Handicapping the 2012 Field: Chris Doyle

 “Fes”….Louisville native and one of the original Pink Panty Crew….

Chris is returning to the race after a two year absence (brought on by a family move and a “business” trip to Sweden)

Strengths

• Experience…the only ELLT racer, as far as I know, who has completed an actual triathlon. That was true in 2008 and 2009 and, kind of surprisingly, still holds true today. And although the ELLT is 4 events, plus a prologue, and none of those events are in an actual triathlon, that experience has to be a considerable strength
• Stamina…on par with Chris Roy and Steve Ball (in their respective categories of stamina)
• Court vision…on par with Eric Shimp, but a better sense of when to shoot from the outside. Fes’ return makes the Hoosiers the easy early favorite in hoops. His field vision for soccer also changes the odds a bit for the Roadies v Townies game
• Mad skillz on the mountain bike (see below)
• His lovely bride is now a minister, so he has God on his side

Weaknesses

• DNP…too much time away from the ELLT may have eroded Fes’ skills, particularly when endurance becomes a key factor

Past Performances

In 2008, Chris arrived too late to climb and golf, but took second in mountain biking. For hoops, he was paired up with fellow Rho Bandit Mike Graf and they won three games (including the only game against the legendary combination of P Heffernan and G Cavanaugh), coming in second overall. Missing two events kept him off the overall podium, however. In 2009, Chris took an undisputed first in mountain biking, but missed ELLT 2010 and ELLT 2011.

Expectations for 2012

Look at those strengths compared to the one weakness. This all comes down to golf and hoops. If his golf game is improved and his basketball team takes first place – and they have the best squad on paper — and he meets expectations on the rocks and the bikes, this is a podium year for Fes. Of course, all that just means the expectations are higher.