Even with men having competed in Nice in the inaugural edition of a European IM World Championship last year, a fair amount of curiosity still remained around what Nice is like as a world championship host as the women’s IM World Championship rolled around this past September.

My hope is that by sharing my experiences – both good and “could’ve been better” – I lift the shroud of mystery around this new host of the IM World Championships and clarify some common questions asked about the venue and experience.

My personal adventure in Nice was a tough one: it was actually my first-ever DNF in more than 15 years of triathlon, nine years of IMs and 14 Ironman start lines.

I faced a few unexpected challenges during race week (don’t we all), but perhaps most damning was the fact that I slipped and fell on a marble staircase a handful of days out from race day and landed right on my lower spine vertebrae, full force, no banister to catch me, on the edge of a stair and then proceeded to slide down six more stairs.

The ensuing bruise was pretty gnarly, as was the stiffness and pain. I got to the halfway point on the run and decided that’s enough Nice and triathlon for me for one week. No regrets, DNFs happen, my ego is less bruised than my low back.

Regardless of my unique race situation, I still had some takeaways about racing a World Championship in Nice. This was my third IM World Championship, the last two having been in Kona in 2022 and 2023. 

I was curious to see what Nice was like, because they are so vastly different. 

The oh-so-shocking gist is this: Nice is a World Champs-worthy course, that much has already been said and agreed on by the general triathlon population. It is not Kona, it is not trying to be Kona, we all need to get away from using Kona as our Holy Grail for a World Championship.

That being said, Nice was good but still had some drawbacks. Let’s dive into the “good” and the “what could be better.”

The Good

There are two obviously very good things about Nice. The first one is that it allows women to have their own race day (this is not dependent on Nice per se, but more so on a second World Champs location/separate race day) and the second one is that Nice is far easier to get to for most of the world than a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean.

The City

The lodging and dining options are extremely plentiful in Nice, so much so that you can stay there for well over a week and never repeat a cafe or brasserie twice if desired. I never had to wait more than a few minutes to be seated at a table to begin a meal, and as a pescatarian, I had plenty of seafood or vegetarian options at most places.

Nearly everything you could need is within walking distance, and there is really no reason to get a car given how plentiful Uber and taxis are should you need to go a bit farther. If you want to drive the bike course, renting a car for a day is easy and relatively inexpensive. On race day, there is no need to fret about where to park because you and your support crew will likely be able to walk to and from the race area.

The Race Course

Some people are saying that Nice is a harder course than Kona. I think they’re both challenging, but in very different ways. 

Nice is more “traditionally” challenging in that its bike course packs in tons of elevation changes and a twisty descent and its run is a four-loop death march that truly tests one’s mental fortitude, even with the vibrant crowds in the miles near the Promenade. 

Kona sneaks up on you. The bike course can have wicked wind, but even when it doesn’t, eventually the heat and exposure can leave even the best athletes feeling knackered, just in time to tackle a lonely, rolling marathon as you bake in the sun. 

Let me say that a massive “good thing” about Nice was the volunteers. This is true for every triathlon I’ve ever done. Thank you to every volunteer who devoted some of their time to making this race, and the men’s race last year, possible.

The Nice swim was a lot more fun than Kona’s swim, in my opinion (all of this is just my opinion, remember). There were fewer sighting buoys between the turn buoys and that meant you could truly pick your own line and have fun with it. The intense swells this year on the Nice swim made for some pleasant adversity, too. 

The bike course is epic, from the climb to the tundra-esque plateau to the ripping descent. I actually think that most age groupers would do well to consider doing this bike course on a road bike, which lowers the barrier to entry for some. In Kona, you most definitely need a time trial bike to be at your fastest. 

The run is well-supported nearly the entire way of each lap, with the miles back towards town feeling like a big party. No lonely marathon vibes in Nice.

The Women-Only Vibe

I don’t think we can ever go back to having women and men pros race on the same day for an IM World Champs. It’s been proven now how epic it is to focus on the pro women in their own separate race; they can now get the full attention they deserve during an IM World Championship. 

I also heard a lot of age group women saying they were glad not to be contending with male athletes on such a dynamic bike course, especially on the descent. To be surrounded only by fellow women was a relief, it seemed, for many toeing the line on Sunday.

Plus, this course gave women who don’t find success as easily in Kona the chance to find it on a hillier, colder, and more varied course. This is good for both pros and amateurs alike.

What Could Be Better

Just like with any large-scale event, there are always things that could be better, or that you wish were able to change but maybe can’t. As epic as the bike course was during the race, as well as all of the other good things I just listed, I still have a few gripes about IMWC Nice, too.

The City

Believe it or not, this was my first-ever trip to Europe (but not my first trip internationally), and a few things that may have been “givens” for those who have been to Europe were a bit of culture shock for me.

