Triathlon talent battle erupts as T100 names its final roster

TOGETHER WITH PLASMAIDE

Good morning everyone,

Well, it’s officially wear-full-winter-cycling-gear in the garage weather! This time last week I was in summer in Chile, and now it’s -20C/-2F here in Boulder 🥶❄️

• Plenty of indoor rides on tap. If you have any good Netflix/Hulu/Disney+/every other streaming service suggestions please send them through!

In today’s edition:

• 🌋 Triathlon talent battle erupts as T100 names its final roster.

• 🏆 Why this marginal gain will give you maximum performance!

• 🚲 And the science behind zone 2 training.

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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ONE BIG THING

Triathlon Talent Battle Erupts as T100 Names its Final Roster

What is it: The upstart T100 Triathlon World Tour recently added the final athletes to its 2025 professional triathlon series. There are now 39 of 40 contracted athletes confirmed in the 2025 pro series who will compete for lucrative prize purses, end-of-series bonus money, and world titles.

World-class women: Already confirmed for 2025’s tour were defending champion Taylor Knibb (USA) and Ashleigh Gentle (AUS), along with “hotshot” selections including Olympic medalists Taylor Spivey (USA) and Jessica Learmonth (GBR).

Now, the T100 has confirmed seven of the final eight contracted women including,

• Caroline Pohle (GER) - IRONMAN 70.3 European Champion

• Marta Sanchez (ESP) - 70.3 Western Australian Champion

• Grace Thek (AUS) - 2nd 70.3 Zell Am See

Magnificent men: A stacked men’s roster including returning T100 champion Martin Van Riel (BEL) and Sam Long (USA) were recently confirmed to be competing alongside “hotshot” athletes Hayden Wilde (NZ), Vincent Luis (FRA), and Leo Bergere (FRA).

And now, the full 2025 T100 men’s roster has been confirmed. Notables include,

• Jelle Geens (BEL) - IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion

• Gregory Barnaby (ITA) - IRONMAN Pro Series Champion

• Jason West (USA) - 2nd 2023 PTO US Open

Tempo’s take: When Kat Matthews (GBR), Magnus Ditlev (DEN), Laura Philipp (GER), and Sam Laidlow (FRA) announced they would be taking their talents to the IRONMAN Pro Series it looked like the T100 had taken fatal blows in the battle for professional triathlon talent.

• But, with their backs against the rope, the T100 has been able to punch back and land a few haymakers of their own!

Landing the recently named IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion AND inaugural pro series champion are huge wins for the T100. It signals there is still significant value for successful IRONMAN-branded athletes to compete in the upstart series.

• But will the T100 learn from their poorly written contracts? Or will the new talent take the T100 cash and use it to pay for IRONMAN entry fees as we witnessed last season?

The T100 just showed that it can still compete with IRONMAN. And this year will decide whether the upstart can go toe-to-toe with the heavyweight for the ultimate prize - events revenue!

TOGETHER WITH PLASMAIDE

Tempo Reviews: Plasmaide Advanced Endurance + Recovery Formula

What if a 1% improvement could transform your performance on race day?

These small improvements - marginal gains - burst into the mainstream during Team Sky’s incredible dominance at the Tour de France—winning an astonishing seven titles in just eight years! 

• Customized bedding for optimal sleep, obsessive hand washing, and redesigned bike saddles. These tiny tweaks, compounded over time, fueled their breakthrough success.

Although we aren’t competing at the Tour de France, we’re still chasing our unique titles; a new personal best, an age-group win, or even taking on a daunting new distance.

Marginal gains are for all of us.

And so is Plasmaide. 

As an extremely effective marginal gain, Plasmaide’s Advanced Endurance + Recovery formula will help you perform your best in two ways,

1. To reach new levels in your most important workouts.

2. To get the most from yourself on race day. 

But what makes Plasmaide work for you? Tree Bark!

Plasmaide’s Advanced Endurance + Recovery formula is a blend of pine bark extract from the Maritime Pine Tree (pinus pinaster). How they found this out? I have no clue! But the research is clear, the pine bark extract helps trigger your body’s natural production of Nitric Oxide (NO). 

• More NO = improved blood flow, oxygen delivery, and increased energy levels!

• And Plasmaide’s formula elevates your nitric oxide levels for up to five hours. 

I trialed Plasmaide’s formula in the month leading up to a strong 5th-place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Pucon. And as a complementary product and liquid adaptogen (not a supplement!), it was seamlessly added to my usual nutrition and hydration routine. 

Matt’s Plasmaide protocol 👇

Training - One packet 30 minutes before intense training, one packet after.

In my build to 70.3 Pucon, I’d take Plasmaide before intense cycling workouts like 6x10’ at threshold power. During these sessions, I maintained a high power output for the entire duration - which was extremely satisfying!

• And in the following days, my legs felt more recovered after taking Plasmaide post-workout.

Racing - One packet one hour before race start, one packet post-race.

The chaotic swim start, the initial attacks on the bike, and the relentless hills of Pucon’s run, all felt more natural, and manageable thanks to a boost in my nitric oxide levels!

• And I’m certain Plasmaide played a key role in my final sprint for 5th place. 

• Going forward, taking Plasmaide will be fully integrated into my race day routine!

Should you be using Plasmaide daily? No, as it’s designed to be used leading up to your event, on race day, and for a short period after your event.

So, if you want to reach a new level in your quality workouts, and go all in for your most important races this year, I highly recommend Plasmaide’s Advanced Endurance + Recovery formula!

• Shop Plasmaide now at The Feed, or at plasmaide.com!

FAVORITES

🚲 Zone 2 explained: Zone 2 training is super buzzy at the moment and for good reason! It is absolutely critical for longevity and performing at your best in endurance events. This Tour de France-winning coach explains the science behind the most important aspect of your training. [TrainingPeaks]

⛽ How to train your gut: Amidst the high-carb fueling revolution, the ability to train your gut to take on more calories has become paramount for peak performance. So how do you train your gut? And how long does it take? This video explains. [Precision Fuel and Hydration]

🏛️ Five pillars of training success: When out on a run, or in the pool, have you ever wondered - what is training? - It’s a great question, and this article has the profound answer, along with the five pillars of training success! [Polar]

😵 Fight internet brain: Do you find yourself spending too much time online? If you also cannot focus for long periods, or have a desire to scroll social media, email, etc*, you might be dealing with "internet brain.” This article explains the simple (but not easy!) answer of how to kick internet brain to the curb! [The Growth Equation]

 *Triathlon-specific newsletters are exempt from this of course 😅

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REEL TIME

That can’t be the answer?!?! 😠🏊‍♂️😂

uniq_endurance

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QUICK NEWS

Phenomenal Pearson: Triathlon Olympic silver medalist Morgan Pearson (USA) kickstarted his year with an incredible half-marathon time this past weekend. His next goal? The T100 Triathlon World Tour! [Triathlon Insights]

Tenby trouble: The ever-popular Long Course Weekend triathlon in Tenby is at risk of shutting down as local councilors call for a withdrawal of support for the event. [Herald.wales]

Tigerman team: For the second time in as many years, MOIL will join the Tigerman Triathlon team to organize India’s longest triathlon held in Nagpur. The event sees athletes swim 5k, cycle 200k, and run 50k! [Times of India]

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