Short-course triathlon great Vincent Luis eyes iconic Challenge Roth for full distance debut

The intriguing prospect of short-course legend Vincent Luis making his full-distance debut at Challenge Roth next year looks like it could be on the cards.

The two-time World Triathlon Champion bowed out of Olympic distance racing when he helped animate the WTCS Grand Final in Torremolinos in October.

And the Frenchman’s final short-course race came at the supertri finale in Neom when he was again right in the mix just behind the same front three of Alex Yee, Hayden Wilde and Leo Bergere.

Force to be reckoned with

Luis has already made his mark at middle distance – he won CLASH Daytona and IRONMAN 70.3 Bahrain in the space of a week at the end of the 2022 campaign. He heads to Bahrain again later this month and looks poised to be a threat to all now the step up in trip becomes a permanent one.

Fellow Olympian Marten Van Riel has just become the first ever men’s T100 World Champion and that series is clearly in the thoughts of Luis.

Chatting to Jonny Brownlee in a fantastic supertri video which has just been released and is embedded below, when asked what’s next he says: “I’m racing a 70.3 [Bahrain] and I hope to get a well sought after T100 wild card for next year.

“I want to do a full next year too. I have my eyes on a few ones. My dad did his first in Roth 2004, so that could be a good one to start with. So, yeah, we’ll see.”

What makes Challenge Roth so special?

Roth is one of triathlon’s most popular events. On the pro level the quickest full-distance times have been shattered there in the last couple of years – by Magnus Ditlev on the men’s side and Daniela Ryf and Anne Haug for the women.

It sells out within seconds for age groupers and having Luis join the party would add yet more interest for 2025.

Wherever he heads, Vince is looking forward to the adventure, adding: “I’m excited for what’s next. It’s just like a new challenge. It’s new race venues, new equipment, new everything. So it’s a bit different.”

Jonny Brownlee greets Vincent Luis at the finish line in Neom [Photo credit: supertri]

Written by

Jonathan Turner

Jonathan Turner is News Director for both TRI247 and RUN247, and is accustomed to big-name interviews, breaking news stories and providing unrivalled coverage for endurance sports.

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