Professional Men’s Race Preview
On September 20th, the T100 Triathlon World Tour stops in Oropesa del Mar, a resort town on Spain’s eastern coast. The men’s professional race features 12 contracted athletes and seven wildcards. With so many wildcard entries, the field will look different than some of the earlier tour stops, especially coming just one week after the Ironman World Championship in Nice.
The spotlight falls squarely on Hayden Wilde, who is chasing three wins in a row – and four in the series – after an initial win in Singapore followed by back-to-back victories in London and the French Riviera. While Marten Van Riel secured three T100 victories last year, no athlete has managed to string together three consecutive wins on the tour, nor a total of four. If he pulls it off, this would set Wilde up with a perfect score heading into the World Championship Final in Qatar.
Arguably Wilde’s biggest rival will be Jelle Geens, the series’ current leader. Geens has raced four T100 events so far this season, but one of his scores can still be replaced. A win in Spain would allow him to improve his tally, though Wilde still holds the strongest chance of taking the overall series lead after Spain given he has only raced three times this season.
Another name to watch is wildcard Samuel Dickenson, who made an impressive T100 debut in the French Riviera, securing a podium finish in third. Spain offers him a second opportunity to show he belongs at the front.
Professional Women’s Race Preview
The women’s race will feature seven contracted athletes and 11 wildcards, once again the largest wildcard contingent of the season. Headlining the race are three gold medalists making their return: Kate Waugh (winner in Singapore), Lucy Charles-Barclay (winner in London), and Ashleigh Gentle (winner in the French Riviera).
Kate Waugh comes in as the most decorated athlete, now holding a medal of each colour in the 2025 T100 series. However, Lucy Charles-Barclay has been building clear momentum following her recovery from injuries sustained in 2024. Her recent race performances suggest she’s returning to top form as she sets her sights on Spain followed by defending her Kona crown.
Ashleigh Gentle, who has flown somewhat under the radar this season, made a strong return to form just three weeks ago. However, she has yet to secure a head-to-head win this year over Taylor Knibb, Julie Derron, Kate Waugh, or Lucy Charles-Barclay, who round out the top five on the series leaderboard.
How to Watch
The men’s race starts at 09:00 CEST followed by the women’s race at 10:10. Both will be streamed live on the T100 YouTube channel and PTO+ Livestream.
The post Can Wilde go 4 for 4? Spain T100 Race Preview appeared first on Triathlon Magazine Canada.