Hayden Wilde – French Riviera T100 (Photo Credit: PTO)
Fréjus, France – New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde delivered a weekend of exceptional racing on the French Riviera, showcasing his trademark resilience and tactical brilliance across two elite-level events in just 24 hours.
Wilde Dominates T100 Men’s Race
On Saturday, Wilde stormed to victory in the T100 Men’s Race, finishing 22 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Jelle Geens and 1:44 ahead of Wild Card entrant Samuel Dickinson. The win marks a significant milestone in Wilde’s comeback journey, following a three-month injury layoff due to a training accident in Japan.
Starting mid-pack in the swim, Wilde quickly made his move on the bike, working with Germany’s Rico Bogen to break away from the field. “I didn’t really want to see the front of the race until the climb… we just looked at each other and I was like, ‘All right, let’s do it,’” Wilde said after the race. The pair created a 50-second gap at the top of the climb, setting Wilde up for a commanding run.
He entered T2 in the lead and never looked back, pacing the run perfectly to hold off a late surge from Geens and secure the win.
Back-to-Back Racing: WTCS Sprint Challenge
Just one day later, Wilde lined up again—this time for the WTCS Sprint Race, facing off against top-tier rivals including Alex Yee and series leader Matt Hauser. Fatigue from Saturday’s effort was evident as Wilde exited the swim in 48th place, but he fought back valiantly on the bike and run to finish 11th, just behind Yee in 9th.
‘I loved it being out there again with the boys, it was a good reality check. Om course I wanted to do the double and give it a good crack”, said Wilde as he reflected on the race. I think personally I’m just not ready for these guys yet, there’s no excuse around that, I’m just not ready. These guys swim on a completely different level and I just wasn’t today”
“I might have some fatigue (from) yesterday but even so, I think overall I had a very good bike, the legs were actually very good, I was pushing some of my best numbers and then still ran off the bike super well, so it’s just nice to know to come back and to know the little things are there” added Wilde.
Berry Solid in Women’s T100
New Zealand’s Hannah Berry also featured in Fréjus, delivering a solid performance in the Women’s T100 Race. Berry exited the swim in sixth place and rode strongly to enter T2 in third. She ultimately finished 6th overall, earning 18 points and moving into 9th in the T100 Race to Qatar standings.
“What a beautiful place to race and epic course,” Berry said. “I’m really happy with my progress and am having a lot of fun on tour.”
