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Full splits and analysis on TriRating. Race report on Triathlon Magazine Canada.
Women's Top Five
- Taylor Knibb (USA): 4:19:24 (25:59 / 2:32:07 / 1:17:56)
- Julie Derron (SUI): 4:23:30 (27:20 / 2:39:40 / 1:13:04)
- Alanis Siffert (SUI): 4:25:10
- Solveig Lovseth (NOR): 4:25:50
- Marjolaine Pierre (FRA): 4:26:38
Women's Race: What Happened
Sophie Evans was first out of the water in a 13-person front pack that included Knibb and Siffert. Derron was 1:31 back in the chase group.
Knibb put on a blistering pace on the bike. She climbed the Col de Vence in 29:48, a course record, at a reported 303 watts. She summited more than six minutes clear of Siffert and reached T2 with 4:24 on Pierre. Siffert was 5:34 down and Lovseth 7:56. The UCI Grand Tours haven't attempted this climb yet, so it may be the most impressive performance ever on the bike for this route.
Derron started the run in 11th, roughly nine minutes behind. She ran 1:13:04 (3:27/km) and finished second, 4:06 back. Siffert held third and beat her seeding by nearly eight minutes.
Knibb joked afterwards that she had expected to lose three or four minutes on the descent.
Men's Top Five
- Hayden Wilde (NZL): 3:50:51 (23:44 / 2:16:50 / 1:07:21)
- Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR): 3:51:09 (23:50 / 2:19:02 / 1:05:12)
- Jelle Geens (BEL): 3:52:40
- Gustav Iden (NOR): 3:53:16
- Lasse Nygaard Priester (GER): 3:54:08
Men's Race: What Happened
This ending was one for the ages! After falling behind by over 2 minutes in the earlier stages, Blummenfelt gave a run performance of a lifetime and nearly scratched and clawed his way to victory. However, Wilde was able to hold him off and reach the finish line a mere 18 seconds ahead.
27 men came out of the water together. Blummenfelt was 22 seconds back, which is a good swim for him.
The bike separated almost nobody. Michele Bortolamedi led into T2 with Wilde 16 seconds back and Bogen 17. Blummenfelt started the run 16th, 2:29 down.
He then proceeded to run an incredible 1:05:12 (3:05/km). Triathlon Magazine has that as the fastest 70.3 run split on record. He took nearly all of it back along the Promenade des Anglais and finished 18 seconds behind. Geens took third despite a disrupted build, and Iden was fourth, 11 minutes inside his seeding.
Wilde had been passed late at both the Olympics and the 2024 championship, so this one probably means a bit more than most.
The Importance of The Bike Stage
One contrast stands out across the two days. Nine of the ten fastest men swam within 20 seconds of each other, and the top ten bike splits covered 2 minutes 19 seconds in total. The run sorted the podium.
Knibb did the opposite. She made the bike decisive and won by 4:06 over the fastest runner in the field, who out-ran her by almost five minutes. She was the only athlete across both days who took real time on the bike.
Pre-Race Questions Resolved?
- The flat run rewarded the pure runners in both races. Both second places came from outside the top ten off the bike.
- Charles-Barclay's 29% odds went to Knibb and Derron, who were the next two names in the model.
- The bike question got no answer. Riddle rode 2:17:50 on the aero road bike and finished 7th, which isn't enough to make a determination either way.
Post Race Questions
- Did the men get the bike strategy wrong, or is 1,244 m simply not enough to break up a 27-man pack?
- Knibb rode 303 watts up the Col de Vence and then lost 4:52 to Derron on the run. Was that a good trade or a lucky one?
- Blummenfelt ran the fastest 70.3 split on record and lost by 18 seconds. Did he have enough room for another 18 seconds on the bike, or would it have been an even trade?
- Iden was 11 minutes inside his seeding. Is that a return to form or a good day on a course he already knows?
- Did anybody catch this live and see Knibb's descent? She thought it would cost her three or four minutes.
For The Rest of Us
Blummenfelt ran 3:05/km after that bike course. For us mere mortals, does riding a hilly bike leg conservatively actually protect the run, or do you give up more time climbing than you can ever get back? If you've raced a hilly 70.3 or Olympic, how do you think your choice impacted your finish?
