Heading into Marbella, the spotlight shines brightly on defending champion Jelle Geens, who shared during the pro panel that he feels fitter and better prepared heading into this year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship than he did before last year’s victory in Taupo.
But which contenders are best positioned to challenge Geens this year – and how might each stage of the race unfold?
Swim
What we saw in Nice – a deliberate, high-intensity front-pack swim strategy – may well repeat itself in Marbella. Jamie Riddle, who returns to the start line this weekend, spoke openly in Nice about coordinating with other top swimmers to use the swim tactically as a weapon, aiming to create early separation from the sport’s strongest all-around athletes. That approach produced a three-man breakaway on the bike in Nice, featuring Riddle, Marten Van Riel, and Jonas Schomburg.
So how might this unfold in Marbella? The biggest names highlighted during the pro panel included the Norwegian trio of Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, and newly crowned Ironman World Champion Casper Stornes, along with defending champion Jelle Geens and the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Champion Rico Bogen. In Nice, Stornes managed to stay with the front pack, while his compatriots Blummenfelt and Iden exited roughly one and two minutes back, respectively. Over the T100 distance, both Geens and Bogen have shown they can very often make the front group – though not always.
If Riddle again sets an aggressive pace, and newer WTCS names like Miguel Hidalgo and Alessio Crociani join the charge, we could see enough pressure up front to potentially create an early gap.
Bike
Rico Bogen is widely regarded as one of the most powerful cyclists in the sport, having posted the fastest bike split in every T100 race he’s contested. He’s also known for his willingness to push the pace and to take risks on the bike. During the pro panel, Bogen suggested that a gap of around three minutes heading into T2 would be enough to hold off the sport’s strongest runners – a comment that hints at an aggressive race plan for Marbella. With the course’s challenging, hilly terrain, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to make that move.
If Bogen exits the swim with the front pack, or manages to bridge up early in the ride, the key question will be who can go with him – and how large the gaps might be by the time the field reaches T2. While Geens tends to fly under the radar on the bike, a closer look at their recent T100 head-to-heads shows that, in every race except San Francisco, Geens was actually very close to Bogen’s splits. That consistency reinforces Triathlon Magazine’s pick of Geens as an athlete who can likely keep up with Bogen, and the favourite to defend his 70.3 world title in 2025.
Other powerhouse cyclists include Blummenfelt and Stornes (with Iden admitting in the pro panel that his training hasn’t gone as planned), Magnus Ditlev – not traditionally known for his 70.3 performances but always a dangerous presence, and the newer WTCS names, who could surprise at this distance. It wouldn’t be the first time a short-course star has shaken things up, as Hayden Wilde did in Taupo in 2024. (Wilde’s absence this year is notable; with five straight T100 victories, he would have been among the top contenders.)
Run
As we noted in our preview of the women’s race, Marbella’s field is deep and talented, meaning the championship is likely to be decided in the final stages of the run. But this won’t just be a test of who can run the fastest; it will also come down to who has managed their effort and strategy best over the demanding bike course.
While Geens remains our pick for the win – aided by his lighter 62kg frame, which could prove advantageous on Marbella’s climbs, along with his incredible run prowess – the rest of the field is incredibly close. Anticipation is high, and we can’t wait to see how the race-day action unfolds!
Follow @triathlonmagazine for race-day updates, results, and all the drama as it unfolds in Marbella.
The post Who Can Realistically Pull It Off? Top Men Contending for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship Title appeared first on Triathlon Magazine Canada.