T100 Champ Marten Van Riel Sets His Sights on IRONMAN
There’s no-doubt that the T100 Triathlon World Tour has added a lot of money to pro triathletes’ coffers (or, at least, the lucky 20 or so who have been able to compete). It is interesting, though, that even the top athletes from the series are still looking to keep the door open to be able to compete at IRONMAN races. Certainly the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO), the folks behind the series, have been open to athletes competing at other races. It still has to smart for the PTO, though, that just a week after being crowned world champion at the T100 finale in Dubai, Belgium’s Marten Van Riel is on his way to race in Cozumel.
Van Riel will be competing in his first full-distance race. It would be silly to count him out. He’s only “lost” one long-distance race in his career – his runner-up finish to Jelle Geens at T100 Lake Las Vegas. In addition to his other T100 wins (San Francisco, Ibiza and Dubai), Van Riel won IRONMAN 70.3 Xiamen in 2019, Ironman Dubai in 2022 and 2023, and also won Ironman 70.3 Fortaleza last year.
Van Riel is looking to earn himself a slot for the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice next year. By nailing the spot this weekend, he’ll be able to grab that T100 contract and race that series without having to try and fit in an IRONMAN race along the way.
Of course we all know that there’s no guarantees with any IRONMAN race, let alone a first, but Van Riel won’t exactly have to rip things apart to get himself to Nice next September. As the Latin American Championship, the race offers five pro men’s and women’s spots for the 2025 world champs. And, while he’ll be taking on some seasoned IRONMAN types, including defending champion Leon Chevalier (FRA), who took fourth in Kona last month, American Chris Leiferman and Australian cyclist/ pro triathlete Cam Wurf, as long as Van Riel can remain patient and not push too hard too soon, one would think a top-five finish is quite realistic.
Kona for Knibb?
Women’s T100 world champ Taylor Knibb will be going after her third straight IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupo next month. The American has long had a “do it all” approach to her racing – she followed her Olympic-qualifying race at the Paris Test Event in 2023 with her second 70.3 world title and then her first IRONMAN in Kona, where she finished fourth. In Kona last year she made it abundantly clear that the goal was to get experience on the course in order to come back in 2025 and go after the win.
There’s no arguing that the T100 racing this year has offered some big names, lots of prize money and very expensive live coverage. The organization has been outspending its incoming revenue at an alarming rate. Which is why one would imagine, at some point, we’ll see the PTO try to put some pressure on athletes to race exclusively at their events. Especially if the first thing its world champions are doing after they win the titles is to get ready for an IRONMAN World Championship.
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I could sense some T100 media coaching in the background in the way athletes talked about their race in Dubai. Who follows up on winning Kona with going to race Cozumel? You’re the champ, you’ve got nothing left to prove. It kind of highlights the reality that the T100 doesn’t have the prestige yet, if right after winning it you go race another race with a lesser field.
We didn’t exactly have Taylor Knibb say, “Now that I’ve wrapped up the T100, I’m going to get ready to defend my title in Taupo”. It’s not so Grand and not so Final, if after racing in it, you immediately train for another race a couple weeks later.
But back to Taylor, I wonder what she’ll end up doing. I can see her making Kona and the IM series her focus next year. But it would be a mistake to leave the T100 money on the table if they aren’t insisting on exclusivity. Take the contract. Try to live up to it, and if something goes wrong with pursuing her 2025 IM schedule she’ll still be able to race the T100s.
But truth be told the T100 courses are for the most part pretty lack luster. Yes, Taylor can win them, but I have to think she’s chomping at the bit to really be able to settle in for a few hours with minimal turns and loops and just let her bike do the talking.
Listen to her next day interview. She discusses how she is really looking forward to T100 next year because other athletes are “coming”. She specifically mentioned Duffy who got 4th this year coming off an Olympic focus. Spivey and Derron did pretty well! Also coming off Olympic focus.
I am pretty sure GTB is stepping away from Tri next season (unless next weeks 70.3 relights the fire in her belly). But she would be an exciting addition to the rosta.
Women’s racing is getting pretty exciting as the depth of MD increases and the pointy end gets closer.
I am not convinced she will be in LA or even go back to ITU.