Winning Embrunman is a sensational feat in itself, but given the challenging period Niek Heldoorn has just navigated, this victory carries profound emotional weight. After securing victory in 2022 and placing second in 2023, the Dutch athlete once again emerged triumphant today – decisively putting a frustrating spell of health issues behind him.
Heldoorn’s mastery of high-mountain racing is well documented, and today was another masterclass in relentless strength. In this notoriously extreme long-distance triathlon – headlined on the bike leg by the daunting 2,360-meter climb of the Col d’Izoard – Heldoorn emerged from the water near the front of the pack. At that stage, France’s Thomas Sayer held a lead of nearly two minutes over him, with Remi Dupuis, Mattéo Bringer, and Pablo Collin also sitting ahead of the Dutchman.
Once on the bike, however, Heldoorn truly hit his stride. Within just a few kilometers, he launched a relentless solo attack to take the lead. Refusing to settle into a conservative rhythm, his advantage ballooned across the grueling climbs. By the time he reached T2, Heldoorn had built a formidable cushion of almost six minutes over Spain’s Jordi Montraveta, who had staged a powerful bike leg of his own.
A six-minute gap can vanish quickly on a marathon – especially after such a punishing mountain course and with a runner as formidable as Montraveta in pursuit. Over the first ten kilometers, Heldoorn held firm, keeping the gap virtually intact. However, as the run progressed, the tide began to turn. Montraveta started chipping away at the lead, cutting the deficit to four minutes by the halfway mark. Ten kilometers later—with just ten kilometers remaining – the Spaniard had shaved off another two minutes, bringing the gap down to two minutes and setting up a dramatic finish.
Yet Heldoorn refused to break. Showing immense mental fortitude, he dug deep in the closing miles to stave off Montraveta’s relentless charge and lock in the victory. Heldoorn crossed the line in 8:59:46, with Montraveta taking second in 9:01:04, and France’s Clement Grandy completing the podium in 9:03:52.
Looking ahead, Heldoorn will take his winning momentum to the start line in just four weeks’ time at the Europe Triathlon Long Distance Championships during Challenge Almere-Amsterdam.
