Up to date Could 23, 2026 12:24PM
After 4 earlier makes an attempt on the distance in 2025 – ending twelfth, ninth, 4th, and 2nd – Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) lastly broke by way of for her first T100 win, overcoming 2025 season runner-up Julie Derron (SUI) with a strong efficiency throughout swim, bike, and run in the scorching warmth of Pamplona.
It’s been a powerful begin to 2026 for Taylor-Brown after what she described as an off-year in 2025, highlighted by a second place on the World Cup in Lanzarote and a fourth at WTCS Samarkand. A part of the success seems to be from renewed confidence by way of her new setup with the PTC teaching group led by Glenn Poleunis, which incorporates Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) and accomplice Vincent Luis (FRA).
That atmosphere – and seemingly some diversifications from heat training – appeared to repay in Pamplona as Taylor-Brown dealt with the situations higher than Derron. Each athletes later defined they approached the race with very totally different techniques, with Derron saying her coach wished her to “go till she blows,” whereas Taylor-Brown took a extra measured method.
“I used to be making an attempt to simply be good with my racing on the bike as a result of it was fairly scorching.”
The inviting turquoise reservoir that hosted the 2km swim was a whole distinction to the situations seen at the previous T100 stop on the Gold Coast, the place Taylor Knibb (USA) defeated Jessica Fullagar (GBR).
Neither of these athletes lined up to race in Spain, however the ladies’s discipline nonetheless featured loads of notable additions, together with the return of Holly Lawrence to T100 racing and Sophie Evans (GBR) competing once more at this distance after changing into a mom this time final yr. There have been additionally rising middle-distance names like latest 70.3 Valencia winner Cathia Schär (SUI) and Audrey Merle (FRA), who impressed earlier this season at Oceanside.
One notable absentee, nonetheless, was defending champion Kate Waugh (GBR), who withdrew late in the lead-up after aggravating a calf harm.
Unsurprisingly, hometown favourite Sara Pérez Sala (ESP) led the swim on dwelling soil, with a entrance group of round 11 athletes shut behind, notably together with Derron, who can typically exit additional again. The most important title lacking from that lead pack was former T100 winner India Lee (GBR), who was lastly starting her season. She exited greater than two minutes down and finally would later withdraw.
Onto the difficult and hilly bike course – not the standard flat, lapped T100 structure – and it didn’t take lengthy for Pérez Sala to give up the lead as Taylor-Brown aggressively moved to the entrance whereas Derron steadily superior by way of the sector. Fellow Swiss athlete and coaching accomplice Alanis Siffert was the quickest mover from the chase pack and finally surged her method to the entrance of the race.
By midway by way of the bike, the entrance group had narrowed to 4 predominant athletes – Derron, Taylor-Brown, Imogen Simmonds (SUI), and Hanne De Vet (BEL) – though the race remained shut as repeated climbs and descents frequently cut up the group aside earlier than riders clawed their method again.
Into the ultimate third of the bike, Siffert pushed to the entrance together with her distinctive driving fashion and started forcing the tempo. She finally arrived into T2 with the quickest bike cut up, with solely compatriot Derron proper on her heels. Taylor-Brown got here in shortly after, although a slower transition made it briefly seem that the race might have slipped away.
At this level, on commentary, Vicky Holland famous:
“I’m unsure she will be able to afford to have misplaced fairly that a lot time.”
As a result of, with the slower transition, Derron had now already charged clear onto the run with a 45-second benefit over, and rapidly moved into the lead previous Siffert and was wanting sturdy. What Holland couldn’t have recognized, nonetheless, was how a lot Derron was already struggling in the warmth.
“After I began the run, I assumed, ‘Oh, I’m going to stroll 18km of this run.’ I felt so tough coming off the bike.” Derron later admitted after the race.
In the meantime, Taylor-Brown stated she felt sturdy by way of the opening laps of the run, maybe helped by that calmer T2 that allowed her to settle her coronary heart price and maximize cooling. And it rapidly grew to become clear the momentum had shifted. After a powerful opening few miles from Derron, the hole quickly started to shrink as Taylor-Brown first overtook Siffert earlier than powering previous Derron on an uphill part of the course.
Nonetheless, in temperatures pushing above 90 levels, the race by no means totally felt safe, and after the race, Taylor-Brown later revealed that she was struggling by the third lap, not helped by the truth that “there was like no water left on the support stations.”
In the long run, although, she had simply sufficient to maintain on for her first T100 victory, profitable by 1:20 over Derron, whereas Taylor Spivey stormed by way of the sector with one of many quickest runs of the day to take third.
After the race, Taylor-Brown stated:
“I’ve been feeling good in coaching, simply sturdy, and simply glad and in a very good place. I’m actually having fun with my new coach and my new group, in order that one’s for them.”
Subsequent up for Taylor-Brown is one other return to short-course racing in Alghero as the primary Olympic qualification points for LA 2028 formally come into play. The T100 collection now heads to San Francisco for the boys’s race on June 6, whereas the ladies will wait for his or her rematch in Vancouver on August 15.