I think I experienced a bit of Paris Syndrome when I visited Nice. I was sold on crystal-clear blue waters, a quaint European experience, sunny skies and birds chirping with every step. Was I a bit naive to think this would all pan out? Yes, absolutely, but hindsight is 20/20.

For those coming from locales where cigarettes are not as common, Nice (and other parts of Europe in general, I’m told) may take a bit of getting used to. Cigarette smoking is part of the social culture in Nice, and most outdoor patios and pedestrian-filled streets brought with them a faint smokey haze that, at times, left me with a bit of a headache.

Additionally, elevators are the exception, not the rule in Nice (and again, in other parts of Europe). You should expect to utter a few expletives as you haul your bike box and other luggage through the narrow sidewalks and up a few flights of stairs. The mainstream hotels have elevators, but it’s unlikely your AirBnb or short-term rental will. If you travel with a companion, this will be less difficult than traveling solo as I was for my arrival and departure.

Neither of the things listed are insurmountable or trip-ruining obstacles, but are two things I wish I’d been more prepared for heading to Nice, so I share them in the hopes of apprising others who also may not be as familiar with France.

The Race Course

I have no real gripes about the swim course; I thought it was fun and a nice break from the typical rectangular swim courses of most IMs. 

My biggest issue with the bike course was that it was ( for the most part) open to cars in both directions. From both pros and amateurs alike, I’ve heard and seen stories of far too many racers almost getting hit by cars during IMWC Nice this year. At one point, I had a van suddenly pull out in front of me on the descent and at that moment, I’ve never been happier to have disc brakes. 

I do want to give credit where credit is due, which is the fact that IM successfully worked with all 17 of the small villages through which the bike course passes, getting permission to send more than a thousand cyclists through these tiny towns on a random Sunday in September. I can’t imagine such a feat in the U.S. or many other countries.

I’d like to see some improvements regarding traffic on the bike course; I don’t think we’ll ever see a fully closed course in Nice, but a bit more education about the event with regards to traffic flow in local areas could be helpful for drivers and cyclists alike.

A small gripe is that bike Personal Needs was super easy to miss, if you planned on using it. It was located on the opposite side of a roundabout and there was one sign a few feet before the roundabout notifying you of it. Of course, it is the athlete’s job to know the race course, but I think more signage beginning a half-mile or so before Personal Needs would be helpful. 

A four-loop run is one loop too many, to me. And I’m one to talk, I DNF’d at the second loop! I don’t think there’s anything to be done about four loops, but whew, that’s a lot of times to run a flat 10km-ish lap. 

I also want to note that while the crowd support was appreciated for the miles of the run course that ran parallel to the Promenade, the amount of spectators smoking cigarettes while cheering on athletes led to an uncomfortable amount of cigarette smell for an Ironman. And it’s not just me who thought this – 40-44 age group World Champion Jana Richtrova shared her thoughts about this on Instagram, too.

Again, not sure what can be done about that, but I was glad to hear I wasn’t the only one who thought the air quality of the run course was “meh” in that section.

The Women-Only Vibe

We’ve already established that gender-separated IM World Championships are both good for the sport and likely the way things are going to remain. 

I think the question IM still needs to figure out is how to make a non-Kona location feel like a World Championship. Kona is so steeped in the lore of the 140.6 distance that it can be hard to build the same giddiness around another location, even one with the triathlon history of Nice.

Most amateur women I spoke with said that leading up to the race, it didn’t feel like a World Championship in terms of hype or marquee World Championship things like the race expo. After the race, many said the race was well-executed and fun, but didn’t have the same je ne sais quoi as Kona (check out that French!). Is this because Nice is so much larger than what we are used to on that little “Big Island”?

Does IM need to do more to promote the race locally in Nice so more businesses and residents are aware of it? Do athletes need to simply stop comparing “Kona vibes” to other race venues? Does the livestreamed coverage of race day need to be better?

A mix of answers to all of those questions can be considered, and I’m not sure of the solution, but I think those questions can and should be explored given that it’s unlikely we’ll ever return to a solely Kona World Championship location.

Closing Thoughts

My personal circumstances meant that, to be honest, I had a much more difficult time in Nice than I anticipated. I am just one athlete out of nearly 1,260 who started the race, though, and I know many women who absolutely loved their trip to the French Riviera. 

There were a lot of very good things about Nice, from its convenient city layout to its breathtaking bike course. And, there were some things that could be better, like traffic control on the bike course on race day and continuing to focus on building increased hype around a non-Kona World Championship location.

IRONMAN sent out a women-focused survey to some earlier this year, and one of the questions on it was about one’s preferences for the future state of the World Championship: bring it back to Kona only, or continue to rotate locations. 

I haven’t heard anything since I submitted my survey answers a few months ago, but it tells me that IM is still ideating on what the best solution is for the IM World Championships. Time will tell, but for now, I’m gearing up to cheer on the men in Kona – another perfectly imperfect location –

The post Making Nice with Nice first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

As speculations continue as to which women will find their way to the Nice podium on Sunday, one name seems to come up again and again: Laura Philipp.

