Slowtwitch sez:

While triathletes are three-sporters, we resemble what the baseball world calls a one-tool athlete: Triathletes can hit with power. Triathletes are the DHers of the cycling milieu. No finesse, all swat. We can't corner, ride a cadence, sprint, or descend. Tactically, we belong in special ed.

But if you put us on a flat, straight road and you don't endanger anyone else's life by situating us proximate to—within 30 feet or so—the innocent, we can go like heck.