Originally published at: IRONMAN World Championship Nice Preview - Slowtwitch News
We now have less than a week to go before the women’s IRONMAN World Championship in Nice gets underway in the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean, the dynamic mounts of the Alpes-Maritimes, and the buzzing Promenade of Nice.
Last year was the first edition of the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, although regular IRONMAN Nice has been a staple of the region for many years. Frenchman (yes, we know he’s British, but he identifies more with his French nationality per his website’s bio) Sam Laidlow became the youngest-ever IRONMAN World Champion winner when he, in a shocking twist to many, claimed victory in Nice in 2023.
It’s been said before and we’ll say it again: Nice is not Kona. This race not only has practically the opposite terrain of Kona, but the strengths and strategies needed to podium are vastly different than on the Big Island.
As for which women will make their way onto the podium on Sunday – it’s anyone’s guess.
The Course
We shared an article last week with a more in-depth view of the IM World Championship Nice course, but the quick breakdown is:
- Swim: an ocean swim that will likely not be wetsuit legal for the pros, but may be for the age groupers. A relatively straightforward swim except for its slightly odd W-shape.
- Bike: a doozy. Begins with a punchy climb that turns into a long endurance ascent with rollers on the plateau at the top followed by a descent that requires care and focus right when athletes are at their most exhausted.
- Run: flat and centralized. Although the run is as flat as it gets, challenges like little shade and mounting heat may catch some by surprise. The course will be buzzing with spectators thanks to its central location on the Promenade.
Five Possible Podium Picks
As Laidlow proved last year, even at the IM World Championship, anything can happen. If we had to make some educated guesses about who is most-ready to tackle the dynamics of Nice, though, we’d go with the following, in no particular order:
- Lucy Charles-Barclay: Never bet against a returning champion, especially when they appear to be healthy, fit, and also won IRONMAN Nice by nearly 20 minutes earlier in the year. Lucy’s swim will set her apart, as will her typically strong bike splits. However, she’ll have many incredible runners seeking to chase her down on the marathon.
- Laura Philipp: After finishing in third place at Kona last year, Laura seems to have doubled down on her quest to make it to the top step of the podium, spending much of her year training in the mountains. She’s also found success at the 100km distance as part of the T100 races; she’s had a couple of top five finishes so far there, too. Laura is a phenomenal cyclist and very solid runner. She will need to call upon all her bike strength to keep her in play all day and set her up well for a strong marathon.
- Kat Matthews: Kat had a tough go at Kona last year, DNF’ing on the bike shortly after the turnaround at Hāwī. She came roaring back in 2024 with wins at IRONMAN Texas and IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz. Her run is always one to watch, but can she hang on through the dynamics of the bike course to make it count?
- Anne Haug: Anne came in second at Kona last year largely in part to her excellent run abilities – but she also put together a solid bike split, too. This year, Anne has had a slew of private medical issues that has kept her from racing consistently. When she has raced, though, she’s come away with results like a victory at IM Lanzarote, which is another course with a killer bike leg and a flat run. If she’s been able to get enough training volume in, she could be a contender here in Nice.
- Els Visser: Although she may not be brought up in as many podium picks as the other four women, Els has had an incredibly strong season in the IM Pro Series so far, taking fifth at IM Hamburg after dealing with a mechanical issue on the bike and then second at IM Vitoria-Gasteiz behind Kat Matthews just over a month later. After Els’ pedal-falling-off fiasco in Kona last year, she is definitely hungry to get some redemption. Els can easily be outrun by the likes of Kat Matthews and Anne Haug, so she’ll need to have an all-around magical day to make it to the podium.
Ones to Watch
Podium predictions are fun and all, but on race day it’s always neat to see someone unexpected find themselves in the mix. A few women with that potential are:
- Jackie Hering: This year marked American Jackie Hering’s return to IRONMAN-distance racing after about a decade-long hiatus, and a more-than-decade-long break from competing in an IRONMAN World Championship. She returned to 140.6 racing with gusto, though, taking the win at IM Hamburg and coming in second at IM Lake Placid.
- Danielle Lewis: Another American with the potential to shake things up, Danielle Lewis came in first at IRONMAN Lake Placid this year after a ninth place at IRONMAN Texas and a DNF in Kona. Lewis faced some health issues during her off-season but seems to have returned to form as demonstrated at Lake Placid. Her strong bike and run skills could net her a spot on or near the podium if all goes well for Danielle on race day.
- Lotte Wilms: Lotte seems to be rarely mentioned in conversations around World Championship podiums, but she has every right to be. She finished third at IRONMAN Texas and second at IRONMAN Cairns earlier this year. She relies heavily on her dominant bike to give her a lead going into the run – this could be an advantage given Nice’s challenging bike course, but a flat run means she’ll have a lot of work to do to keep her momentum once on the marathon.
Word on the Street: Kona and Nice
As you’ll read in both our course preview article which features commentary from retired professional triathlete Renee Kiley and in two upcoming interviews with Laura Philipp and Els Visser, the women pros seem to be overall glad about the IRONMAN World Championships rotating to different locations other than Kona.
In summary, pros seem glad to have a chance to succeed at a race that isn’t one big time trial out in the lava fields followed by an exposed, humid, and desolate run. The Nice bike course is a welcome change, as is the spectator-filled Promenade. The different location gives pros with varied strengths a chance to succeed on the world stage.
Although it remains to be seen if IRONMAN will continue to do the every-other-year rotation between Kona and Nice after the next couple of years, the gist from most pros is that they hope the new locations for the IM World Championships are here to stay.
Tune in beginning at 7:15 a.m. CEST on Sunday, September 22 to watch the women’s IRONMAN World Championship.
Image Credit: Donald Miralle/IRONMAN