With Sam Laidlow securing his validation at Ironman Leeds on July 27, the professional men’s field for the 2025 Ironman World Championship in Nice is now largely established. Although one final qualifying opportunity remains at Ironman Copenhagen on August 17, the major contenders have confirmed their slots.
This September 14 race will mark the last full-distance men’s World Championship to be held in Nice before the event returns to Kona for a single-day format. And it’s shaping up to feature one of the deepest, most talented men’s fields ever assembled.
While this list is not exhaustive, we highlight five athletes with a real shot at the win and four more who could potentially crack the top five or even the podium. In a race of this caliber, finishing in the top ten will be a remarkable achievement.
Five Key Contenders
Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) – With Olympic gold (2020), an Ironman World Championship title (2021), and a 70.3 World Championship title (2022), Kristian Blummenfelt has proven himself across every format. And he’s made it clear that 2025 is all about long-course goals: winning in Nice, and finishing atop the Ironman Pro Series.
His campaign has already featured dominant, course-record performances – including a 7:24 win at Ironman Texas and a 7:25 victory at the European Championship in Frankfurt, where he ran an exceptional 2:30 marathon.
And Blummenfelt’s preparation has been just as deliberate as his racing. A five-week altitude camp in Font-Romeu, course-specific sessions on the roads of Nice, and extensive aerodynamic testing all point to a calculated, high-level build. He’s not just fit – he’s dialed, focused, and ready to fight for the top step in Nice.
View this post on Instagram
Sam Laidlow (FRA) – As the reigning Ironman World Champion in Nice, Sam Laidlow knows exactly how to win on this course. However, he faced an unexpected setback following Kona in 2024, when health struggles threatened his entire 2025 season.
Despite the uncertainty and significant loss of training time, however, Laidlow staged a remarkable comeback. He claimed victory at Challenge Roth and then dominated Ironman Leeds, effectively validating his slot for Nice.
Known for his aggressive, all-in style of racing, Laidlow thrives at the front. With a strong swim and one of the most powerful bike legs in the sport, he’s built a reputation for setting a punishing pace early on. It was that bold, off-the-front approach that earned him the world title in 2023, as well as the fastest bike split in Kona history, becoming the first man to break four hours.
Given his turbulent start to the season, Laidlow’s performance may be unpredictable – but he’s the biggest wildcard to bet on.
View this post on Instagram
Magnus Ditlev (DEN) – With back-to-back podiums at the last two World Championships (third in Nice 2023 and second in Kona 2024), Magnus Ditlev is on the cusp of a breakthrough. And that breakthrough – winning the Ironman World Championships – is the goal he has built his entire 2025 season around.
Ditlev has earned a reputation as one of the most meticulous and well-rounded athletes in long-course triathlon. Known for his powerhouse cycling and methodical preparation, he leaves no detail to chance. For the 2023 Ironman World Championship in Nice, he optimized his bike setup specifically for the course – paring down weight, opting for a custom “no paint job,” and selecting the lightest components. The hilly, technical profile of Nice plays directly to his strengths.
This season Ditlev has also made a strategic shift in his swim training, partnering with a new coach closer to home. The move has brought renewed focus and technical refinement to his swim preparation. If everything clicks, this could be the year Ditlev finally climbs to the top step of the podium.
View this post on Instagram
Patrick Lange (GER) – A three-time Ironman World Champion and widely regarded as one of the fastest runners over the full distance, Patrick Lange has made a career out of showing up when it matters most.
Despite a quiet start to the year – including an injury following Ironman 70.3 Oceanside that forced him to withdraw from Ironman Texas in April, Lange returned to racing with a seventh-place finish at the European Championship in Frankfurt. Post-race, he cited stomach issues that kept him from staying with the top contenders. Since then, his entire focus has shifted to preparing for Nice.
Lange has poured himself into training with singular intent, and this uninterrupted preparation may again deliver his signature late-season form. While the hilly and technical profile of Nice may not align as naturally with his strengths as Kona does, his experience, patience, and race-day execution are world class. He proved himself on this course as runner-up in 2023. If patience proves to be the winning strategy, no one is better equipped to wait, strike, and close with devastating pace. Never count him out.
View this post on Instagram
Marten van Riel (BEL) – Known as one of the coolest characters in the sport, Marten van Riel is currently ranked number two in the PTO World Rankings, and for good reason. He is the reigning T100 World Champion and remains undefeated over the 70.3 distance, with five wins to his name, including a dominant performance at Ironman 70.3 Nice this June.
View this post on Instagram
That race in Nice was no coincidence: van Riel specifically chose it for course familiarization ahead of the World Championships. He controlled it from the front – right where he likes to be – and claimed the win in style.
Though this will be only his third full-distance start, van Riel has adapted quickly to long-course racing. He finished seventh in his debut at Ironman Cozumel after a crash on the bike disrupted his momentum, then rebounded with a runner-up finish to Magnus Ditlev at Ironman South Africa in March, despite battling illness in the lead-up. If he’s healthy and executes well in Nice, van Riel may be perfectly positioned for a breakthrough performance on the sport’s biggest stage.
Four Notable Contenders
Rudy von Berg (USA) – With a fourth-place finish in Nice 2023 and third in Kona 2024, von Berg has been steadily climbing the ranks with impressive consistency. He grew up near the French Riviera and has called Nice a “home race,” saying in the 2023 pre-race press conference: “I grew up here and was coming to watch the professionals when I was just a few years old, and I always told myself I would one day be [here] racing.” Now based in Boulder, Colorado, von Berg is fully focused on delivering his best performance – and could capitalize if any of the favourites falter.
Leon Chevalier (FRA) – Currently leading the Ironman Pro Series, Chevalier has posted top-five finishes at Nice 2023 and Kona 2024. While an outright win may be a stretch, he is a potential contender for the top five once again.
Matthew Marquardt (USA) – Marquardt has already secured two Ironman wins in 2025 (Cairns, Lake Placid), including a 2:39 marathon and a course record at Lake Placid. While his finishes at Nice 2023 (11th) and Kona 2024 (15th) were solid but not spectacular, his strong 2025 form could make him a dark horse contender this September.
Kristian Hogenhaug (DEN) – A rising star in 2025, Hogenhaug stunned the field with the fastest-ever Ironman bike split of 3:52:10 at this year’s European Championship in Frankfurt, finishing second only to Kristian Blummenfelt. Known for his exceptional strength on the bike, he is well-matched to the technical and hilly profile of Nice. With a breakthrough season already in motion, Hogenhaug has the potential to race into the top five or even reach the podium.
Who are your top picks for Nice? Which athlete do you think could surprise the field? Let us know in the comments.
The post The Runway to Nice appeared first on Triathlon Magazine Canada.