The German has always had strong showings at the IRONMAN World Championship. In 2022, despite a drafting penalty on the bike, she still finished in fifth place. Last year, Philipp rounded out the women’s top three finishers alongside first place Lucy Charles-Barclay and second place Anne Haug.

It’s clear that this year, Philipp is all-in on going for the win at this weekend’s IM World Championship in Nice. She has spent nearly all of her year training in the mountains and spent time in Nice this past spring testing bike equipment and setups to optimize for the IMWC.

She’s had a slew of successes to build up her confidence as well: Second place at Challenge Roth, third place at the San Francisco T100 race and fourth place at the London T100 race, as well as three top-five finishes at IM-brand 70.3s this year.

And though Philipp is saving her mental and physical energy ahead of race day, we were still able to sit down with the IMWC podium finisher for a few quick questions ahead of race day.

Laura Philipp Shares Her Thoughts on Her Season and Nice

ST: How has your training gone for Nice? 

LP: My training has gone well and mostly according to plan. I did a big block of altitude training in St. Moritz over the last few weeks and rode many of the big climbs to get ready for the challenging bike course [in Nice]. We focused a bit more on improving some specific skills for the climbs and descents, but otherwise the volume and intensity remained similar to any other race preparation I would typically do.

ST: What excites you about an IM World Championship in Nice?

LP: The bike course in Nice is the most amazing bike course. It’s super tough, challenging and will most likely bring a lot of separation into the women’s pro field. I like the fact that bike skills are a necessary part of nailing this course, and that it is not only about physical power output. It was also really nice to prep [for the IMWC] closer to home and avoid another big trip [such as to Kona]. I am excited about my first racing experience in Nice and I am sure that this location is very World Champs-worthy.

ST: What are your thoughts on the IRONMAN Pro Series? Have you enjoyed partaking in it?

LP: I think the IM Pro Series is a great addition to the pros’ racing calendar and has definitely increased the strength of the field at the races in the Pro Series, which is awesome and what fans want to see. I have only participated in one IM Pro Series event so far at 70.3 Mallorca, but enjoyed the experience. I like the inclusion of Race Ranger and will definitely try to race more races of the series in the future if IM decides to continue the Pro Series.

ST: What other races will you prioritize this year after IMWC?

LP: I will continue to race the T100 series.

ST: Who are your sponsors this year?

LP: Hep Solar, Canyon, New Balance, Castelli, Spa, AG1, Whoop, Shook, SwissSide, Schwalbe, Ergon, Mnstry, Incylence, Soprema, Kickass Sports, Lever Movement

The post A Quick Check-In with Laura Philipp ahead of the IRONMAN World Championship first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

The pros are just like us: both age groupers and pros alike fear getting a dreaded mechanical issue on the bike portion of an IRONMAN race. Depending on the severity of the mechanical, it can slow you down a bit at its tamest and completely derail your race at its worst.

Last year, Dutchwoman Els Visser faced the latter when her entire pedal came off during the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona – it was still clipped onto her cleat – with only a handful of miles left on the bike course. She went from riding towards the front to slipping into the middle of the pack. 

Visser ended up finishing in fifteenth that day, and this year has returned valiantly to the racing scene with tremendous success, finishing in the top five for all but one race of the IRONMAN-brand races she’s competed in . Can she continue that streak with a podium finish in Nice?

Els Visser is Ready for Nice

ST: How has your season gone so far this year? How are you feeling about your season at this point in time?

EV: It’s been the season of my life so far. I’m in the best shape since the start of my career and have had some incredible results – finishing third in Roth and setting a new Dutch women’s IRONMAN record was super cool. I’ve been racing a lot, too – I think IMWC Nice will be something like my thirteenth race of the year and my fifth full distance IRONMAN this year. 

I’m really happy with the consistency I’ve been able to put out this season, how I’ve recovered from each race, and how the season is going.

ST: You’ve bounced back really well after your bike mechanical in Kona last year. Remind us – what exactly happened there?

EV: I was riding with Anne Haug after the turnaround in Hāwī – she was really setting the pace but I was able to follow her – we were in something like sixth and seventh place. With about 35km (~22 miles) to go, my left pedal broke and it was still clipped underneath my bike shoe. It literally broke off its pedal spindle.

At first, I stopped and got off my bike, but it was obvious that I couldn’t fix it, and I didn’t see a mechanic coming, so I thought, “Okay, the only thing I can do now is jump back on the bike and ride the last 35km with one leg.” 

It was very frustrating because a lot of girls behind me overtook me in those final kilometers and I had been in such a good place when I was riding with Anne [Haug].

At the start of the marathon, I had to mentally reset and still try to run a good marathon. It took me nearly 10km to not feel sorry for myself anymore. In the end, I finished in 15th. 

