#113 - Lionel Sanders Returns to Racing

This week on Talking Triathlon we close out 2025 with our final episode of the year. We start by breaking down the T100 Grand Final in Qatar before diving into one of the biggest stories in the sport, the proposed merger between the PTO and World Triathlon and what it could mean for the future of professional racing. From there we unpack the massive changes announced for Supertri in 2026 and share our thoughts on where the series is heading. We then turn our attention to the 2025 Podcast Awards, handing out our end of year honours including Female Triathlete of the Year, Male Triathlete of the Year, Racing Moment of the Year, Non Racing Moment of the Year, Race of the Year, the Lionel Award, WTF Moment of the Year and the Most Exciting Moment of the Year. As we head into a four week break, we are not disappearing completely. We will be releasing bonus episodes every week on Patreon during the off season, so there will still be plenty of Talking Triathlon content to keep you going until we return in 2026. Thanks for listening throughout the year and we will see you on the other side. To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14  

This week on Talking Triathlon we start with Alex Yee's unbelievable 2:06 marathon and what it means for the sport. We talk about how performances like this show that triathletes are not just competent across three disciplines but genuinely world-class athletes. We also ask the big question: should Alex consider focusing on the marathon for LA 2028? From there we head to La Quinta 70.3 where Lionel Sanders made his long-awaited return, Sam Long took the win and Kirsten Kasper impressed in one of her first real attempts at the 70.3 distance. In Bahrain, Vincent Luis delivered another outrageous run that made us question why he thinks he should retire next year, and Georgia Taylor-Brown continued to look better every time she steps up to middle distance. Ironman Western Australia gets some brief but deserved attention, including a strong showing from Lotte Wilms. Then we dig into the T100 Grand Final picture. The men's title looks almost locked up with Hayden Wilde, while the women's race remains wide open with Lucy Charles-Barclay, Kate Waugh and Julie Derron all still in realistic contention heading into Qatar. We also look at the newly announced T100 2026 season schedule and discuss whether we think the series will genuinely follow through on the plan next year. To close out the episode, we give our nominations for the 2025 Podcast Awards. TT PODCAST To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14  

This week Tim is back and finally gives his thoughts on all the drama that unfolded at T100 Dubai. We then move to the big news of the week, with Vincent Luis announcing that 2026 will be his final season and Els Visser set to retire this weekend. But the headline story is Lionel Sanders. With Lionel confirmed to return at La Quinta 70.3, we talk through what we can expect from his comeback, how competitive he can still be and what his future in the sport realistically looks like from here. We also preview a stacked Bahrain 70.3 featuring Vincent Luis, Vasco Vilaça and Georgia Taylor-Brown, before turning to Ironman Western Australia where Nick Thompson, Mike Phillips and Matt Burton headline the men's field and Fenella Langridge, Els Visser and Lotte Wilms lead the women's race. To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

This week on Talking Triathlon Andy Horsfall-Turner replaces Tim and joins James to unpack a massive weekend of racing. We open with Andy's experience at the 70.3 World Championships and his first-hand perspective on how the event unfolded. James is then joined by Tim Hemming to unpack the chaos of T100 Dubai, a race that turned into a complete debacle. We break down Hayden Wilde being sent into an extra lap on the bike, the widespread confusion that saw nearly the entire men's field run one lap too few, and the messy aftermath before Morgan Pearson was ultimately confirmed as the winner. In the women's race Julie Derron managed to rise above the disarray to take the victory. To close the show we turn to Ironman Arizona, analysing the key results, standout efforts and what the race tells us as we head toward 2025. To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

