T100 Bounces Back

Good morning everyone,

A big weekend of training has got me knocked back a bit. But that’s what I get for jumping into a run workout with my good friend and Olympic silver medalist, Kevin McDowell. I trained with Kev extensively during my Olympic qualification journey, and in between lung-busting intervals (for me!) it was fun to remember the hard yards we shared during that time.

Although I don’t remember getting dropped as much then 🤔😅

In today’s edition: 

• T100 Triathlon Tour bounces back in Singapore

• How threshold training can level up your running.

• And could you be underfueling?

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

T100 Triathlon World Tour Bounces back in Singapore

What is it: The heat was on at this past weekend’s T100 Triathlon World Tour event in Singapore as all eyes were on the triathlon startup after a rocky first outing last month in Miami.

• Miami coverage woes, including lost audio in the women’s race, and a mistiming of the broadcast that saw athletes cycling in complete darkness were part of the specter that haunted over the Singapore stop.

Singapore sings: However, the T100 team seemed to have left the Miami madness in the past as the broadcast was delivered professionally and without major issues. And, not surprisingly, the athletes on the course delivered thrilling spectacle.

Golden Gentle: Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle is one of the best middle-distance triathletes in world and probably the best in extremely hot conditions. She won last year’s event in Singapore, so going into this one she was no doubt the favourite.

• After a solid swim Gentle found herself coming off the bike with a seemingly impossible gap of 5:33 to Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) who herself was incredibly motivated to take the top spot after a close second in Miami.

• With athletes ahead of her melting in the sweltering Singaporean conditions, Gentle gained strength as she picked off her competition one-by-one.

• With 4km to go Gentle had erased the deficit and surged past Charles-Barclay to take the lead. She would cruise to the finish with a time of 3:44:23 taking the victory, the $25,000 first-place cheque, and establishing herself as a favorite to take the inaugural T100 World Tour title.

Els Visser (NED) who was a wildcard selection for this event made the most of her opportunity as she produced a career-best performance claiming the final podium spot.

• 🥇 Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)

• 🥈 Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)

• 🥉 Els Visser (NED)

Kuelin kills: Not long ago Youri Kuelin (NED) had left short course racing after struggling to translate his training into performances on race day. It appears he has found the right formula.

In a field with the likes of double Olympic gold-medalist Alistair Brownlee (GBR), IRONMAN world champion Sam Laidlow (FRA), and many other top-ranked athletes, Keulin found himself taking a career-defining win.

• After a big group came out of the water together, Keulin, Brownlee, Mike Noodt (GER) and Kyle Smith (NZL) eventually would establish themselves at the front of the race.

• Keulin decided to go solo off the front in the later stages of the bike, just as American Sam Long was reentering the race after finishing dead last in the swim.

• Onto the run, Keulin was never to be touched as he ran to the solo victory and immediately passed out due to the heat at the finish (he’s since recovered).

Sam Long (USA) went from last to almost-first as he rolled through the field to take an impressive second place just a week after finishing second at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside.

• 🥇 Youri Keulin (NED)

• 🥈 Sam Long (USA)

• 🥉 Pieter Heemeryck (BEL)

Full results

Tempo’s take: For the T100 series, it was a very solid rebound from a rocky start in Miami. The coverage was seamless and the broadcasters have presenters have found their rhythm. And there are still plenty of races to come, so we can hopefully expect even more polish by the time the Grand Final rolls around in November.

Of course the pros weren’t the only athletes hitting the overheated streets of Singapore. The age group athletes also had their chance to take on the 100km triathlon, duathlon and mixed team relay.

• According to a participants list on the T100 website, almost 900 athletes were registered to compete in the event.

• With age group racing touted as a cornerstone, and a hopeful meaningful revenue generator for the T100 Tour, Singapore is a solid start.

But to compete with the amateur race juggernauts like IRONMAN and Challenge, the T100 World Tour will have to continue to put up solid participation numbers in their future events like Lake Las Vegas which does not have a history of age group participation.