I think that given the circumstances, it was still a really good performance, but of course it could have been better had I not lost my pedal. But that’s also, I think, part of the sport and how you handle it, how you overcome obstacles and if you can still manage to deliver a good performance.

ST: What are your thoughts on the IM Pro Series? You’ve been in the pro triathlon circuit for a long time; do you think the Pro Series is ultimately a good thing for pros?

EV: At the start of the year, the IM Pro Series wasn’t really my focus, but then I did do some races in the series and kept going on that path; I could probably have done a better job of picking the right races within the series. Right now, I am in fourth place in the series.

Next year, if the Pro Series stays the same, I will definitely focus on it and train specifically for the races in the Pro Series to try to get the highest amount of points possible. I think the Pro Series is an incredible opportunity for us athletes to get rewarded – I like that if you are a consistent athlete and able to deliver good performances over multiple races you get a financial bonus for that. 

I think it’s super cool how IRONMAN bases the Pro Series on the point system and that every second really does count and that at the end of the day the Pro Series is about getting the best out of yourself.  

ST: What are your thoughts on the new IRONMAN World Championship venue in Nice?

EV: I think in the end Kona is still the race that everyone really wants to win if you compare it with Nice, but I think that’s also because Nice is still a very new IM World Championship location, so it may take some time for people to truly appreciate the race. 

Nice is definitely a course where, in the end, the best overall athlete will win the race. You will need a good swim, an incredible bike, and a good run performance; it is a very honest course. 

I also like that Nice is close by for those of us based in Europe. For Kona, most pros would do a pre-Kona camp and need to travel out to Kona a month out. This year, I won’t arrive to Nice until the Tuesday of race week. I can drive there, and because I’ve raced so much this year and traveled a lot, it’s convenient to have Nice so close. I do think some of the “World Championship” hype is missing a bit now, but maybe that is because it is so close to where I live.

ST: You are a very strong cyclist. What are your thoughts on the dynamic bike course in Nice and how will it impact the end result of the race?

EV: For this race, you can have an incredible bike, but if you over-bike and you aren’t able to run a good marathon, then it doesn’t matter. You need to pace yourself on the bike so that you can still run a good marathon. I think the race will come down to having the right combination of a strong bike and a fast run, but not overdoing it on the bike.

I don’t think the swim will be as important in Nice because with all of the climbing on the bike, I don’t think quite as many groups will form – the bike will be very honest and very much an individual effort. 

Pace yourself well, approach the race as your own race and racing against yourself, take care of your fueling plan, and don’t get too excited in the first hour on the bike are my pieces of advice. 

ST: Who are your sponsors this year?
EV: Red Bull, Breitling Netherlands, Jelenew, and a private sponsor, the Lion Capital Group.

Photos: Eric Alonso, Alexander Koerner / Getty Images for IRONMAN

The post “I’m in the best shape since the start of my career” – Els Visser on Nice Prep first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

We now have less than a week to go before the women’s IRONMAN World Championship in Nice gets underway in the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean, the dynamic mounts of the Alpes-Maritimes, and the buzzing Promenade of Nice. 

Last year was the first edition of the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, although regular IRONMAN Nice has been a staple of the region for many years. Frenchman (yes, we know he’s British, but he identifies more with his French nationality per his website’s bio) Sam Laidlow became the youngest-ever IRONMAN World Champion winner when he, in a shocking twist to many, claimed victory in Nice in 2023.

It’s been said before and we’ll say it again: Nice is not Kona. This race not only has practically the opposite terrain of Kona, but the strengths and strategies needed to podium are vastly different than on the Big Island.

As for which women will make their way onto the podium on Sunday – it’s anyone’s guess.

The Course

We shared an article last week with a more in-depth view of the IM World Championship Nice course, but the quick breakdown is:

• Swim: an ocean swim that will likely not be wetsuit legal for the pros, but may be for the age groupers. A relatively straightforward swim except for its slightly odd W-shape.
• Bike: a doozy. Begins with a punchy climb that turns into a long endurance ascent with rollers on the plateau at the top followed by a descent that requires care and focus right when athletes are at their most exhausted.
• Run: flat and centralized. Although the run is as flat as it gets, challenges like little shade and mounting heat may catch some by surprise. The course will be buzzing with spectators thanks to its central location on the Promenade.

Five Possible Podium Picks

As Laidlow proved last year, even at the IM World Championship, anything can happen. If we had to make some educated guesses about who is most-ready to tackle the dynamics of Nice, though, we’d go with the following, in no particular order:

• Lucy Charles-Barclay: Never bet against a returning champion, especially when they appear to be healthy, fit, and also won IRONMAN Nice by nearly 20 minutes earlier in the year. Lucy’s swim will set her apart, as will her typically strong bike splits. However, she’ll have many incredible runners seeking to chase her down on the marathon.

