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New Zealander Hayden Wilde won the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship this Sunday in Nice. He prevailed in a hard-fought race, finishing ahead of Kristian Blummenfelt and Jelle Geens. Simon Viain, who placed 13th, was the top French finisher among the professionals.
Source: Press Release – Photos @Pablo Blazquez Dominguez
Nice hosted the Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship this Sunday, with nearly 60 professional triathletes at the starting line. After a 1.9 km swim, a 90 km bike ride, and a 21.1 km run, Hayden Wilde claimed the world title.
The New Zealander, who was slightly behind coming out of the water, gradually closed the gap during the bike leg. He notably closed in on the lead on the Col de Vence, before maintaining his pace on the descent toward Nice.
Wilde reached the second transition right on the leader’s heels, then took the lead on the run. He maintained a sufficient lead for a long time to control his pursuers, before having to fend off a late charge by Kristian Blummenfelt in the final kilometers.
Hayden Wilde ultimately won in 3:50:51, 18 seconds ahead of Kristian Blummenfelt. Belgium’s Jelle Geens, the defending world champion, rounded out the podium.
This victory marks Hayden Wilde’s first IRONMAN 70.3 world title and marks New Zealand’s return to victory in this event following Terenzo Bozzone’s win in 2008.
Simon Viain, Top French Finisher
France had several representatives among the professionals. Simon Viain posted the best French result with a 13th-place finish, following a race that allowed him to compete among the world’s top specialists.
Félix Forissier finished 20th, while Casimir Moine took 25th place. Next were Nathan Guerbeur (29th), Quentin Barreau (34th), Valentin Rouvier (40th), and Cenzino Lebot (47th).
In total, seven French riders appeared in the men’s professional standings.
Several French Podium Finishes Among the Amateurs
There were also numerous strong French performances in the age categories.
In the 18–24 age group, Antoine Viertaix took 2nd place worldwide in his category out of 172 competitors and finished 5th in the overall men’s amateur standings.
In the 25–29 age group, Robin Lemercier also took 2nd place, while Victor Tourde finished 3rd. They ranked 4th and 10th, respectively, in the overall amateur standings.
The 30–34 age group was also a strong showing for the French. Alexandre Caille, already the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 world champion in this age group, finished 2nd in his category and 7th overall in the amateur standings. Anatole Giraud-Telme took third place in the age group and eighth overall, while Brice Gayant placed fourth in the age group and ninth overall. Florian Richard finished fifth.
Other notable results came in the following age groups: Julien Orhan placed 6th in the 35–39 age group, Jérémy Ferrari placed 7th in the 40–44 age group, and Richard Sumpter placed 3rd in the 45–49 age group.
The more experienced age groups also brought home several world titles for France. Laurent Lambert won the 50–54 age group, while Christophe Bastie won the 55–59 age group.
Finally, in the 65–69 age group, Christian Masera took 2nd place and Jean-Luc Franchi took 3rd.
The French delegation was also represented in the PC/ID (Physically Challenged / Intellectual Disability) categories by Khalid Oshman and Ludovic Tixier.
More info: ironman.com/races/im703-world-championship-2026
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