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Frankfurt Frenzy Sees Blummenfelt Back on Top
IM Frankfurt recap, are aero calf sleeves worth it? And common training mistakes
Matthew Sharpe
July 01, 2025
Good morning everyone,
Since the Boulder race I’ve managed to put in some of my biggest training in a long time. And in the past days I’ve been reminded that with great training, comes great responsibility (sufficient fueling).
Which is why I find myself writing this newsletter with a half eaten bag of Reese’s Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Dipped Animal Crackers.
Quick review: They’re…OK. Kind of exactly how they sound. Great for a quick calorie hit, and not too much else!
In today’s edition:
🏆 Frankfurt frenzy sees Blummenfelt back on top.
🤦♂️ Are you making six of the most common training mistakes?
🌬️ And are the benefits of aero calf sleeves worth the price of your dignity? (sorry calf sleeve lovers 😂)
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
Frankfurt Frenzy Sees Blummenfelt Back on Top
IRONMAN
What is it: This past weekend saw the highly anticipated IRONMAN European Championships in Frankfurt take place. And after hours of intense racing featuring one of the best-ever non-World Championship fields, a past champion retained his Frankfurt crown.
Swimsanity
Pre-race, questions were asked whether the swim could have a significant impact on the final result. And with so much talent on the start line, many assumed that a large front pack would define the swim.
But from the initial strokes, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a Sunday float.
Olympian Jonas Schomburg (GER) pushed the swim start and put incredible pressure on the entire field.
At the halfway mark, Schomburg was leading a front pack of 10 that included typical swim leaders Wilhelm Hirsch (GER, Ben Kanute (USA), Daniel Bakkegard (DEN), and Casper Stornes (NOR).
Kristian Hogenhaug (DEN) had also placed himself at the tail end of the lead group.
Meanwhile, race favorite Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), Rudy Von Berg (USA), Patrick Lange (GER), Magnus Ditlev (DEN), were in a large chase pack, 45 seconds behind the leaders.
As the swim continued, the leaders would press their advantage, and as they hit T1 the Schomburg/Hogenhaug group would extend their lead over Blummenfelt and co. to 90 seconds.
Cam Wurf (AUS), a fan favorite, exited the swim in an unfavorable position 8 minutes back from the leaders.
Enter the Bike
Starting the bike, Schomburg would not relent. The German continued his torrid pace at the front until a mechanical disaster struck.
And while Schomburg’s day was ended by a mechanical, Kristian Høgenhaug was starting to crack on.
By the 50km mark, the Danish athlete had a two minute gap on the chase pack. He had gained five minutes on a group containing Blummenfelt, Iden, and Ditlev - a group that had recently jettisoned Lange.
And Høgenhaug would not relent. At 100km, he had doubled his lead to the chase - now over four minutes.
At 120km, the Blummenfelt/Iden/Ditlev group had caught the Stornes-led chase pack. Chaos ensued, providing Høgenhaug a window to gain even more time!
As the Danish leader entered T2, he’d built up an astounding 8 minute lead over the rest of the field.
But had he overplayed his hand? And could it be enough to hold off the run prowess of an on-form Blummenfelt?
A Run for the Ages
By the time the chase group had started their run, Høgenhaug was already 2km up the road. The other Dane - Ditlev - began his hunt of the leader. So did Stornes, Von Berg, Iden, and Blummenfelt.
Lange, having lost the group early on the bike, rolled into T2 over 14 minutes back of Høgenhaug. His podium aspirations incinerated.
Early in the run, Høgenhaug was issued a 1 minute penalty for receiving outside assistance.
And Ditlev, who was absolutely flying at the beginning of the run had the wind knocked out of his sails as he was given a red card for littering outside the aid station. The penalty was later rescinded, but Ditlev wasn’t quite the same as the race rolled on.
As the athletes hit the halfway mark of the run, Høgenhaug was still 4 minutes clear of Blummenfelt, Stornes, and Ditlev - now running together.
Not long after, Ditlev was dropped. And he would further fade to an eighth place finish.
With 15km to go, and sensing an opportunity, Blummenfelt began to claw back major time in Høgenhaug’s lead.
With 10km to go, the Olympic gold medalist had the longtime leader in his sights. He would hurl past Høgenhaug enroute to his second consecutive win - and course record -in Frankfurt.
Høgenhaug would hold on for a phenomenal second, while Stornes would round out the podium in third.
🥇 Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR)
🥈 Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN)
🥉 Casper Stornes (NOR)
Tempo’s Take
It was a great day to be named Kristian! And if your last name is Blummenfelt, you have to be especially pleased. With two full distance wins in his pocket, he has taken a commanding lead in the IRONMAN Pro Series. Now, all that stands in the way of him and the $200k series bonus are a couple of World Championship wins.
