Frenchman Sam Laidlow finishes in fifth place at the IRONMAN World Championships. After a challenging start to the race, the triathlete improves on his 2023 time, which had earned him the world champion title in the discipline.
This Friday, in front of the media, Sam Laidlow had announced the Norwegians as the favorites for the race. They lived up to expectations with a podium sweep.
This Sunday, the men’s IRONMAN World Championships took place. For the second time, Nice hosted this event, following the 2023 edition. 3.8 km of swimming was followed by 180 km of cycling before finishing with a marathon of 42.195 km of running. The triathletes started this morning at 7 a.m. from Ponchettes beach.
Hopes for a result nearly drowned in water
The first event, which usually favors the Frenchman of British origin, didn’t go well this morning. Indeed, he stopped for a moment mid-effort. This pause allowed him to catch his breath, even swimming a few lengths in backstroke before continuing. The French athlete emerged from the water in 26th position, more than a minute behind the race leader.
The transition between swimming and cycling was longer for the 2023 world champion. He chose not to rush, finding himself over three minutes behind the leaders during his first pedal strokes.
The fastest bike time for the Frenchman
A delay that did not faze the athlete originally from Oakley in Bedfordshire. The triathlete was confident in his abilities. He made a spectacular comeback on his bike, thanks to his perfect knowledge of the circuit. By the 46th km, Sam Laidlow had made up a huge part of his delay, moving into fourth place, two spots ahead of the day’s favorite, Kristian Blummenfelt.
After the 180 km of cycling, the Frenchman finished with the fastest time in the discipline, with an average pace of 40 km/h. He found himself in second place in the race, just behind Belgian Marten Van Riel, with only a six-second gap. They made up these seconds during the transition to running. The two triathletes were ahead of the three Norwegians: 26 seconds ahead of Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt and 42 seconds ahead of Casper Stornes.
An advantage too slim against the three Nordics
An advantage that was much too fragile to withstand. After five kilometers of running, the five athletes were within eight seconds of each other. Facing this comeback, the two Francophones struggled against the pace set by the Norwegian trio. Belgian Marten Van Riel was the first to crack after 12 km due to the fierce pace. Casper Stornes and Sam Laidlow were also slightly detached, but held on. They were about twenty seconds behind the race leaders.
The Frenchman, unfortunately, couldn’t keep up with the Nordic, who continued to chase his two compatriots. Midway through the race, Casper Stornes, who was 20 seconds behind, caught up with the leaders. He even took the lead alone and surged towards victory.
Sam Laidlow finished the race in fifth place, behind Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt, who completed the podium, and Belgian Marten Van Riel, who caught up with the Frenchman in the final kilometers. The Frenchman can be extremely proud of his performance, completing the event in 8 hours, 3 minutes, and 55 seconds. An improved time compared to 2023 when he won the world title right here in Nice, where he finished the event in 8 hours, 6 minutes, and 22 seconds.
A supportive crowd
The Frenchman could count on the support of the crowd throughout the race, particularly during the running segment. Once again, the Promenade des Anglais came alive for these triathletes. Thousands of people from around the world, with family or friends, gathered together.
The city of Nice will continue to host the IRONMAN Nice annually, in the month of June. Starting in 2026, it will also host the 70.3 World Championships, which will be held every two years until 2030. This event will take place over two days, with women’s events on Saturday and the men’s event on Sunday.
