Photos: T100 Triathlon World Tour
By Kent Gray/Triathlon.kiwi
Kyle Smith’s brave bid for T100 Triathlon World Tour glory has fallen just short but the Kiwi ‘wildcard’ has enjoyed a NZ$254,000 payday as compensation after the series’ absorbing season decider in Dubai overnight.
The Taupo 27-year-old was narrowly pipped for a third straight podium by two-time Olympic medallist Alistair Brownlee but 4th place in the futuristic Emirate helped propel him up one place in the overall series standings to second.
Brilliant Belgian Marten Van Riel chalked up his third T100 win in four starts in Dubai to claim the inaugural world title with its US$210,000 bonus.
Smith scooped the US$140,000 second place bonus. Tagged with his US$9000 for 4th, it equated to a NZ$254,089 payday. Combined with earlier prize money for 5th in Singapore and 2nd places in San Francisco and London, and Smith pocketed US$189,000 for the series – NZ$322,435.
Furthermore, the top 10 season finish ensures Smith a contract for next year’s expanded T100 season with seven destinations already locked in. That priceless certainty is rich reward for a 2024 season where Smith was given a wildcard into the season opener in Singapore, finished 5th in the tropical heat and never looked back.
Indeed, it has been a career defining year for the Kiwi. In addition to his T100 success, Smith has won Challenge Wanaka, the Challenge Championship in Samorin and the inaugural Challenge Beijing, taking his overall season earnings to US$227,446 (NZ$387,440). There’s more to come too with Smith one of the hot favourites for the men’s title at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in his hometown Taupo on December 15.
Smith was in the mix throughout Sunday’s finale in Dubai. Van Riel knew a podium finish would make him the first ever T100 tour winner and never gave his rivals any hint of weakness, leading early in the 2km swim, riding front pack during the 80km bike before seeing off his rivals on the 18km run.
Van Riel, reigning world 70.3 champion Rico Bogen (GER) and Smith moved clear early on the run, perhaps hinting at a repeat of their pulsating sprint finish in San Francisco. They put 28 seconds into Brownlee at the 5km mark but when Van Riel put in a dig at the halfway mark, only Bogen could stay with the Belgian.
A devastating kick with 2.5km to go sealed the battle between Van Riel and Bogen while Brownlee went about reeling in Smith. The Brit paced his run perfectly to overhaul Smith and claim a first T100 podium – despite a late fall on loose gravel and two sloppy transitions with a dropped bottle in T1 and an errant shoe in T2.
Van Riel made it looked easy but insisted it wasn’t.
“I was definitely not in total control, but I could feel that I had a couple of surges in me,” the Belgian sai
“Rico is really good at keeping the pace high but when I put my first surge in and we dropped Kyle, I could see that he was already suffering a bit, so I knew that with a couple of kilometres to go I was going to put in a big surge.
“It was honestly really tough, especially wearing that No.1, because in my head I knew that a podium place was good enough and if you have that in your head, it’s actually really hard to go for the win. So, I was trying to think not too much of the title and just try to perform as I could on the day.”
Van Riel meet the approval of two world champions in attendance in Dubai, Jan Frodeno and Sam Laidlow. “I finally feel like I’m part of a gang here,” he quipped.
The 31-year-old certainly feels at home in mid distance triathlon after finishing a disappointing 22nd at the Paris Olympic Games.
“I think it was very good to have this goal…to do well in the T100 series this year. And to be able to do that has been kind of what has kept me on and not make me doubt too much for the Olympic Games, because I knew my shape was way, way, way, way better than what I showed there.
“Unfortunately, you have one day to show it [at the Olympics], but it was really good to not have the time to think about it too much and go straight into the T100series and it’s definitely made for a great season.
“It’s all the difficult movements that make the beautiful ones even more beautiful. This makes it all worth it. 2022 and 2023 were really hard seasons for me. I think I had 9 months off running – and running is still my insecurity of not being fast enough.
“But I think that long-distance just suits me better because it doesn’t come down to 100 percent a run as short distance does these days and it’s more that the three disciplines are important. So I think that I’m finally playing with my best cards.”
T100 Dubai Grand Final 2024 Results
Sunday November 17, 2024
Pro Men
1. Marten Van Riel (BEL) – 3:09:17
2. Rico Bogen (GER) – 3:09:39
3. Alistair Brownlee (GBR) – 3:10:25
4. Kyle Smith (NZL) – 3:10:41
5. Mathis Margirier (FRA) – 3:11:34
6. Justus Nieschlag (GER) – 3:12:31
7. Fred Funk (GER) – 3:12:49
8. Magnus Ditlev (DEN) – 3:13:29
9. Pieter Heemeryck (BEL) – 3:13:50
10. Sam Long (USA) – 3:15:12
T100 overall standings
1. Marten Van Riel (BEL) – 153 points / $210,000
2. Kyle Smith (NZL) – 111 points / $140,000
3. Rico Bogen (GER) – 102 points / $90,000
4. Magnus Ditlev (DEN) – 100 points / $75,000
5. Alistair Brownlee (GBR) – 96 points / $60,000
6. Sam Long (USA) – 90 points / $55,000
7. Mathis Margirier (FRA) – 89 points / $50,000
8. Pieter Heemeryck (BEL) – 83 points / $45,000
9. Youri Keulen (BEL) – 83 points / $40,000
10. Fred Funk (GER) – 76 points / $35,000
* The top 10 earn contracts for the 2025 T100 season
2025 T100 Schedule
April 12-13: Singapore
May 16-18: Fréjus & St Raphaël, France
May 31/June 1 June: San Francisco, USA
August 2-3: London, UK
September 27-28: Ibiza, Spain
October 25-26: Las Vegas, USA
November TBC: Dubai, UAE
