In a sport where seconds can define careers, French triathlon star Sam Laidlow is taking a clear stance: the traditional 12-meter draft zone is no longer good enough.
Laidlow has thrown his support behind Challenge Family’s more stringent 20-meter drafting rule, arguing that it’s the only way to ensure truly fair racing. While Challenge Family implemented the 20-meter regulation at many of its events several years ago, some high-profile races – including Challenge Roth – continue to operate with the shorter, 12-meter standard.
That inconsistency doesn’t sit well with Laidlow. In fact, the Challenge Roth winner and former Ironman World Champion recently took the initiative to make RaceRanger data from Challenge Roth public, revealing which athletes may have gained unfair advantages through drafting.
Speaking to TRI247, Laidlow emphasized that only at twenty meters a race can be truly fair. Anything less still allows for bunching and pack dynamics that skew results. According to Laidlow, 12-meter gaps still allow athletes to benefit from reduced aerodynamic drag, particularly when riding in large groups.
He’s not alone in that opinion.
British triathlon veteran Joe Skipper has also voiced frustration – not just about drafting between athletes, but the role of motorbikes on the course. “We need to see the impact motor bikes are having on races around the world. I’ve picked my races this year primarily on which races will have the least motorbikes and don’t want it to be a deciding factor anymore. Motorbikes are problematic in triathlon because they create a huge drafting pull.”
