Hayden Wilde has his eyes on a much longer prize in 2025 and as such, strategically positioned his participation in the T1 Indoor Triathlon World Cup Liévin overnight as a series of rapid-fire “sharpener” races.
After being forced to settle for 5th in final in northern France, consider the world short course No.1 sharpened but far from satisfied with his evening in the Arena Stade Couvert.
The Kiwi can rightly point to his endurance focus in training ahead of the impending step-up in distance to the T100 Triathlon World Tour, his much anticipated debut in the 100km series just a fortnight hence in steamy Singapore.
But do not be fooled. Whenever there’s a start line, a finishing tape and title on be won, the racer within Wilde over-rides any longer term ambitions, focused in the moment on proving himself the world’s most versatile triathlete.
Wilde did a good job of that in northern France after winning his heat and semifinal, albeit admittedly not as comfortably as some had predicted.
Indeed, the only kryptonite to Wilde’s superpowers, his swim, proved a sticky point all day in the hometown of his longtime French Grand Prix team.
He needed the fastest bike split, a super slick T2 and the second fast 1km time to hold off Ireland’s James Edgar in heat 1 and whie emerging top of his semifinal, was credited with the same time as eventual title winner Henry Graf and Nathan Grayel (FRA).
The swim ultimately proved the Andorra-based 27-year-old’s undoing in the final, the second slowest 200m leaving him with a 14 second deficit after the eight laps of the temporary 25m indoor pool.
Wilde has wriggled out of tighter spots before but not in races with such a short runway for his trademark bike-run prowess to kick-in.
He made up three seconds during the 2.8km bike before producing the fastest 1km run split of 2:43 to make up a bunch of places but still finished seven seconds behind Graf, the U23 German, and three seconds shy of the podium.
Roll on Singapore.
Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand cleared away on the run to give her home fans a golden end to a night to remember in Liévin, comfortably turning to bow to the crowds before the tape before still finishing six seconds clear of defending champion Laura Lindemann.
T1 Indoor Triathlon World Cup – Liévin
March 22, 2025
200m swim, 2.8km bike, 1km run
Men
1. Henry Graf (GER) 09:36
2. Antoine Duval (FRA) 09:38
3. Mitch Kolkman (NED) 09:40
4. Leo Fernandez (FRA) 09:42
5. Hayden Wilde (NZL) 09:43
Full men’s results
Women
1. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) 10:19
2. Laura Linedmann (GER) 10:25
3. Annika Koch (GER) 10:27
Full women’s results
