T100 Lake Las Vegas Results 2024: Belgium rules on a day of misery for Alistair Brownlee

Jelle Geens made a spectacular T100 triathlon debut on Saturday by roaring to a superb victory in Lake Las Vegas.

Geens outran fellow Belgian short-course star Marten Van Riel after a terrific battle to claim the top spot on the podium. The pair fought a head-to-head battle on the final leg before Geens finally broke his friend and compatriot.

Germany’s Justus Nieschlag claimed the final spot on the podium after an excellent performance, but it was a miserable day for Britain’s two-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee. He picked up a drafting penalty early on the bike leg to hamper his podium bid, and was later forced to DNF on the run.

Swim – Schoeman blasts off, Long gap to Sam

South African short-course star Henri Schoeman led a front pack of five on the swim, and they were separated by just 10 seconds at the halfway point of the 2km leg in the waters of Lake Las Vegas. Schoeman was followed closely by American Marc Dubrick, Aussie Aaron Royle, Van Riel and Brownlee.

Geens and Aussie Max Neumann were both in the top 10, but it wasn’t great news early for American Sam Long – he was already more than three minutes off the pace.

That pack of five was six by the time the field exited the water and it was Schoeman, Royle, Van Riel, Brownlee, German Nieschlag and Dubrick. At this stage Van Riel and Brownlee were in prime position.

Geens, Neumann and French star Mathis Margirier were all bracketed closely together just over 30 seconds off the lead with American Jason West 42 seconds away. But Long had a ton of ground to make up as he exited the water with a deficit of 5:40. A huge ask for ‘The Big Unit’.

Bike – Brownlee pays the penalty

Van Riel and Brownlee were quickly to the front of the race on the bike, and Nieschlag joined them as the trio broke away early. Disaster struck for Brownlee inside the first 15km though when he was handed ANOTHER 60-second drafting penalty, hot on the heels of that infraction in Ibiza last month. That dropped him all the way down to seventh.

Back at the front, Margirier had bridged up to join the front pack, which was now four-strong with Van Riel, Nieschlag and Geens the others. Brownlee meanwhile had already set about trying to cut his newly-acquired deficit. Back to within a minute behind at 23km and already up to fifth.

Brownlee started to suffer the impact of that aggressive move out of the penalty tent, and by the time the field approached the halfway stage of the bike leg, he was 1:53 back in fifth place, well adrift of the front four. Margirier, Van Reel and Geens were all closely bracketed at the front with Nieschlag 14 seconds back in fourth. Neumann and West meanwhile had latched onto Brownlee and were both going well at this stage. Not so Long though, he was still more than six minutes away and not making any inroads on the leaders yet.

Neumann’s hopes of contending suffered what was likely a fatal blow at around 50km of the bike leg as he joined Brownlee in picking up a 60-second drafting penalty. That dropped him down to 11th, now almost four minutes behind the leader. At the front it was still Margirier, Van Riel, Nieschlag and Geens all closely matched.

Van Riel and Margirier made what looked like it might be a significant break with just over 20km remaining on the bike, putting more than 20 seconds into Nieschlag and Geens. There were almost two minutes then to the next athletes.

With just over 10km remaining on the bike things were shaping up really nicely at the front, with Margirier and Van Riel still cutting out the pace. Geens was nicely poised 20 seconds back in third, with Nieschlag 46 seconds away in fourth. The next group comprised of Pieter Heemeryck (Belgium), Nico Mann (Germany) and US star West – all just over two minutes away. Brownlee had become detached from that group and was now just over three minutes back in eighth.

Van Riel was first into T2 and also first out onto the run, but closely followed by fellow Belgian short-course star Geens. Margirier was third and it looked like those three would fight it out for the win. Nieschlag was just under a minute away in fourth.

Heemeryck’s charge was hampered as he picked up a 30-second penalty, while West and Mann came out on the run in fifth and sixth – around 2:30 back from the leaders. Further back and Brownlee and Long were now racing together, in 10th and 11th positions. They were just over five minutes from the leaders and out of podium contention.

Run – All Belgium as Geens pips MVR

Geens joined Van Riel quickly at the front and immediately grabbed the lead on the second uphill climb of run lap 1. He was looking really fresh as he swiftly built a gap to his compatriot, while Marten in comparison had appeared to be feeling the impact of a hard bike as he moved through T2.

Van Riel appeared to get his run legs under him as he refused to allow Geens to get away, and he was right back in touch as they went through 3km. It was all set up for an enthralling battle to the tape between the short-course Belgian stars. Further back in the field and West’s hopes of contending for a podium were being severely hampered by cramp.

The early pattern on the run was Geens gapping Van Riel on the uphill climbs on each lap, and Van Riel then fighting back on the downhills. The big question was which strategy would crack first. Right now it was neither – with 12km remaining they were right back together with all to play for. Nieschlag meanwhile had now made the pass on Margirier and was in the final podium position at this stage.

Into the second half of the run and it was still the same pattern on every lap – Geens surging clear on the climbs and Van Riel repeatedly fighting back. Fascinating stuff and it was very much a head-to-head for the win with more than three minutes back to Nieschlag in third. Further back, Brownlee had been forced to DNF to complete a day of misery for the British superstar.

Geens pushed hard again with just over 7km remaining, and this time it appeared that the break may be a decisive one. The gap was the biggest all day so far at 12 seconds, and Geens was really trying to break his compatriot once and for all. He continued to stretch that elastic band to 18 seconds with just under 5km remaining, it was now his race to lose.

Van Riel gamely tried to cut back into that gap but it was a hopeless task now and Geens surged to a hugely impressive victory as Belgium claimed a terrific one-two. Nieschlag completed the podium while Heemeryck made it three Belgians in the top four and the gritty West gutted it out to claim fifth.