In the very week he announced that he will retire after next season, Vincent Luis reminded the triathlon world exactly why his name continues to command respect. The French star produced a poised, calculated, and ultimately decisive performance to win Ironman 70.3 Bahrain once again, outpacing his concurrents in a race defined by small margins.
From the opening meters it was clear the pace would be fierce. Luis exited the water shoulder-to-shoulder with Short Distance specialists Chase McQueen and Vasco Vilaca, the trio clocking a blistering 23:14 swim to carve out a substantial early gap. Pieter Heemeryck was the first to chase, emerging from the water 2:26 down – already a tall order, but one he was determined to attack.
True to form, the Belgian powered through the 90-kilometre bike leg with trademark intensity. He steadily chipped away at the leaders’ advantage, inching closer with every split, though never quite closing the final meters. By T2, however, his deficit had shrunk to just one minute. Behind him the gaps ballooned, with fifth-placed Will Grace already more than eight minutes adrift.
On the run, Luis wasted no time asserting control. Although Vilaca and McQueen initially held him within reach, the Frenchman’s composure proved decisive. In the final kilometres he began to pull away – second by second, stride by stride – while Heemeryck, despite a strong effort, started to lose contact with the podium fight.
Then the race turned. McQueen, who had looked sharp all day, suddenly cracked in the dying kilometres, bleeding minutes and watching his podium hopes evaporate. Heemeryck seized the opportunity, surging past to claim a well-deserved third place, cementing his status as one of the day’s strongest cyclists.
Luis won Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in a time of 3:29:08. Vilaca finished second in 3:31:19 and Heemeryck third in 3:34:04.