Jelle Geens wins the T100 at Lake Las Vegas
The Belgian Jelle Geens was crowned winner of the T100 at Lake Las Vegas, his first victory in this competition.
Geens, who was making his debut at this distance, beat his compatriot and friend Marten Van Riel by just 38 seconds in an exciting duel that was not decided until the end.
This victory also ends Van Riel's streak of six consecutive victories in middle-distance triathlons, which had been running since November 2019.
Everything was decided in the foot race
The victory of Jelle Geens was based on his extraordinary performance in the running segment.
At a pace of 3:13 minutes per kilometer, Geens excelled on the demanding course that circled the Reflection Bay Golf Course.
The running segment, with 500 metres of elevation and constant ups and downs, was the perfect stage to demonstrate the strength of the Belgian, who was particularly strong on the climbs, which finally allowed him to leave Van Riel behind.
After crossing the finish line, Geens commented: “It's crazy to think that a month ago I didn't know if I would even be able to participate.
Now, having won here is a great honour, and even more so after such a tough duel with MartenWe had always dreamed of sharing the podium, and we finally achieved it in this first battle in middle distance.".
For its part, Marten Van Riel, who led part of the cycling segment, recognized the toughness of the test and the strength of his friend: “The course was brutal from the start. I tried to stay close to the Jelle on the descents, taking advantage of my greater weight, but in the end he was stronger on the climbs and I could not keep up with him.".
Although Van Riel lost his first place, his second place secures him a good position for the T100 World Championships, which will be held in Dubai next month.
Completing the podium, third place went to the German Justus Nieschlag, who was also making his debut in this competition and managed to hold his own throughout the race to achieve a prominent position.
In the cycling segment,Alistair Brownlee He again received a 1-minute penalty for drafting, which affected his position and subsequently led to his retirement from the run.
Top 10 T100 Lake Las Vegas Men
Job title | Athlete | Final time |
---|---|---|
1 | Jelle Geens | 3:19:34 |
2 | Marten Van Riel | 3:20:12 |
3 | Justus Nieschlag | 3:24:19 |
4 | Pieter Heemeryck | 3:25:52 |
5 | Jason West | 3:26:29 |
6 | Sam long | 3:26:49 |
7 | Mathis Margier | 3:27:35 |
8 | Nicholas Mann | 3:28:22 |
9 | Matthew McElroy | 3:29:27 |
10 | Frederic Funk | 3:30:03 |
What's next: the final in Dubai
With the T100 at Lake Las Vegas now behind us, all eyes now turn to the grand finale in Dubai, where the first T100 series world champions will be crowned.
Marten Van Riel He has a good lead in the general classification, but the competition is far from being decided.