FAVOURITES

😴 Sleep strategy: We work hard, we train hard, but sometimes that critical sleep just doesn’t come as easy as it should. So should you be taking sleep supplements like Melatonin and Magnesium? Sleep experts weigh in here. [Time]

🏃 Threshold triumph: If you have a big race you’re targeting, or just want to move the needle on your running, you might want to be incorporating more threshold running into your program. This video breaks down what this type of running entails (a lot of effort!) and how it can help lead to your next PB! [GTN]

🥞 Underfueling awareness: Chronic underfueling results from insufficient caloric intake, and it can have disasterous results on your training and racing performance, and life! This must-read infographic shows the symptoms most associated with underfueling. [TrainingPeaks]

🎙️ Knibb tells all: Taylor Knibb (USA) is a 2× IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and a significant medal threat at this summer’s Olympics in Paris, and one of the most dynamic triathletes on the planet. In the latest podcast episode of Chasing the Burn, Knibb opens up like she never has before as she addresses the Olympics, a tumultuous coaching change, and much more. [Chasing the Burn]

🏆 Multiple sports, massive fitness: Parker Valby is a four-time NCAA running champion, and yet she only runs 25 miles a week?!?! Her secret? A ton of cross-training. She doesn’t cross-train like a triathlete (yet), but this article shows just how incredibly fit you can get training for multiple sports! [Runners World]

REEL TIME

Triathlon, but make it art!

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WHAT YOU SAID

Here are Tempo readers’ thoughts on whether they would still be interested if the Olympic triathlon turned into a duathlon due to poor water quality in the Seine.

RACE WEEKEND

Supertri.e World Championships

Formerly known as the Arena Games, this dynamic and fast-paced form of triathlon features a blend of real and virtual racing.

• Athletes swim in a pool and quickly transition to smart trainer-enabled bikes where they race their through the virtual world of Zwift.

• They then complete their effort on a curved treadmill which is completely human powered.

As this was the recently rebranded Supertri’s first event of the year, they were hoping for some positive momentum after a difficult offseason that saw them lose a marquee event, the Malibu Triathlon, at the hands of its previous owner. 

Women’s race: It was an early preview of what could be an Olympic gold medal battle between France’s Cassandre Beaugrand, and Beth Potter (GBR).

• In the final round of swim/bike/run action, Beaugrand held a slim lead heading onto the run. But was quickly overtaken by a deeply motivated Potter who smashed a 2:50km to take the title.

• Beaugrand struggled through the final run and appeared to be slightly favoring her calf as she finished.

• 🥇 Beth Potter (GBR)

• 🥈 Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA)

• 🥉 Katie Zaferes (USA)

Men’s race: After a stroke of bad luck (bad treadmill) in 2023 that lost him the world title and resulted in the infamous Butterfly race, Chase McQueen (USA) was looking to redeem himself in the real and virtual arena.

• After gaining a slight lead over Max Stapley (GBR) and Maxime Huber-Moosbreuger (FRA) in the first two rounds, McQueen charged into the final round looking to finally tackle his 2023 demons.

• A strong swim led to a dominating bike where McQueen created an insurmountable lead as he broke the virtual tape and finally became World Champion.

• 🥇 Chase McQueen (USA)

• 🥈 Max Stapley (GBR)

• 🥉 Maxime Huber-Moosbreuger (FRA)

Full results

QUICK NEWS

IRONMAN Ottawa: IRONMAN is expected to announce a new full-distance race in Ottawa, Canada after information leaked on a website. [Triathlon Magazine]

Incredible athlete: Zachary Deonath will be competing in the Triathlon and representing the USA at the upcoming Special Olympics in Slovakia. [Ocala News]

Seine solutions: “The athletes will be sanitized within an inch of their lives” says GB Triathlon boss regarding sanitization plan for Seine-bound Olympians. [The Guardian]

Scottish tri: A new Scottish community-based triathlon program will be making its debut as part of the Lochore Aquathlon this June. Unconfirmed wether Nessie will be making an appearance. [Central Fife Times]

Supertri TV: Supertri has made a deal with Warner Bros Discovery to stream their races on the broadcaster’s MAX platform. [Endurance biz]

TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE

• How to nail your triathlon training nutrition. 

• Simon Shi is a pro triathlete…and a rubiks cube champion!

• How this athlete manages startup life and triathlon!

LATEST EDITIONS

• Could the Olympics be a duathlon? And a guide to caffeine. 

• Outstanding Oceanside and how to fuel morning training.

• Key tips for open water swimming, running well with age, and the link between exercise and digestion.