• Laura Philipp: After finishing in third place at Kona last year, Laura seems to have doubled down on her quest to make it to the top step of the podium, spending much of her year training in the mountains. She’s also found success at the 100km distance as part of the T100 races; she’s had a couple of top five finishes so far there, too. Laura is a phenomenal cyclist and very solid runner. She will need to call upon all her bike strength to keep her in play all day and set her up well for a strong marathon.

• Kat Matthews: Kat had a tough go at Kona last year, DNF’ing on the bike shortly after the turnaround at Hāwī. She came roaring back in 2024 with wins at IRONMAN Texas and IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz. Her run is always one to watch, but can she hang on through the dynamics of the bike course to make it count?

• Anne Haug: Anne came in second at Kona last year largely in part to her excellent run abilities – but she also put together a solid bike split, too. This year, Anne has had a slew of private medical issues that has kept her from racing consistently. When she has raced, though, she’s come away with results like a victory at IM Lanzarote, which is another course with a killer bike leg and a flat run. If she’s been able to get enough training volume in, she could be a contender here in Nice.

• Els Visser: Although she may not be brought up in as many podium picks as the other four women, Els has had an incredibly strong season in the IM Pro Series so far, taking fifth at IM Hamburg after dealing with a mechanical issue on the bike and then second at IM Vitoria-Gasteiz behind Kat Matthews just over a month later. After Els’ pedal-falling-off fiasco in Kona last year, she is definitely hungry to get some redemption. Els can easily be outrun by the likes of Kat Matthews and Anne Haug, so she’ll need to have an all-around magical day to make it to the podium.

Ones to Watch

Podium predictions are fun and all, but on race day it’s always neat to see someone unexpected find themselves in the mix. A few women with that potential are:

• Jackie Hering: This year marked American Jackie Hering’s return to IRONMAN-distance racing after about a decade-long hiatus, and a more-than-decade-long break from competing in an IRONMAN World Championship. She returned to 140.6 racing with gusto, though, taking the win at IM Hamburg and coming in second at IM Lake Placid.

• Danielle Lewis: Another American with the potential to shake things up, Danielle Lewis came in first at IRONMAN Lake Placid this year after a ninth place at IRONMAN Texas and a DNF in Kona. Lewis faced some health issues during her off-season but seems to have returned to form as demonstrated at Lake Placid. Her strong bike and run skills could net her a spot on or near the podium if all goes well for Danielle on race day.

• Lotte Wilms: Lotte seems to be rarely mentioned in conversations around World Championship podiums, but she has every right to be. She finished third at IRONMAN Texas and second at IRONMAN Cairns earlier this year. She relies heavily on her dominant bike to give her a lead going into the run – this could be an advantage given Nice’s challenging bike course, but a flat run means she’ll have a lot of work to do to keep her momentum once on the marathon.

• Chelsea Sodaro: Chelsea is of course a former IM World Champion herself, and she took the win at IM New Zealand in March of this year after finishing sixth in Kona last year. She switched coaches mid-season as well as relocated from Reno, Nevada to the triathlon hub of the U.S.: Boulder, Colorado. Chelsea has had some struggles this year, like her DNF at the T100 Singapore race, but her run has always been a threat and depending on how her new coaching relationship is going, she just might pull out a podium or near-podium finish.

Word on the Street: Kona and Nice

As you’ll read in both our course preview article which features commentary from retired professional triathlete Renee Kiley and in two upcoming interviews with Laura Philipp and Els Visser, the women pros seem to be overall glad about the IRONMAN World Championships rotating to different locations other than Kona. 

In summary, pros seem glad to have a chance to succeed at a race that isn’t one big time trial out in the lava fields followed by an exposed, humid, and desolate run. The Nice bike course is a welcome change, as is the spectator-filled Promenade. The different location gives pros with varied strengths a chance to succeed on the world stage. 

Although it remains to be seen if IRONMAN will continue to do the every-other-year rotation between Kona and Nice after the next couple of years, the gist from most pros is that they hope the new locations for the IM World Championships are here to stay.

Tune in beginning at 7:15 a.m. CEST on Sunday, September 22 to watch the women’s IRONMAN World Championship.

Image Credit: Donald Miralle/IRONMAN

The post IRONMAN World Championship Nice Preview first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

The 2024 women’s IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France is in less than two weeks, and the hype around which female pro will find success in the Alpes-Maritimes is buzzing all over the triathlon world. 

From the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea to the breathtaking mountains surrounding Nice to the electric energy of the Promenade, the women’s IRONMAN World Championship on September 22 is sure to bring the heat, literally and figuratively.

As many are still getting used to the swim, bike, and run courses of the Nice IM World Championship given its newly minted status as a rotating World Champs location, we asked former professional triathlete and top-10 female pro IRONMAN finisher Renee Kiley to break down each part of the race for us, as well as touches on her recent retirement.

