It wasn’t quite the Norwegian clean sweep of Nice – they had to settle for second and third this time – but they again played a full part in a race for the ages.
Kristian Blummenfelt upgraded his third place from the IRONMAN World Championship to second in the 70.3 World Championship in Marbella as he just lost out after an epic duel and then sprint finish with Jelle Geens.
The brilliant Belgian was defending his title and has now had to see off two of the sports greats – it was Hayden Wilde last year – to stand on the top step of the podium.
Casper Stornes, the winner in Nice, wasn’t far back in third but how did the rest of the results sheet pan out?
Bike break shapes race
The bike course – nearly 2,000 metres of climbing – always looked like being decisive and so it proved.
A huge front park was gradually whittled down to nine by T2 – and eight of those filled the first eight positions.
The exception was Mathis Margirier (FRA) after a 1:17:33 half marathon, the slowest of the top 30, saw him tumble down to 15th.
Gustav Iden was part of that Norwegian one-two-three on the Cote d’Azur but he’d played down his own expectations here and proved spot on as he crossed the line in 36th out of 57 finishers.
But a whole host of short course stars excelled on their 70.3 Worlds debut and you can check out the full results and their splits below.
Full finishing order and times – Pro Men
| Position | Athlete | Swim | Bike | Run | Overall time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jelle Geens (BEL) | 00:23:19 | 02:09:38 | 01:07:35* | 03:42:52 |
| 2 | Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) | 00:23:37 | 02:09:12 | 01:07:54 | 03:42:55 |
| 3 | Casper Stornes (NOR) | 00:22:57 | 02:09:52 | 01:08:28 | 03:43:52 |
| 4 | Jonas Schomburg (GER) | 00:22:54 | 02:10:03 | 01:09:17 | 03:44:37 |
| 5 | Rico Bogen (GER) | 00:23:53 | 02:08:54* | 01:11:30 | 03:46:29 |
| 6 | Magnus Ditlev (DEN) | 00:23:22 | 02:09:23 | 01:11:10 | 03:46:50 |
| 7 | Jamie Riddle (RSA) | 00:22:55 | 02:09:42 | 01:13:38 | 03:48:42 |
| 8 | Simon Westermann (SUI) | 00:22:54 | 02:10:00 | 01:13:18 | 03:48:50 |
| 9 | Vincent Luis (FRA) | 00:22:54 | 02:15:02 | 01:09:47 | 03:50:07 |
| 10 | Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) | 00:23:24 | 02:14:15 | 01:10:20 | 03:50:27 |
| 11 | Panagiotis Bitados (GRE) | 00:22:56 | 02:13:38 | 01:12:18 | 03:51:20 |
| 12 | Gregor Payet (LUX) | 00:22:54 | 02:15:06 | 01:11:19 | 03:51:39 |
| 13 | Leonard Arnold (GER) | 00:23:49 | 02:14:03 | 01:11:27 | 03:51:49 |
| 14 | Seth Rider (USA) | 00:22:55 | 02:14:53 | 01:12:24 | 03:52:38 |
| 15 | Mathis Margirier (FRA) | 00:23:34 | 02:09:09 | 01:17:33 | 03:52:52 |
| 16 | Nick Thompson (AUS) | 00:23:43 | 02:14:06 | 01:12:45 | 03:53:13 |
| 17 | Michele Bortolamedi (ITA) | 00:22:53 | 02:15:12 | 01:13:25 | 03:53:55 |
| 18 | Sebastian Wernersen (NOR) | 00:22:49 | 02:15:14 | 01:14:51 | 03:55:08 |
| 19 | Robert Kallin (SWE) | 00:24:20 | 02:13:15 | 01:15:13 | 03:55:42 |
