High Stakes and High Turnover as Latest T100 Start Lists Revealed!

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In today’s edition:

• 🏁 High stakes and high turnover as latest T100 start lists revealed!

• 🏊 Open water sighting secrets for your best swim split.

• 🧘 And the many benefits of working on your mobility!

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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ONE BIG THING

High Stakes and High Turnover as Latest T100 Start Lists Revealed!

What is it: The T100 Triathlon World Tour has recently released the start lists for two of its upcoming events in San Francisco and Vancouver.

• Both showcase the triathlon talent of the T100, but also highlights the pitfalls of their contract model.

Scorching San Francisco: With Singapore T100 champion Hayden Wilde (NZ) sidelined with significant injuries, we’ll be seeing a new men’s champion in San Francisco.

Martin Van Riel (BEL), Kyle Smith (NZL), and Rico Bogen (GER) were all involved in last year’s epic 3 way sprint finish, and will be back for another round.

• They will be joined by 10 other contracted athletes including Sam Long (USA), and Jelle Geens (BEL).

• A surplus of wildcards will be looking to steal the show, including recent IM 70.3 Venice champion, Panagiotis Bitados (GRE).

The women’s race will see the first head-to-head battle between shock Singapore winner, Kate Waugh (GBR), and undefeated T100 World Champion Taylor Knibb (USA).

• In total, ten contracted athletes, including Ashleigh Gentle (AUS), will take on ten wildcards. Former 70.3 World Champion Holly Lawrence, among them.

Victorious Vancouver: Two weeks after San Francisco, T100 Vancouver will see a more significant presence of contracted athletes.

• The women’s race sees the return of Lucy Charles-Barclay - an athlete who always changes the dynamic of a race.

• And as of now, the women’s T100 Vancouver start list will have 13 contracted athletes.

The men’s race contains 14 contracted athletes, including last year’s IRONMAN Pro Series Champion, Gregory Barnaby.

• Canada’s Jackson Laundry will be among the wildcards competing in Vancouver.

Tempo’s take: When the T100 Triathlon World Tour began, they wanted to be a media product that had the best triathletes in the world competing against one another in every race.

• Now, they’re an events company, with only half of their contracted athletes showing up…

We have no problem with the T100 changing their business model. In fact, the speed in which they’ve pivoted to events has been impressive. And as an aside, we’ve only heard good things about the races they’ve put on.

• And that speed in which they’ve pivoted to events, should also be applied to getting rid of their contract model.

The T100 has tried to recreate their series based off Formula 1. The same 20 drivers competing against each other. Week in, and week out.

• But as we’ve seen, triathletes aren’t race car drivers. They’re tougher (obviously), but they’re also more fragile!

Last year, F1 driver Carlos Sainz had an emergency appendectomy 16 days before he won the Australian Grand Prix.

• If a triathlete has an issue with something like their Achilles, than competing on it won’t just keep them from winning their next race, it could take them out for the season!

• And one unfortunate car crash, or stress fracture can keep the talent off the start line for months at a time!

• With such a high attrition rate, the T100 struggles to maintain continuity of its athletes. This is why we see half the San Francisco field made up of wildcards.

There isn’t an undersupply of great athletes who want to race T100 events. If they put the money they’ve invested in athlete contracts into race prize purses, they would have no problem getting 20 exceptional athletes willing to travel great distances to compete.

But why stop at 20? As we’re seeing in the broadcasts, the large gaps between athletes doesn’t exactly make for thrilling triathlon action.

• More athletes means more breakthroughs and increased intrigue!

TOGETHER WITH PURPLE PATCH FITNESS

Take Control of Your Time and Performance with Purple Patch Fitness!

Looking for better performance out of your race training block? Purple Patch Fitness has launched a FREE 7-Day Train Smarter Challenge built for time-starved triathletes balancing training with a busy life.

In less than 15 minutes a day, you’ll learn how to use a simple, proven tool to get more from your workouts, simplify your training, and avoid fatigue or wasted energy.

• Start anytime in May and take advantage of free workouts, helpful templates, videos, and coach support throughout.

Whether you’re chasing your first IRONMAN or a new PR, this is your first step to better performance!

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TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

Are You Making the Most of Your Swim?

How drafting well can take your swim to the next level, and lessons from a tough race that can help you nail your next competition!

All this and more 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!

Don’t miss a moment; listen to Tempo Talks on Apple, Spotify, and more!  

FAVORITES

🏊 Sighting skills: Open water swimming is an aspect of the sport that most of us will encounter. But if we don’t have the skills to sight well, than all of our hard training will be for naught! This video breaks down the technique that will help you sight well and stay on course! [Effortless Swimming]

🧘 Mobility maxing: Are you dealing with consistent pain that just won’t go away? There’s a good chance your mobility might have something to do with it! Mobility, not to be confused with stretching, is all about having strength through your full range of motion. This article explains how this simple technique can help you manage pain and reach your full athletic potential! [Well & Good]

🔥 Heat training heroics: Heat training is the latest frontier in endurance performance. But how should you incorporate it? And is there a risk of “cooking” yourself? This article explains the different methods of heat training, and how you can use them improve your fitness and nail your next hot race! [Core Temperature]

👏 Increased anti-doping: In an unprecedented (and well-received) move, ON Running has partnered with the International Testing Agency and the Athletics Integrity Unit to provide additional anti-doping testing for its sponsored athletes. Why did they do this? And how much more will they be testing? Find out here! [ON Running]

REEL TIME

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QUICK NEWS

Inspiring athlete: Meet the blind athlete who competed at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George. And the guide who helped him cross the finish line! [ABC4]

Supertri Toulouse: Toulouse is returning to the Supertri schedule. And this year age group athletes will have the chance to compete in Super Sprint, Sprint, and Olympic distance races! [Supertri]

Kiama knock out: For the second straight year the Kiama triathlon was held with great success! [The Bugle News]

Unique tri challenge: This Canadian couple is doing a unique triathlon challenge - a race in every province and territory. Their goal? Raise money for ALS charity. [MYPGNOW]

RACE WEEKEND

WTCS YOKOHAMA

Lisa Tertsch (GER) will be looking for her second WTCS win of the season. While the men’s race is wide open!

IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-En-Provence

Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), Gustav Iden (NOR), and Lisa Perterer (AUT) highlight this weekend’s IRONMAN Pro Series event!

CHALLENGE Championship

Frederic Funk (GER) and Alanis Sifert (SUI) are top ranked heading into the Challenge Championship!

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