“I just don’t want to do this anymore”

Many know Kiley’s inspiring story of using triathlon as a way to quit smoking, lose weight, and pursue an entirely different life in her 30s. The Aussie went on to have a strong professional career, qualifying for two IRONMAN World Championships and moving up the competitive ranks since 2019.

Last month, though, Kiley decided to leave racing as a professional to pursue the next chapter of her life.

“I started the year with big goals, but I have found it impossible to push myself and my body to the required level not because of my physical state, but because of my headspace and external stressors,” Kiley says. “I was at an altitude camp in July and finished a hard swim workout and said, ‘I just don’t want to do this anymore,’ and that was that.”

Kiley, who had relocated to Europe earlier this year from Australia to be closer to her significant other, says she felt “sad but also relieved” at her decision to step away from professional triathlon.

“It’s time for something new,” Kiley says. “Triathlon saved my life and I’m still an obsessed fan and student of the sport. I am very excited to be in Nice to watch the race and to start my coaching business next month.”

The Aussie spent 10 days in Nice in April to do some course recon as at the time she was still all-in on aiming to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship this year. 

She says there are endless accommodations, tons of restaurant and food options, stunning beaches and overall, “a great vibe.”

“I think it’s one of the best locations in the world for a championship race in terms of overall convenience and ease of access to facilities,” Kiley says.

Having trained there for a chunk of time, Kiley breaks down the swim, bike, and run portions of the race based on her experience in Nice this spring.

Swim

The swim, which from the perspective of standing on the beach, is a unique “W” shape, requiring athletes to make multiple turns throughout the swim course. 

Kiley says that the swim is similar to Kona in terms of “clean, clear” waters and high salt concentration. Be ready to take a swig of hydration as soon as you get on the bike as you’ll likely need it after, for many, more than an hour in the ocean.

The pros will likely have a non-wetsuit swim, and age groupers could, too, however, don’t expect the waters to be quite as warm in Nice as they are in Kona.

“Overall, I feel the swim is quite straightforward,” Kiley says.

Bike

Perhaps because it is the longest leg of an Ironman, or perhaps because there are so many variables that can affect it, the bike course of any IRONMAN World Championship is seemingly always the subject of much discourse. 

In Kona, folks love to talk about the high winds, the scorching heat of the lava fields, and the famous descent from Hāwī. 

Now, in Nice, much of the focus is on the quad-busting ascent that begins just a handful of miles into the bike, followed by the screaming descent in the final 30 miles. 

With nearly 8,000 feet of climbing, the narrow mountain roads and switchbacks of Nice will provide a challenge for both pros and amateur athletes alike.

Kiley provides a dose of reality for those who feel uneasy:

“The bike course is not ‘bad’ or ‘scary,’ at all,” she says. “In fact, it’s an incredibly beautiful course, but it’s definitely one of the most challenging bike courses I’ve ever ridden.”

Kiley notes that what makes the Nice bike course so challenging is the initial, main climb is quite long, but there is little reprieve once athletes reach the plateau of the climb – sections of dedicated time trialing with the potential for wind gusts greet athletes at the top. 

Kiley notes that the main climb at a moderate aerobic pace took her just over 60 minutes to complete, is about 18-kilometers (or 11 miles) long with a gradient of 5% and has 900 meters (~3,000 feet) of elevation gain.

Between the initial climb and the long, flat-ish sections at the top of the climb, athletes should be ready to be pedaling with few breaks for multiple hours.

Once athletes begin the descent at about mile 70, Kiley says it is time to be entirely focused and thoughtful as you ride. 

“The descent is long, but it is not super technical or steep – however, it requires complete concentration and some caution,” Kiley says.

Kiley notes that the road surface on the descent isn’t ideal in some spots, with speed bumps, embedded grates and road covers, and a few potholes to be aware of.

And, Kiley says, while the switchbacks on the descent tend to get a lot of attention as they can be daunting, they are not many of them – but for the ones that exist, riders who are less confident in their bike skills should take the corners cautiously. 

“In total, I think it’s about 30-40 minutes of mostly downhill before you do the last flat time trial section back into town,” Kiley says. “This course is definitely made for a ‘strong’ athlete. Start conservatively and build into the ride on race day. It will be a long and difficult day if you start too hard.”

Run

After a mountainous bike course, athletes will begin the looped run on the flat Promenade in Nice. 

But, Kiley cautions, don’t underestimate the difficulty of this flat run course. 

“You must create your own momentum and speed all the time with no rest or reprieve for the legs,” Kiley says. “That will be especially difficult after such a challenging bike.”

In addition, as Kiley and others have noted, the Promenade has no shade and little breeze. Nice can be quite hot and humid, meaning that managing hydration and body temperature will be key.

“The great thing about this course is that it’s by the ocean and the crowd support will be awesome,” Kiley says. “Spectators, family, and friends can access practically the whole run course.”

