Belgian triathlete Marten Van Riel continues to prove he’s in a league of his own over the Middle Distance, claiming his fifth consecutive Ironman 70.3 victory with a commanding performance in Nice, France. The win means Van Riel has now gone five-for-five in Ironman 70.3 events – remaining undefeated each time he toes the start line over this distance.
Despite exiting the swim in fourth position – with a warm 26°C non-wetsuit swim making for fast conditions – Van Riel wasted no time asserting his dominance on the bike. Early on, Italian Michele Bortolamedi and Denmark’s Valdemar Solok managed to stay in contact, but by the halfway mark of the 90-kilometer bike leg, Van Riel had already carved out a 1:40 lead.
By the time he hit T2, the gap had ballooned to 3:40, giving Van Riel the cushion he needed to cruise through the half marathon and secure yet another 70.3 win. He crossed the line in 4:01:48, with Bortolamedi finishing 2:59 behind for second place. Denmark’s Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen completed the men’s podium, coming in 4:12 behind the winner.
In the women’s race, it was a dominant wire-to-wire victory for Jessica Learmonth. The British athlete was the first woman out of the water in 24:31, with only Spain’s Sara Pérez Sala able to stay close. But once on the bike, Learmonth quickly pulled away, riding solo for the rest of the day.
There was no threat to her lead on the run either, and Learmonth sealed the win in 4:39:54. France’s Sandra Huon claimed second in 4:42:37, while compatriot Anne-Sophie Pierre rounded out the podium in 4:44:01.
