautioned for drafting or being told to drop back on my overtaking manouvre. Because I was concentrating on him I immediately lost speed anyway so dropped back. I felt this was a little unnecessary and did spoil the rest of my bike leg as I was paranoid that if I got close to another bike that I might be DQ'd.

Has anyone else experienced this ..... I really didnt have a clue what I was supposed to have done, the last thing I would do is draft intentionally but its pretty hard to to be behind other cyclists at an event like London.

Comments

  • i can't help you directly but wanted to let you know that i've struggled with the same problem.......when i know i an et past the guy in front but obviously he surges a little when he sees me.......what to do?

    Lets just put it this way......we're not cheating......we're just trying to go as fast as we can.
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    The person being overtaken is supposed to drop back.
  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    ... but only has to drop back once the overtaker's wheel has got in front.

    If the overtaker has got as far as "mid bike" AFAICS there's nothing to stop the overtaken rider from speeding up to prevent it. Which - as has been intimated - leaves the overtaker in no man's land with time running out to either geta wheel in front, or drop back out of the 7m box.

    It must be bloody impossible for hawkeye's to really judge on this ... if there are any reading here maybe they could give a definition of what they look for, and whether there is any general advice for what to do in such circumstances.



    didds
  • I did London yesterday how any one was able to distinguish between drafting and non drafting yesterday is beyond me, I would suspect that almost every single rider was guilty of drafting at some point because of the sheer numbers.
    I agree that if drafting is banned then there has to be something in place to stop it but they really need to differentiate between those seeking to gain an advantage against practicle riding.
    It's a shame it spoiled your ride.
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Well can I approach this a different but still on the same topic.

    At Strathclyde last week, where I acknowledge I wasn't having the best og bike legs, I had race num 307 sit behind me on a corner, he shouts something at. Makes little or no attempt to pass me. I still have the line into the corner. He then dives on the inside or me, I had to swerve to avoid him. I went through a puddle which was a pot hole in disguise and got a puncture.................................

    All in front of a marshall. The tosser won the event.

    I can appreciate that he was going for the win but surely as he was making no attempt to pass and I had the line into the corner then is this not illegeal?

    Ruined my bike leg, not just for time but mentally as well.
  • risris Posts: 1,002
    the problem is that i think a lot of overtaken cyclists don't respect the rule themselves - once the overtaker has got in front then you have to drop back. i had a chap at bath surge back on an overtake and i was half-way past him - i was so paranoid that i let him go ahead and dropped pace to be sure.

    he had an obligation to drop back, and somehow i don't think a marshall or draft buster would have bothered with any action. for my mind there is an over focus on the draft rule - there is an overtaking rule that needs to be spelled out clearly in briefings too.

    s11 - the guy overtook you on the left which as i understand it is incorrect under tri bike rules. the marshall wasn't doing their job if they didn't give them a penalty for it because as you found out it was bloody dangerous.
  • maltesermalteser Posts: 25
    i have a similar gripe about someone ... I got past this particular person on an MTB who then just settled in behind me from just past Galleon's reach roundabout (where I passed him) all the way until the hill just after passing under the bridge (a hundred yards or so before entering transition). The bugger was basically a bike length behind me, drafting so obviously it was unbelievable. The guy also had the gall to then motor past me on the last bit of that little hill. I was quite miffed ... I was on lap 1, he was on lap 2 but still ... well out of order ... i really doubt anything was done about it despite us having gone past a number of marshalls
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    s1 - this one's easy (I think..) - undertaking is a straightforward DQ. Especially on a corner!

    A friend of mine got a DQ (not London) for crossing the white line on a corner as there were three bikes going round at the same time and he had been preoccupied and nearly missed the turn.

    DQs for drafting are really unusual, especially in amateur events. Normally it seems to result in a time penalty. The only DQs I have seen this year have been for dangerous riding.
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Now I wish I had complained at the time. I appreciate he's an elite but there was a complete lack of disrespect at me. Yes I know I'm not as good as he was but I had the leading line and he ruined my bike leg. Time was not important to me but to have a good solid effort was, and I just felt after that I was focusing on what had happened rather than what was in front of me.

    Apologies for hi-jackin the thread.
  • risris Posts: 1,002
    i would suggest that being an elite made the error worse - an experienced triathlete should know much better than that and take a harder rap for being so irresponsible.
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    S11,as the relevant person ruined your event why not start a separate thread naming and shaming the athletes that ruin the sport for others.We all wear numbers,we all accept responsibilites,so go on,then we can watch out for the tosser.
  • sam wsam w Posts: 2
    Hi I can on the forum to look for anything on drafting as I did my first tri yesterday. Had been told beforehand by friends the drafting rule was quite rigorously enforced.

    Found there was a lot of drafting going on throughout - right at the start there were so many people it was unavoidable but not later - and the results don't suggest anyone in my wave got a penalty. A few echelons through the tunnels and at one point a guy on an expensive bike with a pointy helmet was blatently drafting me for while into the breeze, until I got fed up and sat up to have a drink (and hence slow down). Didn't get the impression the marshals were bothered.
  • SuzieDSuzieD Posts: 12
    I was shocked at London by the amount of blatant drafting that was going on, as a newbie I was being really carefully (probably a little paranoid!) and I could not believe the number of groups of men who went past me all together with no attempts made at overtaking.....

    Clearly unnoticed by the marshals....
  • IronABSIronABS Posts: 66
    I don't think its down to the marshalls to enforce the drafting rule - Its down to the Officials from British Cycling who are on motorbikes sometimes called "Draft Busters" - Thats why you see so many getting away with it, if they can't hear or see a motor bike they're safe.

    I agree that a clarification of the rule needs to be made to bust the guys who are purpossly drfting in order to gain an advantage and seperate us mere mortals who are trying our best to go as fast as possible as safely as possible
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