Search
shop

Impossible to stay with ‘ballistic’ Ryf – Skye Moench on St George

Skye says 'Angry Bird' set incredible bike pace
News Director
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Skye Moench was right where she wanted to be coming out of the water at the IRONMAN World Championship – until that is Daniela Ryf went ‘ballistic’.

Moench finished a highly respectable fourth in the delayed 2021 running of the event, but she raced alone for most of the day after finding it impossible to live with the blistering bike pace of the revitalised ‘Angry Bird’.

Advertisement

Impossible to live with Ryf

She admitted afterwards: “Well, I came out of the swim with the ladies I wanted to ride with or try to ride with. So that was awesome. Like, I didn’t have to play catch-up. And yes, I thought ‘alright, I’m going to try and ride with Daniela, I’m going to sit behind her and see what happens’. And she made it extremely difficult.

“I use the word ballistic to anyone I’ve talked to about how Daniela rode today. It was incredible. And I thought, ‘oh, this is going to let up’. You go hard at the start, maybe drop some people, but it never let up. And eventually I was like, this isn’t sustainable for me. And I got dropped.”

Once she had given up the vain hope of sticking to Ryf, Skye concentrated on executing her own race. What kept her going through that brutal 112-mile bike was the knowledge that the marathon would feel better.

“Honestly, the marathon is what got me through the bike. The bike was really hard for me today. It’s weird – I’ve been biking really well in training, but racing just didn’t feel amazing. Usually the bike feels good for me. So honestly, I just knew ‘I just have to get off the bike and get to the marathon, and I’m going to feel better’. And I did.”

A home game

While the race was incredibly tough, Moench – herself based in Utah – thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being able to race a World Championship in her home state.

She admitted: “I don’t think it’s everyday people get to do a World Championship in their home state, get to pack their car and go. So, yeah, that’s pretty special, especially in the IRONMAN World Championship, because it’s always in Kona.”

Moench, while missing out on a podium spot, did claim another accolade on Saturday – she was the first American woman to finish.

“We’re proud Americans, right? We always want to be. We always talk about top American. And yes, I’m grateful to consistently kind of be top performing American, but obviously we’re at a World Championship, and there’s a lot of better ladies than the top Americans. So not too much bragging rights.”

Jonathan Turner
Written by
Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.  
Discover more
Challenge The Championship Marjolaine Pieree
How to qualify for Challenge The Championship – and why it should be on your triathlon bucket list
Cadomotus aero triathlon cycling shoes
Can your triathlon cycling shoes make you faster? How shoe choice could speed up your triathlon finish times
French Riviera T100 bike course Esterel
Is this the ultimate middle distance triathlon bike course? We rode the French Riviera T100 bike course and it’s EPIC
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
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!)
latest News
IRONMAN World Championship 2024 Nice Age Group Swim Start
IRONMAN to review World Championship slot allocation model after fears raised for Age Group women
Jonny Brownlee / Jonathan Brownlee - Super League Triathlon London 2023
Did the Brownlee brothers nearly join pro cycling’s Team Sky after 2012 Olympic heroics?
Kristian Hogenhaug interviewed after The Championship 2025
Danish triathlon star highlights blistering bike split as key to The Championship success.
Alistair Brownlee - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
Olympic triathlon legend Alistair Brownlee completes iconic Gralloch race in latest gravel test
Jeanne Lehair Beth Potter WTCS Yokohama 2025
From Olympic heartbreak to joy of first WTCS win as emotions flow for Jeanne Lehair
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...