We all know we would be hard pressed to say there’s a faster runner in the sport of triathlon than Jason West, but is there a nicer person? I can’t wait to see some epic racing this season! I think the US Open was the most exciting race of the year, in large part to Jason’s run from 5 minutes back (due in part to a bike mechanical) to just 24 seconds behind Jan - and Blummenfelt’s other-worldly effort to hold on after his cramping episode was awe-inspiring.
I got the chance to meet Jason for the first time in June when I fitted him with a pair of our shoes, and so a few months ago when he reached out about formalizing the relationship with VeloVetta after he’d had a few great races in them, I was of course very excited about it.
Congrats Ed to you and VeloVetta for signing Jason after seeing him race on to multiple podiums in your Monarch shoes last year. Here’s to plenty of more podiums in 2024 💪
He is arguably the best North American mid-100k triathlete at the moment.
A lot of talk about the Ventum being “slow”. It would be awesome if someone would invest on independent 2024 triathlon bikes testing. Test the usual suspects Ventum, Cervelo, Canyon, Specialized, etc.
Congrats Ed to you and VeloVetta for signing Jason after seeing him race on to multiple podiums in your Monarch shoes last year. Here’s to plenty of more podiums in 2024 💪
x2 on that
Congrats on Ed’s progress with his athletic startup!!!
Glad to see he’s still riding the Ventum. It’s great to make all the goonies upset.
What I found more interesting is the implication that they’re working on a new model, and this time around they might actually use a tunnel in the design phase rather than copy Boardman’s 90s track bike and hope for the best.
He is arguably the best North American mid-100k triathlete at the moment.
I’d argue he’s better than that. I don’t think you can say there is any 70.3 or 100k race in the world that he doesn’t have a reasonable shot at winning.
I was really disappointed when he (and everyone else that raced Singapore) got so sick at worlds. Some of them managed to actually race despite it, but it really hurt what would have been a hell of a race.
I don’t mean to impugn anyone else in that race that wasn’t sick. There were some great performances for sure. But a deeper field certainly would have made for closer and more exciting racing.
It’s so hard to say what would have happened…but to truly put yourself in the best chance to win 70.3 worlds, you shouldn’t have raced in extreme conditions half way around the world. All those people made a decision to try - and it didn’t work out. But…that was money chasing for sure.
It’s all good - I love Jason - but I suspect most of the athletes that made that trip still would have been compromised, and people who put 70.3 worlds as their A race were able to show up with their very best and Rico deserved that win for sure.
It’s so hard to say what would have happened…but to truly put yourself in the best chance to win 70.3 worlds, you shouldn’t have raced in extreme conditions half way around the world. All those people made a decision to try - and it didn’t work out. But…that was money chasing for sure.
It’s all good - I love Jason - but I suspect most of the athletes that made that trip still would have been compromised, and people who put 70.3 worlds as their A race were able to show up with their very best and Rico deserved that win for sure.
Jason seems like an awesome dude. I hope he cleans up this year on the PTO series and makes bank. I think he’s going to have a significantly harder time winning (just like every other long course athlete) once the Olympics are over and guys like Hayden and Martin move on up. I hope he proves me wrong though and we get to see him and Hayden in a solid run battle over 15-20k.
Jason seems like an awesome dude. I hope he cleans up this year on the PTO series and makes bank. I think he’s going to have a significantly harder time winning (just like every other long course athlete) once the Olympics are over and guys like Hayden and Martin move on up. I hope he proves me wrong though and we get to see him and Hayden in a solid run battle over 15-20k.Wish him well but I fear that we’ll never see West v Wilde in the same street. No way is Wilde going to surrender that much time on the bike so this will be like West on catch up duty, except it’s not Frodeno (Milwaukee) or Bergere (Oceanside) he’s chasing; it’s Wilde.
Mark your cards: Ibiza on 28 September.
what ever happened to the ITU (will keep calling this cause everyone is calling themselves “world” whatever now) chase? he seemed to have a chance there too
Getting a PTO contract happened. His swim and bike aren’t there at WTCS level, and so that was a quick see how it goes (quality field he struggled, lesser field he was great at) This is in no way a disrepect (or should take credit away from him or his ability). Not bad to have a $100k contract to fall back on.
Dude is an absolute beast but yeah, I did not see it coming him getting dropped on SC racing rides. Maybe he was redlining the swim to stay in the front pack.
Really no point in continuing the Olympic quest, he really wasn’t going to make it. As fast as he is for 70.3/100 k guys, SC is another level.
He is arguably the best North American mid-100k triathlete at the moment.
A lot of talk about the Ventum being “slow”. It would be awesome if someone would invest on independent 2024 triathlon bikes testing. Test the usual suspects Ventum, Cervelo, Canyon, Specialized, etc.
Best MALE mid-100k NA triathlete. Knibb has won 2 70.3 WC and a PTO race.
I hope he proves me wrong though and we get to see him and Hayden in a solid run battle over 15-20k.Wish him well but I fear that we’ll never see West v Wilde in the same street. No way is Wilde going to surrender that much time on the bike so this will be like West on catch up duty, except it’s not Frodeno (Milwaukee) or Bergere (Oceanside) he’s chasing; it’s Wilde.
Mark your cards: Ibiza on 28 September.
Completely agree. Don’t think it’ll happen, but it would be fun to see.
what ever happened to the ITU (will keep calling this cause everyone is calling themselves “world” whatever now) chase? he seemed to have a chance there too
Slowtwitch did a full court press on Jason West and this was addressed on the podcast. The door is open if he wants to pursue it, but he did not like the travel and being away from home. He is a self professed home body and flying around the world doing world cups is decidedly not his jam. Luckily for him he’s a beast at the distance that is paying the most right now.
Slowtwitch did a full court press on Jason West and this was addressed on the podcast. The door is open if he wants to pursue it, but he did not like the travel and being away from home. He is a self professed home body and flying around the world doing world cups is decidedly not his jam. Luckily for him he’s a beast at the distance that is paying the most right now.Recommend the pod (I know you have, but for others). https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slowtwitch-podcast/id1691441710
The 100km Tour series is right up his street but he’ll have to travel far more than he seems to prefer (“home body”): will that have an adverse effect?
Look at his race record: 80+% North America. https://stats.protriathletes.org/athlete/jason-west
