Marten Van Riel knows he must improve to defend T100 Triathlon title
T100 Triathlon champion Marten Van Riel knows he must improve his performances if he is to defend his world title later this year.
The Belgian was left disappointed with a sixth-place finish in San Francisco two weeks ago but has an immediate chance to make amends in Vancouver this weekend.
Missing out on the podium last time out was a blow to Van Riel's end of season objectives following a third-place finish in Singapore to open his season strongly.
But the 32-year-old is confident some training time on Vancouver Island has been the perfect way to prepare ahead of the third races of the series.
'I had a really good start to the season in Singapore, I was very happy with the result but San Francisco was a bit below my expectations,' he said.
'I expected more of myself in that race. I just felt like I didn't have it there. That whole week I didn't feel super good, I was a bit stressed out because I didn't have my luggage. I didn't feel comfortable.
'It's something I have got back through 10 days in Victoria, I have fully recovered and then had a couple of sessions to sharpen everything up. I'm feeling good and hoping for a better day.
'We had a little preparation camp for 10 days there and yesterday flew in by water plane, so I made a good entry. I love the vibe here, it's very relaxed and chill.'
Marten Van Riel competes in San Francisco (Image: That Cameraman - Darren Wheeler)Van Riel feels he will reap the rewards of the down time off Canada's coast in a race he knows he needs a result in, with the Belgian planning to miss the two European legs of the tour over the summer.
The 32-year-old currently sits second in the overall rankings, so another strong finish in Vancouver will leave him well-placed for an assault at the overall title in Qatar in December.
'We're just two races in, so we're not very far but slowly the rankings are going to start shaping up,' he said.
'I am probably going to miss both of the European races so this one is important for me to set myself up for a good end of the year and defend my title from last year.
'I'm not thinking too much about the title, I am just trying to string together the best results I can.
'Sixth place in San Francisco is probably just on the edge of being good enough if you want to challenge at the top of the rankings, so I am going to have to do better than that.'
Watch the world's top 20 female and top 20 male triathletes race live in the Vancouver T100 on Saturday 14 June. The broadcast starts at 0915 local time, 1715 in the UK, with the men's race starting at 0930 and then the women at 1200. You can tune in live for free globally on PTO+ or watch on partners channels such as TNT Sports in the UK, Max or Discovery+ in Europe, or beIN in North America. For more details visit www.T100Triathlon.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Reporter
9 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
SPFL praises 'phenomenal' fans but warns minority of consequences of disorder at matches
A total of 5,336,353 supporters turned out to watch their teams across all SPFL competitions in season 2024/25 – the highest figure in the SPFL era and a rise of nearly 185,000 on the previous record, set last year. The jump in attendances follows a hugely dramatic end to the season across all four William Hill SPFL divisions, with the race for promotions, European places, and to avoid relegation going right down to the wire. An SPFL spokesperson said: 'We'd like to thank Scotland's dedicated fans for the incredible support they continue to provide to clubs, as well as the work of our member clubs, Police Scotland, the authorities, and those working at matches throughout the season. 'While the vast and overwhelming majority of supporters are an undoubted force for good in our game, it's been extremely disappointing to see a small number persisting with dangerous, irresponsible and selfish behaviour. Whether that's flares, fireworks, smoke bombs, throwing missiles, or pitch invasions, these actions put staff, supporters and players at risk and are completely unacceptable. 'For example, the incident which saw Aberdeen player Jack Mackenzie left injured at Tannadice Park after a chair was thrown onto the pitch, simply beggars belief. It goes without saying that players, staff and fellow supporters should have the right to attend games free from the risk of being struck by projectiles. 'The swift cooperation between clubs, supporters and Police Scotland helped identify the alleged perpetrator, who has since appeared in court. This is a model of how our system should work. In another recent incident, Livingston quickly issued a lifetime ban to an individual who allegedly spat at a member of the Ross County coaching team, and we commend the club's prompt and decisive action. 'As well as club bans, unwelcome incidents such as these have unfortunately made it abundantly clear that there is a need for far more widespread use of football banning orders (FBOs) and we are encouraged by the progress being made in partnership with our clubs, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government. 'We have been discussing broadening the scope of these orders as part of the Scottish Government's FBO working group and we're extremely pleased to see this was covered in the Programme for Government in May. These recent incidents reinforce the need for such sanctions to protect the match-day experience for the vast majority of law-abiding fans. 'During the 2024/25 season the SPFL took disciplinary action against a number of clubs and notices of complaints have now been raised against three clubs in respects of incidents which occurred at the end of the season – Partick Thistle, Aberdeen and Celtic. 'The SPFL will undertake a number of discussions with supporter groups to better understand their views and explore the challenges involved. We're committed to open and constructive engagement as we work together to ensure a safe, enjoyable and inclusive match day experience for all fans. 'We will be having further meetings with key stakeholders over the summer to review the most recent season and look ahead to 2025/26. We remain committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable match day experience for players and supporters – they are the lifeblood of our game and deserve nothing less.' Like this: Like Related
