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Big Money, Big Action, and Big Uncertainty On Tap For Supertri
Supertri Neom, the new rules of carb loading, and your next best recovery mix!
Matthew Sharpe
November 01, 2024
TOGETHER WITH THE FEED
Good morning everyone,
No tricks, only treats in today’s newsletter!
I had a big scare the other day when the snow emoji showed up in my weather app! 😱Things are getting chilly around Tempo HQ, and with one more race on the calendar for 2024 it looks like I’ll be spending some quality time in my pain cave (garage).
In today’s edition:
🏆 Big money and big uncertainty as Supertri Grand Final takes place in Neom.
💪 A recovery mix that’ll help you recover faster and feel better!
🍝 The new rules of pre-race carb loading.
🌴 And how a Tempo subscriber conquered Kona!
Thanks for being here.
-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor
Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.
ONE BIG THING
Big Money, Big Action, and Big Uncertainty On Tap For Supertri
What is it: This weekend marks the Grand Final of the Supertri season in Neom, Saudi Arabia. And with over $1.35 million on the line, the short-course triathlon stars will be shredding up the sand in hopes of big individual and team payouts.
Women’s race
Taylor-Brown take over: After missing out on an individual medal at the Olympics, Georgia Taylor-Brown (Crown Racing) has been absolutely dominant in her Supertri campaign. With three wins in a row in Chicago, London, and Toulouse.
If Taylor-Brown tumbles: Her biggest challenger? Jeanne Lehair (Podium Racing)
Lehair suffered a frustrating mechanical issue in Toulouse making it harder for her to catch Taylor-Brown.
She could still take the series title and the $80,000 series-winning prize if she wins and Taylor-Brown finishes 4th or worse.
If Taylor-Brown really does falter, then Taylor Spivey (Stars and Stripes Racing) could also take the series win - provided she also beats Lehair.
Men’s race
Wilde’s way: Hayden Wilde (Crown Racing) has multiple wins, and could have even had a third win if he didn’t lose his shoe during the final run in Toulouse.
If the Kiwi can keep himself near the front of the race then he will be incredibly difficult to defeat.
If Wilde wavers: His strongest challenger? Last year’s series winner; Leo Bergere (Podium Racing). If Wilde has a wild day and finishes off the podium, then the Frenchman will take the crown away from Crown Racing
Stars and Stripes also have two athletes with long-shot chances of taking the title; Tim Hellwig and Vasco Vilaca. They were 1st and 2nd in Toulouse and could be peaking at the right time.
If Wilde finishes fifth or lower and Bergere is off the podium, both athletes could be vying for the win. We expect to see some team tactics between them on the course.
The top athletes will have no shortage of motivation as they fight for the top-five series prize purse,
1st - $80,000
2nd - $50,000
3rd - $35,000
4th $25,000
5th - $15,000
Team title
Crown coronation: As it stands, Crown Racing has a comfortable gap over second-place Podium Racing, and the defending champions look to be in the driver’s seat for another team title.
So will Podium top the podium? Or could an off day see Stars and Stripes Racing sneak in for second?
With the news that Matt Hauser has pulled out of Neom, Podium loses its highest-ranked athlete. And with Stars and Stripes athletes in the hunt for overall men’s and women’s titles, they could have the depth to pull off a major upset.
No doubt it will be a battle till the end as the overall team’s prize purse is equally compelling;
1st - $375,00
2nd - $250,000
3rd - $175,000
4th $125,000
Tempo’s take: With extra points on offer and huge paydays on the line, the athletes will be pushing themselves to the absolute limit on race day. And for Supertri, it should be the culmination of a successful series that saw first-time stops in Boston and Chicago.
After last year’s Malibu debacle, the startup series now has some momentum at it’s back and could see further growth next season led by its U.S. properties in Long Beach and New York City.