| 20 | Rudy Von Berg (USA) | 00:23:38 | 02:15:28 | 01:14:19 | 03:55:58 |
| 21 | Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN) | 00:23:38 | 02:15:14 | 01:14:24 | 03:56:26 |
| 22 | Simon Viain (FRA) | 00:23:35 | 02:16:53 | 01:13:55 | 03:56:43 |
| 23 | Antony Costes (FRA) | 00:23:39 | 02:16:51 | 01:14:09 | 03:57:03 |
| 24 | Kevin McDowell (USA) | 00:22:57 | 02:15:29 | 01:16:22 | 03:57:06 |
| 25 | Lasse Nygaard Priester (GER) | 00:23:09 | 02:22:06 | 01:09:24 | 03:57:10 |
| 26 | Ben Kanute (USA) | 00:23:18 | 02:19:03 | 01:12:42 | 03:57:14 |
| 27 | Alessio Crociani (ITA) | 00:22:21* | 02:15:24 | 01:17:23 | 03:57:38 |
| 28 | Fabian Kraft (GER) | 00:23:04 | 02:22:26 | 01:10:16 | 03:58:21 |
| 29 | Kacper Stepniak (POL) | 00:23:21 | 02:19:38 | 01:13:16 | 03:58:32 |
| 30 | Gabriel Sandör (SWE) | 00:23:40 | 02:21:34 | 01:11:09 | 03:58:59 |
| 31 | Jason West (USA) | 00:23:29 | 02:22:10 | 01:11:09 | 03:59:08 |
| 32 | Mathias Lyngsø Petersen (DEN) | 00:23:41 | 02:21:13 | 01:11:30 | 03:59:14 |
| 33 | Emil Holm (DEN) | 00:23:15 | 02:19:15 | 01:14:34 | 03:59:26 |
| 34 | Louis Woodgate (GBR) | 00:23:26 | 02:17:01 | 01:16:42 | 03:59:28 |
| 35 | Bart Aernouts (BEL) | 00:27:23 | 02:17:34 | 01:12:14 | 04:00:06 |
| 36 | Gustav Iden (NOR) | 00:24:48 | 02:20:17 | 01:12:42 | 04:00:18 |
| 37 | Cameron Main (GBR) | 00:22:50 | 02:20:14 | 01:14:59 | 04:00:22 |
| 38 | Jake Birtwhistle (AUS) | 00:23:40 | 02:21:29 | 01:12:50 | 04:00:29 |
| 39 | Tayler Reid (NZL) | 00:23:01 | 02:17:24 | 01:17:32 | 04:00:34 |
| 40 | Nick Emde (GER) | 00:23:30 | 02:14:19 | 01:20:24 | 04:00:48 |
| 41 | Henrik Goesch (FIN) | 00:23:37 | 02:21:27 | 01:13:12 | 04:00:57 |
| 42 | Dieter Comhair (BEL) | 00:24:50 | 02:20:15 | 01:13:23 | 04:01:06 |
| 43 | Martin Demuth (AUT) | 00:22:55 | 02:20:05 | 01:15:54 | 04:01:36 |
| 44 | Jackson Laundry (CAN) | 00:26:55 | 02:16:46 | 01:16:11 | 04:02:29 |
| 45 | Dylan Magnien (FRA) | 00:24:24 | 02:23:16 | 01:12:44 | 04:03:03 |
| 46 | Anders Toft Nielsen (DEN) | 00:29:25 | 02:19:58 | 01:11:42 | 04:03:49 |
| 47 | Matt Hanson (USA) | 00:24:26 | 02:24:17 | 01:12:23 | 04:03:58 |
| 48 | Martín Baeza (CHI) | 00:23:36 | 02:21:40 | 01:16:52 | 04:04:31 |
| 49 | Jarrod Osborne (AUS) | 00:25:18 | 02:23:10 | 01:14:03 | 04:05:05 |
| 50 | Andrew Horsfall-Turner (GBR) | 00:23:18 | 02:21:41 | 01:17:44 | 04:05:25 |
| 51 | Wilhelm Hirsch (GER) | 00:23:23 | 02:25:14 | 01:16:59 | 04:08:05 |
| 52 | Matthew Collins (GBR) | 00:24:53 | 02:22:47 | 01:19:10 | 04:09:40 |
| 53 | Matthew Ralphs (GBR) | 00:25:10 | 02:23:33 | 01:19:04 | 04:10:36 |
| 54 | Andreas Dreitz (GER) | 00:26:59 | 02:25:51 | 01:15:06 | 04:11:18 |
| 55 | John Killeen (IRL) | 00:31:03 | 02:23:10 | 01:15:30 | 04:12:13 |
| 56 | Valdemar Solok (DEN) | 00:22:58 | 02:22:08 | 01:24:56 | 04:12:33 |
| 57 | Rostyslav Pevtsov (AZE) | 00:23:34 | 02:29:13 | 01:22:52 | 04:18:35 |
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