Easy, right?
Not exactly. Ironically, the Nice upset could be coming from inside the house as Stornes (3rd) and Iden (4th) showed they are rounding into competitive form. Based on their trajectories, come World Championship season they could be coming for the crown…
This weekend also saw plenty of high-profile penalties. Schomburg’s handlebar break was clearly a hazard, and by being pulled off the course he’ll have another opportunity to shine this weekend in Roth.
Høgenhaug’s “outside assistance” sounds like it was fairly marginal - a coach jogging beside him for 10 seconds. Maybe a stern warning could have sufficed?
And the most publicized penalty - Ditlev’s littering yellow card, turned red card, turned no card also appears to be a bit overzealous as the crime occurred mere feet from the littering zone. Again, a stern warning probably could have done the job.
These penalties are frustrating, but as many of the heated internet commentators should be reminded, the referees are people. They’re not doing it for the money (definitely not!), they’re out there for the love of the sport and are trying to give back. And they’re doing their best, and without them, these races wouldn’t even happen.
Did the refs make the right call in Frankfurt?Or should races be more relaxed? |
FAVORITES
🤦♂️ Common training mistakes: Training is like a big puzzle - with plenty of difficult pieces! So don’t make it even harder for yourself. Watch this video and learn how you can avoid some of the most common training mistakes! [GTN]
🌬️ Calf sleeves for me? Calf sleeves are the latest mark of aerodynamically obsessed triathletes. But are the aerodynamic savings calf sleeves bring worth the cost of looking goofy? In short, yes. [Triathlete]
🌱 Weak ankles, weak link? As we age, lost ankle mobility can throw off our balance and lead to falls. But a few simple drills can rebuild your strength and stability from the ground up, - improving your athletic performance, but maybe more importantly, your longevity! [InsideHook]
🏃♂️ A faster breath: Nasal strips may look odd, but for athletes, they can ease airflow and reduce effort - especially if you're congested. Some studies even hint at VO₂max gains. But are they worth the price of a few funny looks? This article explains. [Well+Good]
REEL TIME
We love a good endurance sport crossover! And World Tour + Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Greg Van Avermaet is showing he can do more than just push the pedals!
TEMPO TALKS PODCAST
What can you learn from Lionel Sanders’ devastating injury?
And why are triathletes at risk of Rhabdomyolysis?
We break it all down in the latest episode of the Tempo Talks Podcast!
Together with The TriDoc, we bring you the biggest stories in Triathlon,
Training tips to make you faster,
And breakdowns of the latest in sports science and performance!
RACE WEEKEND
IRONMAN 70.3 Nice
It was T100 domination in Nice as Marten Van Riel (BEL) and Jessica Learmonth (GBR) stole the show in the south of France!
World Triathlon World Cup Saidia
Oliver Conway (GBR) and Diana Isakova (AIN) stunned in Saidia!
World Triathlon Long Distance World Championships
Antonio Benito-Lopez (ESP) was the home crowd hero, while Marjolaine Pierre (FRA) took her first-ever world title.
QUICK NEWS
Multisport magic: Over 3,000 athletes from age group, to para, to elite experienced 10 days of incredible racing at the Pontevedra Multisport World Championships. Next up? Abu Dhabi 2026! [World Triathlon]
Inclusive race: Inclusive Yorkshire Ability Triathlon united ~50 children with physical or neurodiverse needs for a fun, no-pressure day of swim, bike, run! [220 Triathlon]
Kingma cyclist: Dutch Olympic Triathlete Maya Kingma will be taking a bit of time away from the pool as she embarks on a new adventure - racing for women’s World Tour cycling Team EF Pro Cycling. First up - The women’s Giro D’Italia!
IM OZ date change: To align better with other regional events, IRONMAN Australia will now take place in October starting in 2026. [IRONMAN]
Manager shakeup: In a coup for Brownlee Racing, Tim Don - the winningest manager in Supertri history - will be leaving Podium Racing to lead the British-based team. Just in time for the first Supertri league race in Chicago! [Supertri]
Local race death: The Elk Lake triathlon - Canada’s longest running event - has been cancelled. Excessive, last-minute fees imposed by the host municipality have put an unmanageable cost on the event. [Saanich News]
T100 postponed: T100 has announced they are unable to host their Lake Las Vegas event, and will now be hosting a professional T100 event in Wollongong, Australia alongside the World Triathlon Grand Final in October. [Endurance Biz]
LATEST EDITIONS
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Run slower to get faster, plus: underrated healthy foods.
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