But Supertri is also in a perilous position. With World Triathlon and the T100 becoming more intertwined, and Challenge Roth recently parterning with the T100 on prize money and digital marketing, it feels like Supertri is increasingly being left out in the cold as a new World Triathlon-T100-Challenge alliance emerges.
And with the new World Triathlon President Antonio Arimany saying he wants to return to the US, Supertri could soon see a new competitor in the race for US expansion.
How to watch: Sign up to watch live on the Supertri YouTube here. Racing starts Sunday, November 3 at 14:00 local time. 12:00 CEST, 6:00 EST.
Have you been engaged with the Supertri Series? |
TOGETHER WITH THE FEED
Tempo Reviews: SIS REGO Rapid Recovery
An exceptional blend of carbs, protein, and electrolytes to help you recover faster and feel better.
What we like:
✅ A great balance of carbs, protein and electrolytes.
✅ Mild, easy-to-drink flavor.
✅ Clean - Informed Sport tested for cross-contamination.
I’ve been using the SIS REGO Rapid Recovery for over a year now, and I still don’t know what “REGO” means or stands for.
Is it from email jargon like, “RE: GO” - as in, we need to circle back on the decision to go? Or is it like RELOAD to GO again?
The folks at SIS should address this!
What they don’t need to address? The formula for their REGO Rapid Recovery mix,
20gr of carbs
20gr of protein
429mg of sodium
A mix of vitamins including D, C, and B12.
With a great balance of macro and micronutrients, you know that you’re getting exactly what you need after a quality training session. This product is perfect for those jam-packed days of training, meetings, and whatever else life throws at you.
I’ve taken it shortly after hard morning workouts and I’ve noticed better recovery and energy levels during the rest of the day.
And it’s also great knowing the product is clean and Informed Sport tested - meaning no unwanted cross-contamination!
Both chocolate and vanilla flavors that I’ve used have been smooth, mild flavors which are kind of nice if you’ve been hitting gels and sports drinks during your workout! It also mixes well so there aren’t any unwanted clumps.
So, if you’re looking for a recovery mix with a great balance of what you need to recover well, then we highly recommend the SIS REGO Rapid Recovery mix!
PS: Right now it’s 20% off on The Feed’s site!
And if you’re looking to save more, then get 15% off your first Feed order using this link.
Or, join my nutrition club and immediately get $20 off your first order, plus an additional $20 every quarter after that!
FAVORITES
⚡ Stop power loss: As we age we lose our muscle strength quite rapidly, and as it turns out, we lose muscle power even quicker! For triathlon (and life) longevity maintaining that power is critical. So how can we keep our muscle power longer? Pylometrics. [Outside]
🚲 Kona bike count: The bike count in Kona always provides insights into the movers and shakers of the cycling industry. And this year was no different! For groupsets, Shimano remains supreme. But for bikes, a surprise move at the top signals a changing of the cycling guard. [Slowtwitch]
🍝 The new way to carb load: Before, an oversized plate of pasta the nigth before your race was the key to a good carb-load. Now? That may not be enough carbs! This insightful podcast provides the latest research and best practises for pre-race carb loading, and tells us the relationship between carbs and GI stress. [Strength Running]
REEL TIME
Grand children? PR’s are meaningful too! 😆
ATHLETE INTERVIEW
Paul Huyer’s Secret to Conquering Kona? Heat Training and Non-Stop Hydration!
We caught up with Tempo subscriber Paul Huyer after his race at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona and learned his secrets for performing well on the big island.
Tell us about your race in Kona! Did it go to plan or did you have unexpected issues to overcome?
The race was very challenging for me. I'm not a strong open-water swimmer without a wetsuit so I came out of the water in 60th place in my age-group. I felt good though and immediately went to work on the bike, picking off my fellow competitors.
From experience, I knew that I had to hydrate as much as humanly possible during my five and a half hour + ride so I drank more than eight bottles of fluids. I also felt good starting the run, but the heat and humidity started getting to me at around the 10k mark as I made my way up Palani.
