Any bike with canti brakes can be set up any way the owner wants, and "qualify."

That's my rule.

And I sort of agree about looking around. I took a novice on his first 50K the other day (twice his previous distance). Once we settled in, he actually brought up the subject of being able to look around and actually see things. Things you miss when you're riding hard or in a pace line, or from a car.

I rode in a pace line on Saturday, for about 30 miles of 45. Believe me, the last 15, with another rider, side by side and talking, well, that was a lot better. I didn't miss lunch after or anything the rest of the day, so the speed was simply relative. When people start talking about their average pace, I stop listening, in most cases.

So build the tourer for comfort, enjoy the ride, and use pedals/cleats/shoes you can actually walk in. This way, you can enjoy another bonus. You can always hammer some other time.