Marten van Riel Leads Mens Start List T100 Dubai

Belgian Olympic star Marten Van Riel is in pole position to win the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour, as the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon confirmed the men’s line up for the first Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final on 16-17 November. 

The two-time T100 winner is currently top of the T100 series standings following wins in San Francisco and Ibiza, along with a second place in Lake Las Vegas, and goes into the season finale needing to finish in any top three spot to be crowned the first ever men’s T100 Triathlon World Champion on Sunday 17 November. 

But with increased points available for the final – 55 pts for the win versus the normal 35 pts – it really is all to play for given 55 points separate the top 14 athletes. From Denmark’s Magnus Ditlev in second, to France’s Sam Laidlow in fourth, American Sam Long in fifth, British double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee in eleventh and American Jason West in fourteenth. 

Kiwi Kyle Smith, Holland’s Youri Keulen and German Mika Noodt have also qualified for the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final as wildcard athletes due to their performances so far this season. Sadly Noodt is injured and will not be taking up his place, but Smith and Keulen are very much in the mix for podium places as well. 

Whoever triumphs in the T100 series victory will be awarded World Champion status by triathlon’s international governing body, World Triathlon, as well as also scooping a cool $210,000 for topping the season-long standings.

The full list of contracted men and wildcards in the order they appear in the current T100 standings is here and includes: 

1. Marten Van Riel (BEL)
2. Magnus Ditlev (DEN) 
3. Kyle Smith (NZL) 
4. Sam Laidlow (FRA) 
5. Sam Long (USA) 
6. Youri Keulen (HOL) 
7. Pieter Heemeryck (BEL) 
8. Mathis Margirier (FRA)
9. Rico Bogen (GER) 
10. Alistair Brownlee (GBR) 
11. Frederic Funk (GER)
12. Daniel Baekkegard (DEN) 
13. Jason West (USA)
14. Aaron Royle (AUS) 
15. Rudy von Berg (USA) 
16. David McNamee (GBR)
17. Leon Chevalier (FRA) 
18. Clement Mignon (FRA) 
19. Ben Kanute (USA)
20. Bradley Weiss (RSA) 
21. Max Neumann (AUS)