Marten Van Riel knows he must improve to defend T100 Triathlon title
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
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