TRIATHLON – BAHRAIN Victorious 13’s star triathletes continue to build towards world championship domination as they accomplished their respective missions over the weekend.
Marten Van Riel topped Ironman 70.3 Nice in France on Sunday, leading for most of the day before stopping the clock at four hours one minute and 48 seconds.
With this victory, the Belgian clinched qualification for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain, this November. As his first win of the season, it should also boost his confidence after high-profile silver medal finishes at T100 Vancouver last week and the Ironman African Championship earlier in the year.
Coming out of the 1.9-kilometre swim at 23 minutes and 12 seconds – just six seconds down from the leader, Van Riel lost no time getting out front on the bike. He not only led through each timing point on the 90-kilometre cycle course, but also pushed the pace to hop off his bike in 2:19:07 with a nearly four-minute margin.
While his chasers charged hard, they ran out of road as he clocked 1:12:56 over the concluding half marathon.
“What a race, what a course, and what a public,” said Van Riel. “Thank you everyone for the support and respect to everyone battling it out today in the extreme heat.
“I came here with the goal to get to know the Ironman World Championship (Nice) course for September, but I’m happy to take a trophy home as well.”
A few hours later, Kacper Stepniak clinched his Ironman World Championship spot at Ironman in Germany with a time of 7:45:06.
After emerging from the 3.8km swim in third with a 47:47 split, he rode 180km in 4:02:26 to get off the bike in seventh. Finishing the marathon in 2:50:04, he was the 11th man to cross the finish line amid a strong field of former world champions.
This weekend, it will be Vincent Luis’s turn to toe the starting line as he races Challenge Roth, also in Germany.
He has been preparing at altitude in Font Romeu for his first attempt over the full distance, and is set to join the ranks of Bahrain Victorious 13 champions like Jan Frodeno and Daniela Ryf who have conquered this legendary triathlon.
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