Search
shop

Van Riel set to SACRIFICE T100 Singapore performance to qualify for IRONMAN World Championships

The Belgian superstar has big goals for the 2025 season.
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

T100 World Champion Marten Van Riel has warned fans that his focus ahead of his early-season race double-header is to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championships in Nice in September.

The Belgian star is set to compete in just his second full-distance race on Sunday, March 30 at IRONMAN South Africa – just seven days before the T100 Triathlon World Tour opener in Singapore on Sunday, April 6.

The 32-year-old is yet to qualify for this season’s full-distance showcase in France having finished seventh at IRONMAN Cozumel in November due to a bike crash when leading the race.

Advertisement

T100 Singapore sacrifice

On his YouTube channel, the PTO world number one detailed his current plans for the 2025 season, and discussed his reasoning for completing races in back-to-back weekends.

“The plan for 2025 was an interesting puzzle to put together because I want to do T100 Triathlon World Tour and IRONMAN World Championships in Nice,” Van Riel admitted.

Marten Van Riel high fives finishing straight T100 Ibiza 2024 photo credit PTO
Marten Van Riel bossed the T100 in 2024 [Photo credit: PTO]

“Obviously after last year in Cozumel where I had the crash it means I still need to qualify, so I had to fit in at least one full-distance race.”

“I chose IRONMAN South Africa. I think that was the best choice in the end, I will have to do T100 Singapore one week later – which is going to be very hard to back up a hopefully good performance from South Africa.

“It was the best choice because otherwise I’d have to do an IRONMAN later on in the season, like maybe somewhere in June, which is a very important period for the T100 Series because there is three races. I’m maybe sacrificing one T100 event now.”

All eyes on June

Following his hopeful IRONMAN qualification in South Africa, Van Riel will turn his full attention to the T100 Series. A training camp with two IRONMAN World Champions in the Spanish mountains is the plan ahead of a trifecta of T100 races in June.

“I hope with this schedule I keep both options open, so we are starting IRONMAN South Africa, T100 Singapore, then I am going to go on an altitude camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain to visit my friends Kristian (Blummenfelt) and Gustav (Iden).

“Then I will do all T100 events in June – San Francisco, Vancouver and French Riviera. Then I’ll do another training block at altitude again, and then hopefully, if I am qualified, Nice World Championships then.”

Stuart Dick
Written by
Stuart Dick
Stuart is a graduate of the University of Sunderland with a masters' degree in Sports Journalism. He spends a lot of his time running and cycling around West Yorkshire, England.
Discover more
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Let’s race… French Riviera T100
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
Gustav Iden aero position body rocket
How to get better at holding your time trial position – Expert tips from former PRO time trial cyclist Alex Dowsett
SunGod FORTY2s running sunglasses review
First look at the NEW SunGod FORTY2s running sunglasses – TRI247 Review
latest News
Hiromu Inada IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns 2025
92-year-old IRONMAN triathlete completes 70.3-mile course in iconic Australian race
IRONMAN Cairns
Top triathlon star never feels like doing another IRONMAN after Cairns experience ends in a wheelchair
Lucy Gossage running training ahead of Winter Spine Race
Triathlon star Lucy Gossage aces ultraunning AGAIN with epic course record in top UK race
Sam Long - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
US triathlon superstar Sam Long has to redefine meaning of winning after T100 Vancouver
Alistair Brownlee Olympics Triathlon London 2012 Podium Gold
Olympic triathlon legend Alistair Brownlee awarded an OBE in King’s Birthday Honours List
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...