Rico Bogen and Julie Derron emerged victorious at the T100 San Francisco, showcasing two very different paths to glory. Bogen delivered a masterclass in dominance, making the race his own from start to finish, while Derron pulled off a tactical and spirited run to dethrone the previously unbeaten Taylor Knibb.
Men’s Race: Bogen in a League of His Own
The men’s race started with an unusual twist. Unlike previous T100 races, the swim saw most of the field emerge from the water in a tightly packed group. Marc Dubrick was the fastest over the 2km swim, clocking 16:33 – a clear sign that the athletes had the current in their favor. Close behind, 18 men exited the water within 19 seconds of each other, setting the stage for a thrilling bike segment. Slovakian Andrej Kubo, however, missed the boat – literally and figuratively – exiting the water nearly three minutes behind, effectively ending his hopes for a top finish.
A long 600-meter run to T1 could have created gaps, but the elite pack stayed close together and rolled out onto the 80km bike course as a unit. In the opening kilometers, familiar names like Jelle Geens, Rico Bogen and Marten Van Riel drove the pace, with Panagiotis Bitados also looking strong near the front. The fierce early pace soon caused splits, and by the 30km mark, only nine men remained within half a minute of each other: Van Riel, Bitados, Bogen, Geens, Youri Keulen, Jamie Riddle, Kyle Smith, Mika Noodt, and Aaron Royle—though Royle would later drop off the back.
From that point, it was all Bogen. The German athlete steadily turned the screws at the front, tearing the lead group apart with his relentless power. No one could hold his wheel. By the time he returned to T2, Bogen had carved out a lead of nearly two minutes over Jamie Riddle. Behind them, a chase group featuring Smith, Geens, Van Riel and Noodt followed another 46 seconds back.
Typically known for faltering during the run, Bogen flipped the script this time. He ran confidently and consistently over the 18km, never allowing his lead to shrink to less than two minutes. Jelle Geens began to claw back time in the final kilometers, but Bogen’s victory was never seriously threatened.
Bogen claimed the win in a commanding time of 3:15:53. Geens took second in 3:17:46, with Mika Noodt rounding out the podium in 3:19:22.
Women’s Race: Derron Turns the Tables on Knibb
In the women’s race, Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes set the early tone with a blistering 16:17 swim – faster than the men’s leader – pulling along a strong group that included Jessica Learmonth, Kate Waugh, Holly Lawrence, Taylor Spivey, Marta Sanchez Hernandez, Julie Derron, and Taylor Knibb.
As expected, Knibb wasted no time asserting herself on the bike. Within the first 15 kilometers, she had begun to gap her chasers, though it was clear this wouldn’t be an easy runaway. Julie Derron and Jessica Learmonth stayed within striking distance, and Knibb found it harder than usual to open a massive lead. By T2, her advantage over Derron was just 1:04, with Learmonth following at 1:24. Waugh, starting the run in fourth, was already 3:41 down.
But, once on the run, Derron came into her own. Within just over three kilometers, she reeled in Knibb and surged past, taking control of the race. From there, she never looked back.
Julie Derron crossed the finish line first in 3:38:46, securing a monumental win and ending Knibb’s dominance at T100 events. Knibb finished second in 3:40:51 and Waugh claimed the bronze in 3:43:00.
