Van Riel feeling positive again ahead of Ibiza T100

By Ben Hart

Marten van Riel says he feels refreshed by the prospect of T100 glory and a longer race distance which he believes plays to his strengths.

The Belgian, 31, is unbeaten over the half distance and heads to Ibiza this weekend as one of the favourites for glory in the men’s event.

Van Riel won the San Francisco T100 in June before suffering Olympic disappointment when finishing 22nd in Paris, leaving him determined to prove a point.

“I’m a little bit nervous because training this last week hasn’t been the easiest but in the last week or two, I’ve started feeling good again right in time for the race,” he said.

“I struggled a bit because I did the Olympics and the result there was a bit disappointing but it is very motivating now that I have three more T100 races and that I’m not falling into a dark hole because of that. I’m starting to feel super stoked again and ready to race.

“When you have a result that doesn’t reflect what you’ve worked towards for three years – and I think I could have done a lot better and wanted to do a lot better – you have to give yourself a little bit of time because mentally that’s not easy and you notice how much the mental and physical part of your body is connected.

“The body was just more tired and a bit slower. It takes some time but that’s why it’s so good to have the T100 now so I can flick that switch and have something to really look forward to because the long-distance side of racing in triathlon suits me better.

“I still have really big races to redeem myself and show people what I’m capable of and what I’ve been working for all these years. I believe I can do that and I’m very glad to have a second chance to show where I’m at.”

Van Riel conquered the field on his T100 debut a few months ago, edging out Kyle Smith for glory and rubber-stamping his status as one to watch for the remainder of the season.

Many have earmarked Van Riel as a favourite for this weekend and he is confident he can rise to the occasion.

“I think you have to remember that in the end it’s only about yourself and it doesn’t matter what other people think and what they expect of you,” he said.

“On the other hand, I put the highest expectations onto myself and I think that I can deal quite well with it, but it’s a very important race and not only the title of T100 Ibiza is on the line but we’re at the stage where the points are really counting towards the overall ranking and the main goal for my year is to finish high in the T100 ranking.

“To win the series, you’re going to have to finish on the podium of the races you do. That does bring some pressure, but usually I handle that quite well.”

Watch the Ibiza T100 Triathlon races live in Europe on Eurosport 2. Broadcast for the men is from 0745 UK, with the race starting at 0800 and then the women dive in at 1030. Both Ibiza T100 races and behind-the-scenes content can be watched live and for free on PTO+ from anywhere.