Australian superstar Ashleigh Gentle roared back to winning ways as she blitzed her rivals in customary style on the run to take the title at T100 French Riviera.
By her own high standards 2025 has been a bit of a struggle for Gentle with no podiums but, with the four T100 women’s winners all missing the trip to the Cote d’Azur, she took this opportunity to remind everyone that she will be a real threat for the rest of the campaign.
Starting the 18km run she was eighth, nearly three-and-a-half minutes back, but she cut through the field with such speed that she was in front by the halfway mark.
The emotions came out as she crossed the line in 3:41:42, just under a minute ahead of Paula Findlay (CAN), with India Lee (GBR) rounding out the podium in third.
Swim – Jess and GTB show the way
It was a swim masterclass from Jess Learmonth (GBR), with only Georgia Taylor-Brown – who won Olympic gold with her in the Mixed Relay in Tokyo – able to stay with her on the first of two 1km laps.
They put 36 seconds into the rest and that more than doubled that on lap two.
Exiting the water for the second time and starting the long run to T1, Learmonth led in 26:38, 25 seconds ahead of GTB, with Alanis Siffert (SUI) 1:18 back in third.
Bike – Siffert puts down the power
Learmonth has helped animate plenty of T100 races this season and she did the same here on the bike.
Taylor-Brown had her within her sights though and the catch came at around the halfway point on a spectacular 80km loop on the Cote d’Azur.
All the while though Siffert – who only got a wildcard into the race in midweek – was making good progress and she soon powered past GTB and into the lead.
It was in the last 20km that she then really put the hammer down to put 1:53 between herself and GTB going into T2. Learmonth was the only other athlete within two minutes, while Gentle at this point had 3:26 to make up.
Run – Gentle a class apart
There was all sorts of drama early on the run on what was an exposed course in blustery conditions.
First of all Learmonth went backwards and would soon drop out of the race.
But Taylor-Brown was looking good in second and just past the 5km mark she had overhauled Siffert.
But all the while Gentle and Findlay were picking off their rivals one by one and they went into first and second before the halfway point on the 18km run.
Gentle was soon clear and that pair were never threatened but in behind there were plenty more changes – Taylor-Brown dropped right down to ninth in the closing stages while fellow Brit India Lee went in the opposite direction as she took he final podium place.
Lucy Byram (GBR) went one place better than London in fourth, with Ellie Salthouse (AUS) in fifth.
For Gentle it was her first T100 victory since London last year.
T100 French Riviera results – Pro women
Saturday August 30, 2025 – 2km/80km/18km
| Position | Athlete | Gap to leader | Swim time | Bike time | Run time | Total time |
| 1 | A Gentle | – | 28:05 | 02:06:30 | 01:04:51* | 03:41:42 |
| 2 | P Findlay | +00:52 | 29:19 | 02:04:38 | 01:06:26 | 03:42:33 |
| 3 | I Lee | +01:39 | 27:59 | 02:05:55 | 01:06:56 | 03:43:21 |
| 4 | L Byram | +02:22 | 28:07 | 02:05:41 | 01:08:01 | 03:44:04 |
| 5 | E Salthouse | +02:39 | 28:01 | 02:07:07 | 01:06:35 | 03:44:20 |
| 6 | H Berry | +03:09 | 28:03 | 02:05:17 | 01:09:13 | 03:44:51 |
| 7 | C Pohle | +03:19 | 28:03 | 02:06:48 | 01:07:58 | 03:45:01 |
| 8 | L Madsen | +04:25 | 29:20 | 02:05:24 | 01:09:07 | 03:46:06 |
| 9 | G Taylor-Brown | +05:27 | 27:03 | 02:06:03 | 01:11:36 | 03:47:09 |
| 10 | A Siffert | +07:03 | 27:55 | 02:03:24* | 01:15:23 | 03:48:45 |