Daily Record
17 minutes ago
- Daily Record
I sense a no confidentiality clause in Rangers flop's pay-off as Mr Excuses declines words of advice for Russell Martin
I assume there was no confidentiality clause in Philippe Clement's pay-off deal with Rangers. The Belgian left no stone unturned when it came to self-protection in his radio interview last weekend. The board showed him no patience. Directors listened too much to fans. Players cost him the title .. on it went. You wondered if Philippe might end by saying: 'It wisnae me.' The only bit he got right was when he was asked to offer words of advice to successor Russell Martin. The man who could empty Ibrox with his baffling tactics declined the request quicker than you could say Queen's Park and went back to counting his redundancy money. Meanwhile, The countdown is on for Steve Clarke. His SFA employers say he deserves the chance to see if he can take Scotland to next year's World Cup. The extent to which the manager has earned that generosity will start to be measured when Clarke's team plays the first group-stage qualifier in Denmark in September. Jose Mourinho was the self-proclaimed Special One. Jurgen Klopp was the Normal One. We've got the Surly One. Before his side took four goals off the Liechtenstein team occupying 205th place in the World rankings, Clarke said: 'Everybody likes to be loved, but I don't. My character is quite suited to being the guy who gets all the stick.' That's handy, then. But I looked at Wales' classic, seven-goal thriller with Belgium immediately after our match finished on Monday evening. You couldn't help but envy the way a country even smaller than Scotland went about their business under Craig Bellamy. They lost but gave it their all and scored three times. It's the kind of approach we'd like to see – but probably won't – in Copenhagen. Last Tuesday was the 27th anniversary of Scotland's opening match of the World Cup against Brazil in Paris. A night of heroic failure, admittedly, but we went out on our feet as opposed to our knees. No manager has taken Scotland to the finals of that tournament since and it will require deep reserves of determination and courage if we are to revise the course of history. Clarke gets praised for reaching back-to-back Euros but, when we got there, we didn't set up to make sure we stayed there. Remember the game we had to win against Hungary to stay in the Euros in Germany last summer? It was all or nothing – and we delivered the second one. No-one mentioned going gung-ho. Nobody said throw caution to the winds. But, given the nucleus of top-class talents at our disposal, couldn't we try harder to shape our own destiny? I've always been told management isn't a personality contest. But it doesn't have to be about us and them, either. The guy who gets all the stick could try to meet us halfway.
The Courier
an hour ago
- The Courier
Dundee United ace recalls tussle with Man City £50m man Tijjani Reijnders ahead of Euro return
Craig Sibbald grimaces as he recalls Dundee United's 2022 annihilation in Alkmaar. Nothing can cushion the blow of a 7-0 defeat. But perhaps a modicum of solace can be taken from the respective career paths of several stars within that AZ team. Sibbald crossed swords with Tijjani Reijnders in the heart of midfield over the two legs – getting the better of him in the first game at Tannadice – while Milos Kerkez was a marauding presence down the left. Vangelos Pavlidis scored twice in Alkmaar. Pascal Janssen's classy outfit went on to reach the SEMI-FINAL of the Europa Conference League that season. Reijnders this week put pen to paper on a £46.5 million deal to join Manchester City following a splendid couple of seasons with Milan. Kerkez will reportedly head for Liverpool, with a fee of £50 million mooted. Pavlidis scored 29 goals for Benfica in all competitions last term – including a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona. In hindsight, United's last foray into continental competition saw them crash and burn against one of the most profitable squads AZ have ever assembled – and Sibbald looks back on the tie as a valuable learning curve. 'They had some top players – Tijjani Reijnders, Vangelis Pavlidis, Milos Kerkez and others – and they have all moved on to bigger clubs,' recalled Sibbald. 'Alkmaar were a really good side; they ended up in the semi-finals that season. 'But you need learn from playing against players of that standard and try to put those lessons into place when you get back there. 'That's the level you want to be playing at, no matter how tough it is, because it's some experience.' Mercifully, United will not be paired against a side comparable to AZ when the Europa Conference League second qualifying round draw takes place in Nyon, Switzerland next Wednesday. Due to their seeded status, they can expect an – on paper – winnable tie. And Sibbald is determined to give the Arabs a continental adventure to savour this time. Sibbald continued: 'I learned plenty from it – mainly that you can't switch off for a second against that standard of player in Europe. 'You saw what happened in Alkmaar; it went horribly wrong, and we were punished for every mistake. It was a shock at the time. A real shock to the system. 'I'd love the chance to put that right.' He added: 'You know what it means to the fans, and they turn out in numbers on these European trips.'
