The best triathletes in the world will fight for the Ironman World Championship in Nice on Sunday (September 10, 2023, 6:50 a.m.). Does superstar Jan Frodeno succeed in completing a career? And what makes the bike course so spectacular and dangerous? The answers are here.
Can Jan Frodeno make the grand finale?
One of the greatest triathletes of all time asks for his last dance. An emotional day for Jan Frodeno – and somehow for the entire scene. Frodeno, Olympic champion and three-time world champion, is the man who shaped modern triathlon like no other. He is a role model, an idol, an inspiration. So now it should be over at the age of 42, preferably with the crowning glory as world champion.
A lot will depend on how Frodeno’s body reacts. Before he started this season, Frodeno came out of a long period of suffering. Achilles tendon, hip, wheel fall, blood poisoning – the year 2022 was a real epidemic year for him. But now he seems ready, as his victory in the PTO US Open in Milwaukee four weeks ago.
Who else is among the favorites?
An open exchange of blows is expected, a race with many surprises and imponderables. One of Frodeno’s biggest competitors is an old acquaintance: Patrick Lange. The two-time Hawaii champion calculates a lot because the mountainous bike course suits him as a lighter athlete.
But many others also have a chance of winning the World Cup, such as the Dane Magnus Ditlev or the local heroes Sam Laidlow (vice world champion) and Denis Chevrot (European champion). Too bad: With the two Norwegians Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt, who are concentrating entirely on the Olympics in Paris, and the injured Australian Max Neumann, three of the first four of the past World Cup are missing.
Where is the decision made in Nice?
The 3.8km swim through the azure Mediterranean will be more of a canter than what follows: the bike course is spectacular. It goes 180 kilometers through the countryside around Nice and the foothills of the Maritime Alps. A total of 2,400 vertical meters have to be mastered, two steep climbs and a dangerous descent that meanders down narrow serpentines into the valley. All rather atypical for an Ironman.
So it will be exciting to see how the stars cope with this difficult course and, above all, which tactics are the best. Because after that there is still a marathon waiting on the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Four times up, four times down at temperatures up to 30 degrees without shade. Those who exhaust themselves too early can quickly experience their blue miracle on the Cote d’Azur.
Why isn’t the World Cup taking place in Hawaii?
iron man When you hear that, you inevitably think of Hawaii. To the myth, the legendary place of torment. But the organizers have decided to go a different route and split up the World Cup. Instead of a joint race for men and women in Hawaii, this year the men will start in Nice and the women in Hawaii. Will change next year.
According to the organizer, this should lead to more visibility for the women, but it is also clear that there is more money to be made with two starting fields. An Ironman generates most of its income through the entry fee for the many thousands of age group athletes who take to the track at different times. The criticism of the World Cup rotation principle was therefore great – both professionals and amateurs. Many hard-fought starting places remained unused and could not be completely filled.
Does that make Nice a bad choice?
You can’t say that in general. The city is beautiful, the entire setting on the Mediterranean Sea is gorgeous. Added to this is the spectacular route and, from a European point of view, shorter journeys and better broadcasting times. However, it is a World Cup. No myth. It’s only available in Hawaii.
Which Germans are still there?
A trio qualified for the World Cup behind Frodeno and Lange. Jonas Hoffmann finished the dress rehearsal at the Ironman France in Nice in third place on the podium, so he knows the track and its pitfalls. Franz Loeschke qualified with a spirited competition at the European Championships in Hamburg and for Leonard Arnold, an excellent runner, it is only his second long distance ever.
Where can I watch the race live?
From 6:40 a.m., the sports show will be broadcasting the full length of the race, either as a live stream or on hr television. From 2 p.m. the broadcast can also be seen on the first channel together with the rowing world championships. There are also preliminary reports, interviews, assessments of the route and analyzes by sports show expert Sebastian Kienle.