- The Tempo
- Posts
- T100 Stars Set to Shine in San Francisco
T100 Stars Set to Shine in San Francisco
T100 Escaping Alcatraz, IRONMAN hydration chaos, and hills or intervals for running?
Matthew Sharpe
May 30, 2025
TOGETHER WITH ADDRA LABS
Good morning everyone,
Another newsletter, another corrected link! 😅 Apologies for the error in Tuesday’s edition. Many of you were looking for banded shoulder external rotations (an excellent rotator cuff exercise), and instead got the Linkedin profile of my Physiotherapist!
You definitely don’t have to add him to your network. But if you live in the Boulder, Colorado area and need some physio work, I’d be happy to intro!
Now, back to our regular programming…
In today’s edition:
🌟 T100 stars set to shine in San Francisco.
🏃 Should you run hills or intervals?
😵💫 And new IRONMAN hydration rules creates chaos.
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 Stars Set to Shine in San Francisco
What is it: This weekend marks the second stop in the T100 Triathlon World Tour. And after taking on the scorching heat of Singapore, the athletes will be diving into the subzero, shark-infested waters of San Francisco Bay!
Women’s race: After skipping out on Singapore, all eyes will be on Taylor Knibb (USA) as she looks to carry her undefeated 2024 T100 record into a new year.
But the surprise T100 Singapore winner, Kate Waugh (GBR), will be hoping to dethrone the Queen and show her early-season victory wasn’t a fluke.
The two favorites will be joined by blue chip podium contender, Ashleigh Gentle (AUS), and Olympic silver medalist-turned middle-distance stalwart, Julie Derron (SUI).
Ones to watch: Vitoria Lopes (BRA), Taylor Spivey (USA), and Jessica Learmonth (GBR) should all be at the head of affairs coming out of the swim. They’ll be motivated to put time into some of the stronger ride/runners.
Paula Findlay (CAN) has had an impressive run of 70.3 wins, and could easily be on the podium if she remains in contention out of the water.
And two Brits, Lucy Byram and Holly Lawrence, could also feature near the front of the race!
Men’s race: After a nasty crash, and resulting surgery, Singapore champion Hayden Wilde (NZ) will be on the sidelines like the rest of us. His absence aside, there are still many challengers for the win.
Last year’s San Francisco T100 champion, Martin Van Riel (BEL), will be returning to defend his title. Will he solo to victory? Or will it be another sprint finish for the ages?
Fellow Belgian, and current 70.3 World Champion Jelle Geens should be ready to turn around from a DNF in Singapore.
And Van Riel’s 2024 sprint rivals, Rico Bogen (GER) and Kyle Smith (NZL) will be hoping for the top step of the podium this year!
Ones to watch: Last year’s swim saw most of the athletes hit the beach together due to fast-moving currents. This year? Who knows! But one thing is sure, the pace at the front will be hot!
Expect Vincent Luis (FRA), and wildcard Jamie Riddle (RSA) to push the pace in the swim and try to stretch out the field on the hilly bike.
They’ll be trying to put as much time as possible between themselves and super-runners Morgan Pearson (USA) and Jason West (USA).
Our sleeper pick for the podium? recent 70.3 Venice champion, Panagiotis Bitados (GRE) - another wildcard.
Tempo’s take: After a strong start in Singapore, the T100 is looking to carry momentum into the midseason with San Francisco this weekend, and Vancouver two weeks later. And could a budding rivalry create even more drama for the upstart series?
…Not exactly.
The T100 is trying to manufacture a Knibb vs. Waugh rivalry. They’ve even brought receipts from 2015. But, save for a mechanical issue, Knibb shouldn’t really have a problem taking the win.
Last year in San Fran, in one of her strongest performances to date, she won by almost four minutes.
And with a win under her belt, the other athletes won’t let Waugh take a free ride on the bike!
We also noticed San Francisco features 22 men on the start line. Eight of which are non-contracted wildcards.
We have no problem with more than 20 athletes. Hell, why not 30 or 40? And different wildcards will bring unique skillsets that will add intrigue to the racing.
But the whole point of having contracts was so the same twenty athletes showed up to every race. And when a marquee contracted athlete decides to skip out and pay to do a competitors race instead, it really highlights fundamental issues with the T100’s contract model…
TOGETHER WITH ADDRA LABS
Level Up Your Recovery With Leucine!
Did you miss our recent interview with sports nutrition expert Eric Zaltas?
Be sure to check it out, and learn 👇
Why Leucine is a game changer for endurance recovery.
What mistakes you might be making with your post-workout nutrition!
How long is the post-workout recovery window?
And don’t forget to try ADDRA’s free protein calculator and claim your free sample of their high performance
FAVORITES
😵💫 Hydration chaos: Recent changes to IRONMAN rules around hydration systems have caused an uproar. And it’s only gotten more confusing with more language added around rear storage on your frame. So is your hydration system legal? Or will your bike be put in the penalty box? This video explains! [GTN]
😍 Your dream race: What does your dream race look like? A flat, fast course? Travel-friendly location? An electric race-day atmosphere? Get all of the above, and so much more at IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina! And with 500+ successful IRONMAN athletes, coach Stephan Weyers will design a training plan around your schedule, goals, and life - making your dream race a reality!
Learn more about coach Weyers, his 100% IRONMAN success rate, and money-back guarantee here! [Wingman Sports]*
🏃 Uphill vs. intervals: It’s a debate most athletes face. Should you do hill repeats? Or interval training? But the right answer isn’t so simple. And this article explains why you need a little bit of both in your life! [Run Lovers]
👏 Latifah leads: How did Latifah Lowery go from not know how to swim to becoming the first African American woman to win an IRONMAN race? Hard work, and a willingness to show up everyday! Learn more about her incredible journey, and big goals here. [Triathlete]
📈 Wilde ride: After suffering a brutal accident that has derailed his promising season, Hayden Wilde is fighting like hell to find his way back to the start line. And he’s documenting the riveting return in a new, and raw video series. [Hayden Wilde/YouTube]
*paid partnership
TEMPO TALKS PODCAST
What Does Surprising New Protein Research Mean For You?
What is the secret to true pre-race confidence?
And what can we expect from a massive pre-Kona pro matchup?
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!
REEL TIME
Well, I guess I’ll just swim like this forever! 😂
QUICK NEWS
Doping violation: A Brazilian Paralympic medalist in triathlon has been provisionally suspended for a doping violation. And he may have to give up his medal. [Triathlon Magazine]
Rest in peace: Our thoughts are with the family and friends of well-loved triathlete and race commentator, Jay Luke, who tragically passed away unexpectedly. [7News]
Agadir athletes: Agadir, the second largest tourism destination in Morocco, will now be home to an IRONMAN 70. event! [Endurance Biz]
Inspiring athlete: At last weekend’s CapTexTri, triathlete Erin Broeckman competed her 47th triathlon. But it was the first that she carried her wheelchair-bound brother across a finish line. [WTAM]
RACE WEEKEND
IRONMAN Hamburg European Championship
Laura Philipp (GER) and Kat Matthews square off in an epic pre-Kona matchup!
WTCS Alghero
Yokohama champions Matt Hauser (AUS) and Jeanne Lehair (LUX) return to the blue carpet looking for two in a row. But will the hilly bike course cause unexpected carnage?
LATEST EDITIONS
Why you can’t ignore your rotator cuff. And do you need a shoe rotation?
Supertri seeks $60M in push for growth. Plus, deadlift gains!
Charles-Barclay, Blummenfelt send world championship statements.
What did you think of today's newsletter? |
Reply