This triathlon season is going to be awesome
If the first ever event was any indication, the T100 Triathlon World Tour is going to be a blast.
At Miami T100, Sam Long took second in the men’s race and Holly Lawrence took third in the women’s race to stake themselves as major players in the season-long series, which will take place across eight events all over the globe.
Long was strong in all three legs of the race, but he shined brightest during the 18-kilometer run. Facing a three-minute deficit to the leader off the bike, and battling temperatures approaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Long laid down the fastest run of anyone in the field, and finished just 35 seconds behind winner Magnus Ditlev.
Sam Long is never short on enthusiasm.
“I trusted my abilities all throughout the day and had a feeling that eventually I would be at the pointy end of the race,” Long said. “It’s very nice to see that I am continuing to improve at all three sports. It’s another world class podium for me to add to my resume and consistency at the top. The year is off to a good start!”
Lawrence helped lead a spirited chase up to the lead competitors on the bike, coming into the second transition a little more than three minutes down. As with Long, a strong run helped her secure a podium placing more than a minute ahead of fourth-place Paula Findlay.
A race track was the perfect setting for a Sam Long comeback.
Lawrence completed an all-Brit podium behind winner India Lee and second-place Lucy Charles-Barclay. It was her first podium since taking second at Ironman 70.3 Boulder last June.
“I’m super happy with my performance yesterday in Miami,” Lawrence said. “Coming out of a big winter base phase I was unsure of where my race fitness would be. So I think it’s a great start to build from!”
Nobody was stopping Holly Lawrence from taking that podium.
To round out a big day for Trek athletes, Skye Moench finished eighth in the women’s race while Ben Kanute finished 14th in the men’s race. Kanute entered the race with high expectations for himself and was somewhat disappointed in the result, but vowed to come back stronger for Round 2 in Singapore next month.
Moench also felt that the race gave her plenty to learn from, but she loved the challenge of racing against the best triathletes in the world in a thrilling new format.
“It was great to get the season and T100 series started,” Moench said. “I had a lot of pre-race nerves waiting for the race to start in the late afternoon, and I think I’ll be slightly less nervous next time. I decided to do the T100 series because it would really challenge and push me, and that proved to be true on Saturday.
Skye Moench earned a top 10 and is amped up for the next challenge.
“I had a blast riding my Speed Concept around the 22 laps and all the cornering on each lap. I gained confidence on the corners in aero lap by lap, and that made for a fast bike.”
The next event in the T100 series will take place in Singapore on April 13 and 14. Trek should have a big presence once again, and judging by the action in Miami, they’re going to put on a show in what’s shaping up to be the squad’s biggest year ever.
