R R <newnovelann@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Congratulations to Seth Wealing and Susie Gallucci, the top U.S. finishers
>at the ITU World Cup in England. How would you rate the ITU among the top
>Triathlon events, ie: the Pan American Games etc...

ITU doesn't rate at all, since draftathon isn't triathlon.  

It also makes for some pretty boring TV...oh, here they are in the water,
now a few guys are getting out in front.  Here comes the pack, about 20km
in the bike they become one big giant pack again.  The former leaders are
now irrelevent.  And now we see the run where a couple guys pull away.

Once in a blue moon the breakaway group maintains a lead of a minute or
two, and sometimes that's enough to make up for having worked harder
on the bike than the run specialist who sat in the back of the pack.  

Exciting was the 2002 Alcatraz race, where Craig Walton was leading on
the bike till he got hit with a nasty muscle cramp towards the top of the
Cliff House climb, fell over.  Then Greg Bennent had a commanding lead
until the last 2 miles of flat running when he suffered one of the most
spectacular bonks ever and staggered in at 18th place.  And Jones 
motored up the Sand Ladder to take over the women's race to win her 7th
straight. 

In contrast, I've seen a half dozen ITU broadcasts on OLN this year and
can't recall a single remarkable event.  
-- 
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com