It was a struggle running along the Queen K and into the Energy Lab, but I got a lift from my supporters who biked out there to cheer me on and give me updates on my position.
Thanks to them I was able to grit it out and climb from 60th place to 9th by the finish line.
What was your thoughts on the atmosphere on the big island?
The atmosphere was incredible. I really enjoyed meeting and talking to fellow triathletes and hearing their stories. The local community is so great and supportive as well. I stayed two weeks at Ali’i Villas and made friends with some of the residents there. It was great to see them on the run course on Ali’i Drive cheering me on.
How did this compare to other experiences you've had there?
This was, by far, the toughest race that I have done. The ocean swim, winds and heat on the bike and heat and humidity are the run made it very challenging.
Do you think Kona needs to remain as the World Championship moving forward?
Absolutely! Kona is such a unique place in the world with the ocean and lava rock. And Hawaii is the birthplace of Ironman.
Any training wisdom you think the audience could benefit from?
Follow a program designed by an experienced coach that is personalized for you. I have a tendency to over train particularly in areas where I am already strong. My coach, Rich Pady, was very helpful in getting me to train the right amount and spend time addressing my weaknesses.
For Kona, he designed a program that included heat training from doing my workouts midday and over-dressing.
Any other goals on the horizon?
I’m returning to Boston next April to defend my Boston Marathon AG65 title. Then it’s off to Spain to compete in the World Duathlon Championship. And in November, I’ll be competing in the World AG marathon championship as part of the New York Marathon.
YOU SAID
Here’s what Tempo readers had to say about the future of the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona!
Reader: To have large numbers of men & women means 2 days of racing & I don't know that anywhere can support 2 long days of IM racing. Also, in nearly all of the "breakfast with Bob" interviews, the pro's, including Sam Laidlow, want to win in Kona. You can't magically create the history of the Big Island somewhere else.
Reader: I wonder if IM and Kona have explored consecutive weekends? This would be an even bigger boast to the local economy, IM and vendors only need to go to one place. This way the local traffic isn’t interrupted on a business day. It still gives the woman and men their own day in the spotlight and IM can still keep the participant count up. For volunteers and other race support, it gives them a weeks rest instead of one day. And less congestion around town and airports.
Reader: They will revisit Kona once every 5 years, then 10, then make it a charity event.
Reader: Unpopular opinion: it makes sense to split men and women. For sure the women deserve their own race (in nearly all other sports there are no joint championships), and in parallel if people want to keep on going to Kona, decisions will have to be made. Splitting WC with Nice (or another race) makes Kona more durable, and even offers the opportunity for non-American athletes to participate without giving up an arm and a leg.
Reader: Having been a part of Kona 2022, you can understand the impact on the island. However, it was also fun, exciting, dramatic, and people were helpful and friendly. There’s just something magical about Kona!
Reader: It's interesting that most men seem to want the men's and women's races combined but most women seem to want to keep them separate. I think there will always be an Ironman in Kona but I think they'll keep rotating the world championships around and keep the men and women at least on different days if not different venues. I think the future of Kona is as a non world championship race. It would still fill up and would be more accessible to most age groupers.
Reader: It seems like even the Kona haters are coming around to the fact that Kona is special. And according to the pundits, Nice as an event loses money. IRONMAN tried the split, in an attempt to make more money. They failed. And that’s OK. Now let’s bring it back to Kona and we can all move on. Suggestion to IM - why not try the “multisport weekend” model in Kona? See if the island will allow you to host 5km runs, swim races, etc over the weekend so that family and friends can do a race too, with the big dance being the final event. That way IM can make more money during a weekend festival, hosting events that don’t shut down the entire island. Explore ways of making more money during the weekend. As opposed to just getting more bodies on the start line or jacking up prices.
Reader: There are many reasons to move but financially a two-day event is profitable. Personally in the long run is also more fun for athletes to test new courses.
TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE
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