by By Tom Harle
Marten Van Riel is determined to clinch the overall T100 title when the inaugural season in Dubai comes to an end.
The Belgian leads the T100 leaderboard with one race to go as the world’s best triathletes battle it out on an iconic street circuit in the United Arab Emirates.
Van Riel, who has a 17-point lead over Dane Magnus Ditlev, only has his eyes on the top spot this weekend.
“It would mean a lot to me,” Van Riel said.
“I feel like I haven’t been the winner often in my career, I’ve had a lot of second, third and fourth place finishes.
“Winning this title would be incredible. I will do everything for it.
“If I drive a really good race here, maybe I can win the title. But first I have to do a really good race.”
Van Riel claimed victories in his first two T100 appearances of the season.
He beat New Zealander Kyle Smith in a thrilling sprint to win on his debut in San Francisco, before repeating the feat by breaking away from Sam Laidlaw in Ibiza to become the first man to win two T100 races.
The 31-year-old suffered his first non-drafting defeat when he finished second to compatriot Jelle Geens in Las Vegas.
Van Riel revealed the toll his efforts took in Nevada.
“Basically, since Las Vegas, it’s all about relaxation,” he said.
“I was really tired when I got back from Las Vegas, so it was more important to get that under control than to really train much.”
“This is pretty much the last race of the season, so maybe it’s better to beat this race.”
Van Riel must brave the Middle Eastern heat to win the top prize.
“In the first few days (in Dubai) I really struggled with the conditions and there were even some training sessions that didn’t go the way I wanted,” he said.
“I hope that this doesn’t have to happen to me again in the race. It’s going to be another brutal, brutal race with the heat and humidity here. I’m starting to feel ready.”
The inaugural Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship final to crown the first-ever T100 World Champions will take place on November 16-17. The women’s race can be seen live and exclusively on Eurosport in the UK from 1.15pm on Saturday November 16th. The race starts at 1:30 p.m. The men’s race will take place at the same time on Sunday November 17th. Fans can also watch for free PTO+
