Search
shop

Van Riel ‘all in’ for T100 title ahead of Vegas but RULE QUIRK means he and Knibb still have work to do despite perfect records

Taylor Knibb and Marten Van Riel have to race three T100 races before Dubai but fellow Olympians just two - we explain why.
News Director
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Taylor Knibb and Marten Van Riel both made it two wins out of two in the T100 this season in Ibiza to seemingly put themselves in pole position for the respective overall titles – but a quirk in the rules means they still have ground to make up.

When it was announced that a proposed T100 Grand Final – on top of the seven-race schedule – wouldn’t take place, the rules were slightly changed.

The best three scores plus the Grand Final (which was moved to Dubai) criteria remained but athletes who competed at the Olympics would be allowed to take their average score from two completed T100 races and count it as a ‘third’ event.

That was because there were only two races to come – Ibiza and Lake Las Vegas – before the revised final showdown in Dubai on 16-17 November.

So following Paris, the likes of former Olympic champion Flora Duffy, Taylor Spivey and Julie Derron, who won individual silver, just had to race Ibiza and Lake Las Vegas and then take an average score to count as their third ‘race’.

But the crucial bit of wording in the rule change was that it only applied to athletes “who had not yet competed in a T100 race” this season.

So Knibb and Van Riel, who both won in San Francisco before the Olympics, still had to compete in two more races rather than go down the average score route. And that came as news to plenty of people, seemingly including Jan Frodeno on the live comms!

More to come from Knibb?

With their heroics in Ibiza the pair both gain another 35 points and move onto 70 – which leaves Knibb 22 points behind Ashleigh Gentle in the women’s standings while Van Riel has just nine points to make up on Magnus Ditlev for the men.

But on current form they will be hard to beat in Lake Las Vegas and might well achieve the perfect 105 points tally before the Dubai shootout – and both displayed the mindsets of champions afterwards.

Despite her utterly dominant display, Knibb was focussed on the one or two areas that didn’t go quite perfectly.

She came to a near halt early on the swim and said: “I wouldn’t say it was total control. You could tell from my swim start that I thought, this is going to be rough. Somehow I caught the lead group after that, I don’t know how.

“And then on the bike my shoes were driving me nuts so I need to work on that. I need to work on the technical sections too as I learned I lost 20 seconds a lap.”

At the start of the run such was Knibb’s lead that she was a full lap (2.5km) ahead of Gentle who, until today, was the only woman to win two T100 races this season.

Taylor Knibb T100 Ibiza 2024 finish arch photo credit PTO
Taylor Knibb finished in splendid isolation [Photo credit: PTO]

And the frightening news for Knibb’s rivals is that it sounds like there’s plenty more to come.

For she revealed that she was “super sick” for a week after the Olympics and spent most of it in bed, leaving her just five weeks to prepare for this, adding: “I have a lot of work to do as I haven’t had that consistency.”

‘All in’ for Vegas

Van Riel, who has now won all six of his middle-distance races, had adversity to overcome in his race as he and fellow leader Sam Laidlow went the wrong way at a roundabout early on the bike.

They both had to make a U-turn and then work their way back to the front of the race and he explained: “It almost went wrong. I saw a motorbike going straight and I kind of didn’t know that we had to go right to the finish area first. So I followed the motorbike and had to turn back and was last of the group again. 

“And the boys made me really, really suffer on the bike. I was happy to be able to just hang on. 

“So I came into T2 kind of not cooked, but I was definitely feeling it.”

What unfolded on the run was a great battle with Laidlow until Van Riel kicked clear with just over 3km to go.

He added: “Sam was really, really strong today and made me work for it. It was amazing to share a battle with a legend like Sam, the winner of T100 London and IRONMAN World Champion, one of the greatest in our sport. And to be able to take it in the end, that makes me even more happy.”

And he added: “It was my biggest goal before this year to become the first T100 champion, so I’m all in for it. 

“And if I do my best in every single race that I’m on the start line and I keep getting good results like this, I’ll be very close. So, yeah, it’s definitely a goal.”

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

And asked why he’s so suited to the 100km distance, Van Riel said: “I have the perfect mix between speed and endurance. Naturally I’m quite a fast guy, but I still have endurance. So I’m the best of both worlds. For now, this format is perfect for me.”

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
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
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
Hayden Wilde bike supertri Boston 2024 photo credit supertri
Premium10 ways to make your road bike faster and more aero for triathlons
Kristian Blummenfelt photo credit: PTO Canadian Open
PremiumIs your gut health impacting your performance? The untapped potential of good gut health for triathletes
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
PremiumHas triathlon reached peak performance? Tri experts and legends on how much faster triathletes could get
latest News
Anne Haug wins Challenge Roth 2024 [Photo credit: Simon Fischer | Challenge Roth]
Triathlon legend and current world record holder Anne Haug announces her retirement
Lovseth Perterer Sanchez IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
Rising Norwegian star underlines Kona claims and says that’s now the big goal
Vincent Luis San Francisco 49ers tri suit 2025
Short-course triathlon great Vincent Luis is OUT of T100 London
Marquardt Hogenhaug Foley IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
‘World Championship level’ – Marquardt says bike bar was raised at Lake Placid
Solveig Lovseth wins IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025
IRONMAN Lake Placid 2025 women’s results: Løvseth shows she’s the real deal and next Norwegian superstar
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

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...