This week on Talking Triathlon we unpack all the action from the 70.3 World Championships. We start with the overall event before discussing the broadcast challenges, including the acknowledged technical failure that meant the final 1.5 kilometres of the men's race were missed, even though it ended up being the most exciting moment of the entire weekend. We break down the women's race, where Lucy Charles-Barclay claimed another world title, Taylor Knibb finished second, and Kat Matthews was forced to withdraw with a calf issue. Then we move to the men's race, which came down to a thrilling sprint finish as Jelle Geens held off Kristian Blummenfelt, with Casper Stornes securing third. To wrap things up we look ahead to T100 Dubai, talk through why Hayden Wilde did not race the World Championships, and preview a strong field led by Hayden and Marten Van Riel in the men's race, with Julie Derron returning in the women's. To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

This week on Talking Triathlon we wrap up a huge weekend of racing and look ahead to one of the biggest events of the year. We start with the Noosa Triathlon, where Matt Hauser and Jess Fullagar claimed impressive victories at Australia's most iconic race, before reflecting on the retirement of Aaron Royle and the incredible career he leaves behind. From there we move to Langkawi 70.3 and then preview the 70.3 World Championship, where Taylor Knibb, Kat Matthews, and Lucy Charles-Barclay headline a stacked women's field, and Gustav Iden, Kristian Blummenfelt, and Jelle Geens lead the charge for the men. We go deep on who's in form, how the courses could play out, and what it will take to claim the title. To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

This week on Talking Triathlon we cover a big mix of stories from across the sport. We open with the news that Braden Currie is retiring and reflect on the incredible career and legacy he leaves behind. We then turn to the Noosa Triathlon, where Matt Hauser and Cassandre Beaugrand are set to line up at Australia's most iconic race. Lionel Sanders has confirmed his comeback and will return to racing at Indian Wells 70.3 in December, and we discuss what to expect from him as he builds back towards long-course competition. We also look at Alex Yee's outing at the Valencia Half Marathon and react to an impressive T100 Dubai start list that sets up a blockbuster final race of the season. To finish the show, we revisit the biggest story of the week as Imogen Simmonds is ruled "not guilty" in her anti-doping case and talk through what this means for her return to racing. To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14  

This week on Talking Triathlon we react to the biggest shake-up the T100 has seen yet, as the series announces massive changes to its 2026 format. We discuss what the removal of athlete contracts could mean for the future of professional racing, how splitting the season into four standalone men's and four standalone women's races could impact broadcast numbers, and whether increased per-event prize money will be enough to drive interest and secure top-tier fields. We then move into race coverage, where Hayden Wilde and Kate Waugh delivered commanding wins at the T100 Wollongong. But it was the WTCS racing that stole the spotlight. In the women's race, both Cassandre Beaugrand and Beth Potter struggled and saw their world title hopes fade, while Lisa Tertsch produced an incredible performance to win on the day and secure the world championship. In the men's race, Matt Hauser capped off a perfect season, becoming World Champion and delivering Australia's first WTCS world title since 2005. We finish the episode by looking ahead to the 70.3 World Championship start lists and the athletes who could shape the world title battle. To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14

This week on Talking Triathlon we go deep on one of the most unforgettable races in recent memory, the Women's Ironman World Championship in Kona. With Lucy Charles-Barclay and Taylor Knibb both blowing up in the brutal heat, Solveig Løvseth storming to victory, and Kat Matthews mounting an incredible late charge, this race had everything. We unpack all the drama, tactics, and turning points, and ask the question everyone's thinking: was this the greatest Ironman World Championship ever? To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14 You can follow Andy at https://www.instagram.com/andrew_h_t 

This week on Talking Triathlon we keep things focused with two big topics. First, we break down the Supertri Toulouse Grand Final, where Jeanne Lehair continued her incredible season with another dominant win and Csongor Lehmann came out on top in a thrilling men's race. Then we turn our attention to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, previewing the women's race and all the major contenders. We go through favourites like Lucy Charles-Barclay, Kat Matthews, Laura Philipp and Taylor Knibb, sharing our predictions, how we think the race will unfold, and what each of the big names needs to do to take the title.   To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon To watch this podcast as a video visit: https://bit.ly/3vzSss2  Or check us out on Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingtriathlon You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85 You can follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/tford14