Kiley’s Podium Predictions

Of course, while we have a recently retired professional who is willing to chat, we have to get her podium predictions, too. 

“I think the race will favor a really strong cyclist and runner,” Kylie says. “It’s hard for me not to choose Lucy [Charles-Barclay], Anne [Haug], and Laura [Philipp] for the podium.”

Kiley notes that Kat Matthews may also have a shot at the podium, but that Kiley has a few doubts about Matthews’ ability to be at her best with an ocean swim and the potential for hot, humid weather.

“[Matthews] is clearly in amazing shape, though, and will probably prove me wrong,” Kiley adds.

As for dark horse picks, Kiley thinks that the following women may not podium, but will put up strong performances that may shock more than a few:

• Danielle Lewis
• Nikki Bartlett
• Alice Alberts
• Ruth Astle

“All four of those women will be starting the bike with a significant deficit out of the water, but they are all very strong cyclists who are used to closing down big gaps and getting to the front of the race,” Kiley says. “They are all super strong runners and have shown excellent form this year.”

Is Kona Still King?

Absolutely not, Kiley says.

“We are perhaps the only sport that has our world championship race in the same place every year,” Kiley notes. “It’s a fact that a particular physiology and type of athlete is suited to the Kona conditions and that doesn’t make the race exciting, in my opinion.”

Kiley proposes that the IM World Championship location continues to rotate, with Kona being on the docket every few years. In her ideal world, Kiley would like to see men and women race together on the same weekend, with one race as an age group-only race and one as a pro-only race. 

“I know it’s a logistical nightmare with volunteers, but I would love to see that two-day format,” Kiley says. “That would also make it possible for age groupers to watch more of the pro race in real time and cheer on their favorite pros.”

A Parting Thought

Kiley, who has raced at the IM World Championship in Kona as both an age grouper and as a pro, offers some words of advice to the women heading to Nice this year.

“It sounds cliché, but my advice would be to let go of any expectations and enjoy the experience,” Kiley says. “Go to the pre-race activities and functions. Get out and enjoy Nice. A relaxed and happy athlete always gets the best out of themselves on race day. Worry, nerves and anxiety are a waste of energy!”

Image Credit: Jan Hetfleisch / IRONMAN

The post IRONMAN World Championship – Nice Course Preview first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Kona is a brutal race for anyone, amateur or pro. Arguably, though, the pros taking the start line feel even more pressure than the age groupers. There are sponsor obligations to meet, meticulous race strategies to execute, and often, the desire to prove that you as a pro “deserve” to be out on the Queen K. 

New-ish pro Rachel Zilinskas, who turned pro in late 2021, knows these feelings all too well. Zilinskas, who trains in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, competed in her first-ever IRONMAN World Championship last year in Kona where she finished 25th in the pro field with a time of 9 hours and 10 minutes.

While many of us regardless of gender aspire to such a fantastic finish time, Zilinskas was disappointed in her World Championship debut; she was sick with a head cold during the race and battling the self-imposed pressure of acing her first time in Kona. 

Now, a year and a fourth place finish at IRONMAN Lake Placid later, Zilinskas is once again ready to take on the IRONMAN World Championship, but this time in Nice. 

We caught up with Zilinskas ahead of her departure to France.

Rachel Zilinskas’ Journey to Nice

ST: Despite your podiums at IRONMAN Mt. Tremblant and IRONMAN Lake Placid, yours may still be a name that folks are unfamiliar with. Give us a little bit of background as to how you got into triathlon and how and when you turned pro.

RZ: I grew up as a competitive swimmer and that was my life for almost 20 years. I swam for the University of Georgia and had an amazing career there. Unfortunately, I had a shoulder injury that kind of derailed my original dream, which was to aim for the Olympics. I had actually come quite close to qualifying before I tore my rotator cuff; I finished seventh in the 10-kilometer open water trials in 2012 and ninth in the 800-meter free in the pool, so I wasn’t too far off from qualifying.

It’s pretty hard to come back to competitive swimming after a torn rotator cuff and I was really struggling with the transition from competitive swimming to not really having any athletic goals. I grew up watching my mom do some triathlons as a kid, but then she took a break from competing when we were young. In 2018, we signed up for a 70.3 together and that’s how I got started in triathlon. 

I started working with my coach, Andrew Yoder, who is still my coach today. I fully intended to just see if I even liked triathlon after that first 70.3 – I only had the intention of it being a hobby. But…I fell in love with the sport after that first 70.3 in 2018 and kept progressing very naturally. After a couple of years of racing as an age grouper and getting good results, I made the decision to turn professional in 2021.

ST: Not only have you qualified for the IRONMAN World Championships twice as a professional, but you also work a full-time corporate job. Do you feel that this helps or hinders you in your professional triathlon journey?

