Kiwi superstar Hayden Wilde has confirmed his plans to compete in all three of the remaining T100 Triathlon World Tour events this season as he looks to complete what would be a stunning seven-race winning streak.
The Olympic silver medalist made it four wins from as many starts at the weekend as he followed up successes in Singapore, London and the French Riviera by storming to another thrilling first place in Spain.
And even though he cannot now improve on his perfect score heading into December’s all-important World Championship decider in Qatar, he still wants to go to Wollongong next month and Dubai in November as he seeks to end the campaign on a high.
No rest required
Having missed a huge chunk of the calendar following a horror crash in Japan earlier this year, which left him with a punctured lung, six broken ribs, and a smashed scapula, it is clear that resting up ahead of the season-defining finale is not an option.
Speaking after his win in Spain, the 28-year-old said: “It’s super nice to have maximum points, you know. I am still looking forward to racing at Wollongong, and I’ve got the same objective to go there and race hard. And it’s the same with Dubai as well. I’ve come out and said that I really want to win every race, so I will be there pushing all the way until Qatar.
“The season isn’t over until Qatar, and I’ve been in this position many times and have fallen short, so I have just got to keep the pressure on and hopefully do well in Qatar to bring it home.”
Each athlete’s four best T100 scores will be added to the points they pick up at the World Championship Final on December 12. With Wilde having already won four races, he cannot improve on his current table-topping maximum of 140 points.
The only two races he has not won on the Tour this season were those which took place in San Francisco and Vancouver, while he was busy focusing on the road to recovery post-Japan.
Geens rivalry must wait
Behind him comes Belgian rival Jelle Geens, who has achieved five podium finishes this season – including one win at Vancouver, three second places and a third – in accruing his 122 points.
Having finished second twice and third once behind Wilde, the pair have certainly provided a great deal of entertainment this season, with their rivalry one of the undisputed highlights of the T100 World Championship Tour.
However, those hoping to see more of their individual battle will now have to wait until the final race in Qatar, as Geens plans on taking a break and focusing on the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Marbella before lining up against his old foe once again in Qatar.
Wilde is certainly enjoying the competition, and says his experience at the weekend in Spain served as proof that he cannot allow himself to get complacent for one minute.
“This was actually one of the first times we’ve run off the bike together, so it was super interesting,” he said. “He’s one of the best runners in the sport at this distance, so I was a little bit nervous, but just made sure not to go out too hard and just control myself.
Hardest bike of the season
“It was probably one of the hardest bikes I’ve done this season. Whether it was my legs or whether it was the pace, I was having to push pretty hard on the bike just to keep with it, and I was just hoping that the legs would turn up on their run.”
As for Geens, he knows he is going to have to come up with something very special to finally beat his nemesis.
When asked about the rivalry, he replied: “To be honest, it’s not really been much of a battle yet. At least here it was for about six kilometres, maybe six and a half… but I believe that I can beat him, I definitely feel like I can.
“I’m going to take a break now and do a good training block leading into the 70.3 Worlds in Marbella and then Qatar for the final, and hope to be really in contention there for winning the big race. And I really hope that I will be able to give Hayden a proper fight until the end.”
Germany’s Rico Bogen and Mika Noodt sit joint-third in the standings with 93 points each, while the final top ten athletes will automatically be offered a contract to compete next season.
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