Bahrain Victorious 13 athletes Vincent Luis and Marten Van Riel delivered strong performances amid an eventful and ultimately controversial T100 Triathlon race in Dubai on Saturday.
The race was overshadowed by errors that caused major disruptions. The three athletes leading the bike leg went on to do an extra lap, while several competitors on the run course were directed to the finish despite still having a lap remaining.
Luis had emerged from the swim in second with Van Riel right on his heels. On the four-lap bike circuit, Van Riel moved into the front three of the leading pack of nine. But their hard-earned advantage evaporated as he followed Hayden Wilde and Mathis Margirier onto an extra lap while the others dismounted on time.
The day’s chaos continued through the eight-lap run, as athletes with one more lap to go were directed to instead head to the finish line. Luis was one of the casualties, crossing the finish line in second before the athletes launched a protest and the initial results were nullified.
With officials deciding in line with World Triathlon rules that the last known timings on the seventh run lap would determine the race standings, Luis moved to fifth place while Van Riel finished in 13th.
Bahrain Victorious 13 will next line up at the Ironman 70.3 Bahrain on December 5th. More than just another race on the calendar, this annual pilgrimage for the team camp brings world-class athletes into close contact with Bahrain’s youth and local sporting community. The tradition reflects the team’s vision: to compete at the highest level, elevate the Kingdom’s sporting landscape, and ignite the ambitions of Bahrain’s next generation of stars.