RZ: I work full-time in procurement for Clark Associates, a wholesale food service supplier. I was working full-time as a statistician on clinical trials before I came to Clark Associates and that was a great job but it was extremely high-pressure. It was too much for me to balance both professional triathlon and the statistician job, to be quite honest. Last year, I decided to take a step back and try to find something different that could fit into my life a little bit better, which brought me to Clark Associates.

I’m still working full time and it still is difficult to balance. But I think that the big thing for me is that now, when I leave the office for the day, I can leave work behind me and fully “log off.” 

I would be lying if I said that my schedule is not extremely challenging. I wake up at 4:00 or 4:15 every single morning and get in a morning swim or a morning session and then I go to work. I’m in the office two days a week but even when I’m working from home, I am working standard office hours all day. After I wrap up my work day I head back out for another training session and then I finish up by about 7:00 at night, eat a quick dinner and try to get to bed by 8:00. It’s a huge grind for sure. 

However, I do feel like there are some benefits to this lifestyle, as well. Having a stable salary and health insurance are the biggest benefits, especially the health insurance. And then it is kind of how when I’m at work, especially when I’m in the office, I kind of forget about triathlon for a few hours. I love the sport very much, but it definitely takes some of the pressure off when I’m in the office because I’m  surrounded by people who don’t honestly know too much about triathlon and I can be known just for “me,” which takes a little bit of pressure off of results and racing. 

ST: On top of work, last year was also your first-ever IRONMAN World Championship, regardless of being pro or amateur. Your day didn’t go exactly as planned – walk us through your day in Kona in 2023.

RZ: I first qualified for Kona as an age grouper, but then it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, my coach and I planned that I would race as an age grouper in 2021 and then turn professional after Kona in 2021.

But then, Kona got postponed again and I decided to turn pro without waiting for Kona. I fortunately qualified in 2022 for 2023 Kona at IRONMAN Mt. Tremblant.  

Going into Kona in 2023, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. I was extremely busy leading into the race with my full time job and trying to balance the demands of training for a world championship. It was stressful trying to tie it all together mentally and physically.

When I got to Kona, I started feeling a little bit under the weather. And the whole week ahead of the race I was trying to convince myself that it was allergies .I was like, “No, this cannot happen. This has to be allergies. I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.”

In hindsight, I probably should have shut it down and rested that week before the race. Mentally, though, I just could not handle that at the time and I kept pushing through trying to do my race prep. You know it’s bad when I sleep like a baby the night before the race – usually, I’m the type of person who has a hard time falling asleep before a race. But the night before Kona, which is, like, the biggest race in my life, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

I was definitely ill – I was able to kind of make it through the race but I think I ran myself down too much. I was obviously extremely disappointed. But, I like to come out of every single race and have a period of reflection. It was not a performance that I was super happy with, but I was really happy with all the lessons that I learned from it, just in terms of learning to take care of myself and put a bit less pressure on myself. It was honestly kind of a privilege to be unhappy with a race – much better than to have zero races to be happy or unhappy about.

ST: How has your 2024 season been so far with the IRONMAN Pro Series?

RZ: Unfortunately, I had an injury at the beginning of the season. I had a really strong off season and was really excited to race in the IRONMAN Pro Series, but I moved from Arizona to Pennsylvania earlier this year and was under a lot of stress and suffered an injury, which delayed the start of my season. I was very frustrated and didn’t even think I’d be able to race IRONMAN Lake Placid a few weeks from race day. 

Fortunately, things started to fall into place before the race. My run training was  extremely limited heading into the race, but my swimming and biking were going really well. My coach and I decided to roll the dice and try it out and I was able to finish with a good result – fourth place female pro. 

I was super excited with that result and the Nice qualification and, yeah, again, I’m bummed that I didn’t get to take part in more of the IRONMAN Pro Series. However, being able to qualify for Nice and hopefully have a strong second half of the year is exciting to me.

ST: You’ve raced in Kona, which is of course an iconic location in our sport. What are your thoughts about now racing an IRONMAN World Championship in Nice?

RZ: I’m honestly super excited about it. When I initially heard the news about Kona and Nice, I was a little bit disappointed just because everyone wants to race in iconic Kona. After watching the men’s IRONMAN World Championship last year and talking to people that raced the course, and looking at my own progression in the sport, I think Nice is actually going to be a fun course for me. I like courses with a lot of climbing. I like courses that are kind of challenging and engaging.

It’s also exciting for me because I’ve never been to Europe. It’s a good excuse to take two-and-a-half weeks off from work and go to Europe. It’ll be unlike anything I’ve ever done before.

ST: Who are your sponsors this year?

RZ: Varlo Apparel and DeBoer Wetsuits have both been supporting me since the beginning of my career, and they’ve been awesome to work with. Another sponsor that’s been absolutely amazing for me and new this year is Certified Piedmontese. They’ve provided great support in the nutrition space and are just fantastic people to know in the triathlon space.

The post A Second Shot at Worlds: Rachel Zilinskas first appeared on Slowtwitch News.