umm... too bad southwest doesn't fly to Abu Dhabi
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GaryTimTim posted 2 weeks ago.
+1, they're looping the bike turnaround through the F-1 course as well.
I just checked my work calendar and there's a chance I'll be there in March...might have to stay over a couple days for the event...but the thought of training for a 200k directly on an indoor trainer is kind of making my head spin.
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TryScott posted 2 weeks ago.
Not that there's anything wrong with Panama City, Louisville, etc..., but most Americans should agree that this abu dhabi is a big change of scenery in compareasion to what we are used to.
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aussieboy13 posted 2 weeks ago.
+1 to the F1 Track loop.
Would be fun as going down the finishing straight in aero :-D
bit different course lengths though.
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NotAsFast posted 2 weeks ago.
I found for $1030 for round trip on expedia. Racing the Abu Dabai F1 track, priceless.
Anyone really considering this. I would be in just for the fun of it.
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xc800runner posted 2 weeks ago.
Abu Dhabi (and to a greater extent, Dubai) are awesome places to visit. How many places can you go where in the morning you're driving open wheeled race cars, in the afternoon you're on a camel trek through the desert, and in the evening hitting the slopes? Seriously, if you're looking for an incredible destination race, you should think about this one. Airfare that time of year should be a bit cheaper (~$800-1000 depending on where you're at in the States), hotels will be modestly priced, and the weather will be amazing. 80's and sunny. Just don't expect any shade.
As for the distances, I feel this is taking an already bike heavy race and making it ludicrous. You won't have any of the top runners here (Crowie, Macca, Raelert, Henning, Bozzone, etc.) because the run is just too short for them to come back. And the swim won't hurt/help anyone much either. You can tell Faris had a hand in what distances this would be since he's a mediocre swimmer, kills it on the bike, but can't run off it (or really run at all, for that matter... his gait is atrocious for a marathon). It looks like it'll be a battle between him and Lieto, and maybe bring in a few lesser names who don't have strong swim/run combos. But as for it being a big draw for the pros, I don't see it happening.
On the topic of distance, if we're looking for the best all around athlete, why don't we make the race distance so that the top times in each leg are all about equal. In that, the IM swim shouldn't be 4km. It ought to be something akin to 10km. Where it takes your average AG'er 3-4 hours to get out of the water. So now it would be something like 3 hour swim, 6 hour bike, 4 hour run, which would correspond nicely to an oly with 30 min, 60 min, 40 min, respectively.
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GaryTimTim posted 2 weeks ago.
xc800runner wrote:
As for the distances, I feel this is taking an already bike heavy race and making it ludicrous... You can tell Faris had a hand in what distances this would be...
Yeah, the bike length is pretty ridiculous, and there is plenty of good running trail right along the Corniche/Coast so it's not like they're limited there. But you can't be surprised that the tourism board that is supporting both the race and the Abu Dhabi Triathlon team wants a course for their star to shine.
Glancing through the FAQs on their site yesterday they had posted that there would only be aid stations on the run and that you'd need to bring enough hydration with you on the bike. I checked it again this morning (to post the link here actually) and they changed the tune, now having aid every 20K...a little more reasonable across a 200K bike leg!
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wirebook posted 2 weeks ago.
Agree with others - that area of the world is rather interesting to visit - definitely worth the trip.
As for the course, I'm generally not a fan of non-standard distances. However, this one is so far out of left field that it's almost entertaining enough to make me want to do it...
-Ray
Tri Blog: Http://dcrainmaker.blogspot.com
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CreamedCorn posted 1 week ago.
50G for the elite win is a pretty good incentive to draw some names though. AG win pays for your airfare. Good luck GaryTimTim :)
Cream of the crop? I'm the cream of the corn.
Lets just say this is the most biker friendly course distance I have ever heard of. http://www.abudhabitriathlon.com/
I like it! Not exactly my first choice on a "destination" race, but an AG prize purse and a course that lets you ride on closed traffic 5 lane highways is worth a look. The entry fee is relatively cheap... too bad it would cost about $1500 to fly there from the US.