Belgium’s Jelle Geens proved once again why he’s one of the most complete athletes in triathlon, defending his Ironman 70.3 World Championship title in Marbella, Spain. Yet few could have anticipated how close it would be, coming down to a thrilling, shoulder-to-shoulder run duel with Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt.
Swim: Crociani Takes Command
Under a golden Marbella sunrise, Italy’s Alessio Crociani set a fast pace from the gun, quickly stringing out the field. By the end, he had opened a clear gap, exiting solo roughly 30 seconds ahead of a large chase pack that included Jonas Schomburg, Jamie Riddle, and newly-crowned Ironman World Champion Casper Stornes.
Further back, pre-race favourite Jelle Geens and Denmark’s Magnus Ditlev exited around one minute down, while Blummenfelt followed roughly 1:15 behind. Germany’s Rico Bogen, known for his cycling power, came out about 90 seconds back.
Bike: Adversity Strikes for the Champion
The bike saw no decisive breakaway, but plenty of action at the front, with several lead changes among the top contenders. What stood out most, however, was the adversity faced by the defending champion. Geens started with a bike crash that left his rear derailleur misaligned. He later stopped a second time to make roadside adjustments, realigning his derailleur but losing valuable seconds once again.
Despite the setbacks, Geens maintained his composure, methodically riding his way back toward the leaders. By the end of the 90km course, nine men reached T2 within 20 seconds of one another – led by Riddle and Bogen, with Blummenfelt five seconds back and Geens only seven seconds down. The rest of the field was several minutes back, making it clear that the podium would come from this top pack of nine men.
Run: A Duel to the Finish
The run began with yet another challenge for Geens, as his bike slipped from the rack in transition, costing him around 10 additional seconds before he could set off on the half marathon. The trio of Blummenfelt, Riddle, and Schomburg took off in front, but Geens quickly bridged the gap to join the leaders.
From there, the race evolved into the kind of showdown triathlon fans dream of. Geens and Blummenfelt broke clear, setting an unrelenting pace. For nearly the entire 21.1km, the two ran shoulder-to-shoulder through the streets of Marbella, neither man giving an inch in one of the closest and most hard-fought run battles the sport has ever seen.
Behind them, Stornes ran strongly into third, though the gap to the front proved too large to close.
Ultimately, it all came down to the finishing carpet. As the course curved toward the line along the waterfront, Geens seized the inside line, opening a narrow but decisive advantage that he managed to hold as both men sprinted all-out to the finish.
While Geens took the win and successfully defended his world title, Blummenfelt’s courageous and all-out performance was equally remarkable, etching this race into Ironman history. And while Blummenfelt settled for second, he also came away with the Ironman Pro Series crown.
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