How will the Defending Champions do?
Although this series is brand new, the race at Miami has existed for some time as CLASH Endurance Miami. Last year, American Jason West took home the win in the men’s race, whilst rising British star Lucy Byram was the winner on the women’s side.
Contracted to the T100 Tour this year, both West and Byram will be returning to Miami this weekend and given their successes last season, will be quietly confident of coming away with a top result again on a deceptively challenging course.
For Byram, the race will be the perfect opportunity to represent her new squad, the BMC Pro Tri team, and see once more where she stacks up against the best in the world following a stellar breakthrough season in 2023. Her weapon of choice is the bike, showcasing it in full might at the US Open last year with the 2nd fastest split that landed in 4th place overall. The 24-year-old will be hoping to do the same thing, Nascar-style, at the Miami Speedway, but this time her competitors won’t be so surprised.
West, who finished last season as PTO World #3, has already made his intention to become a World Champion in 2024 well known. After holding off the likes of Daniel Baekkegard and Sam Long for the win in 2023, and producing the PTO’s fastest-ever 18km run split at the US Open with a 56:22 (By the way, he’s said he’s aiming for 55:30), can the 30-year-old go back-to-back on Saturday?
Can the Wildcards Make an Impact?
With only twenty contracts on offer for the men and women wanting to race the T100 Tour, there were always going to be some athletes disappointed not to make the cut when the lineups were announced in January.
Fortunately, given the nature of a season-long series, spots were always going to open up for certain events, and three wildcard slots for the men and eight wildcard slots for the women were handed out for Miami.
Given the chance to prove themselves worthy of further starts, will we see the wildcards step up their game this weekend? You would certainly hope so, and with the quality of some of the men and women drafted in, be prepared for some fireworks.
Dutchman Youri Keulen, for example, is already firing on all cylinders this season, with a rapid 1:06:40 half marathon in Barcelona last month a testament to his current form and fitness.
Similarly, Spaniard Marta Sanchez, who has been given a start in the women’s race, already has a win to her name this season at IRONMAN 70.3 Pucon and could upset some more established stars who aren’t yet race-sharp in Florida.
When it comes to the 100km distance, race readiness can sometimes outweigh fitness, with mistakes made due to rustiness often proving costly. This weekend, count out the wildcards in Miami at your peril.
Will there be any Sandbagging on Display?
If you have been anywhere near a professional triathlete’s social media in the past few weeks, you’ll have heard some variation of the phrase ‘there is a very long season ahead’.
Decoded, this message suggests that some people may turn up to Miami a little undercooked, especially if they’re in the same boat as someone like Frederic Funk, who opted to skip Miami because, put simply, it’s far too early in the season.
Those who decided to compete in Miami despite a lack of race fitness will be faced with an interesting dilemma. Do they go full gas and hold on for as long as they can, or ‘tempo’ all three disciplines and call it a good training day?
Only time will tell, and luckily we don’t have too long to wait. We would suggest you perhaps don’t put too much stock in how your favorite athlete stacks up (or maybe your top 5 fantasy picks…). As Sam Laidlow can attest, poor performances early on in the year can be quickly turned around in September.
With points and prize money up for grabs, the races will still be competitive, but it is hard not to worry that the need for a ‘season-long narrative’ could lead to some difficult choices for the professionals, especially as the tour takes its toll later on in the season.
