The winners of nine of the 10 T100 races this season are all set to line up in Spain for the next race as Oropesa del Mar replaces Valencia for the sixth stop in the series.
It’s a full house for the men – Hayden Wilde of course having won three of the five so far (Singapore, London and French Riviera) and he’s joined by Vancouver champ Jelle Geens and San Francisco hero Rico Bogen.
On the women’s side it’s also set up to be a fascinating battle as Ashleigh Gentle, who got back to winning ways last time in the south of France, takes on Kate Waugh, Julie Derron and Lucy Charles-Barclay on 20th September.
Wilde in the spotlight
Wilde has carried all before him in the T100 this season despite missing two races following serious injury when he was hit by a truck while out riding in Japan in May.
He’s three out of three – though his latest success on the Cote d’Azur was clouded by some controversy after it emerged that he wore prototype shoes which had yet to be authorised for competition.
That’s something he’s since taken full responsibility for and he knows another win will give him a perfect score from four counting races ahead of the grand finale in Qatar at the end of the year.
Geens has got closer to him than anyone – just 22 seconds last time – and also beat him to the 70.3 world title last season.
Indeed the first five from T100 French Riviera – Wilde, Geens, Sam Dickinson, Mathis Margirier and Bogen – all reoppose.
Britain’s Dickinson in particular caught the eye on what was his T100 debut.
And also hoping to return is short course star Vincent Luis who has been sidelined by injury since making his full-distance bow at Challenge Roth in July.
And Jonas Schomburg is slated to start less than a week after the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice!
Too close to call
On the women’s side it’s similarly stacked.
Unlike the men’s where it could be a runaway overall victory for Wilde, just 12 points separate the top five in the standings.
The only one missing in Spain is Taylor Knibb and it will be fascinating to see how a rejuvenated Gentle tackles fellow winners Waugh, Derron and LCB.
India Lee also roared back to form with third in France and she could be a threat to everyone.
Start lists in full
Contracted women
- Julie Derron
- Kate Waugh
- Ashleigh Gentle
- Lucy Charles-Barclay
- Jessica Learmonth
- Hannah Berry
- India Lee
- Caroline Pohle
Wildcards
- Lisa Perterer
- Megan Mcdonald
- Marlene De Boer
- Alice Betto
- Hanne De Vet
- Kaidi Kivioja
- Bianca Bogen
- Justine Mathieu
- Lizzie Rayner
- Sara Perez Sala
Contracted men
- Jelle Geens
- Hayden Wilde
- Rico Bogen
- Mika Noodt
- Mathis Margirier
- Antonio Benito López
- Youri Keulen
- Kyle Smith
- Gregory Barnaby
- Menno Koolhaas
- Nicolas Mann
- Vincent Luis
- Pieter Heemeryck
- Frederic Funk
Wildcards
- Samuel Dickinson
- Jamie Riddle
- Jannik Schaufler
- Guillem Montiel Moreno
- Jack Hutchens
- Jonas Schomburg
