Laidlow’s to lose? Men’s Ironman World Championship preview

When the Ironman World Championship’s men’s race resettled in Nice in 2023, there were plenty of disgruntled voices saying: “This isn’t Hawaii, it won’t be the same.”

Maybe not, and there are multiple layers to that perspective, but by the time France’s Sam Laidlow had powered through the early climbs of the Maritime Alps – unflinchingly seizing the pro race by the proverbials – we could be reassured that the actual racing would not disappoint.

Set up by a 112-mile bike leg that dismantled his opposition, Laidlow stormed to victory that day to become both the youngest male and first French winner of the title. And as the event returns to the French Riviera for a final hit-out before reuniting on the Big Island, he starts as a favourite once more.

A mercurial racer, for the early months of the year it looked like Laidlow wouldn’t be in Nice at all, having suffered a series of health setbacks following an aggressive – bordering on kamikaze – performance in Hawaii last year.

But victory at Challenge Roth in July 2025, followed by domination at Ironman Leeds, has put the 26-year-old’s star in the ascendency once more, and, certain to be among the swim leaders, there is a chance that Laidlow pedals out of sight and doubles down to become the two-time and only men’s champion in Nice’s brief Ironman worlds hosting stint.

Which athletes are the favourites?

But it’s no foregone conclusion. Defending champion Patrick Lange is best known for his three Ironman world titles in Hawaii and exceptional marathons. But his second place in Nice in 2023 underlined his class on the bike as well. It’s been a poor season by Lange’s standards, largely due to injury, but no current athlete on the start-list is better at priming themselves for this time of the year. Lange ran a race-best 2:32:41 marathon in Nice two years ago . If he can manage similar, expect him to be on the podium again.

There are two more former champions in attendance, both flying the flag of Norway. 

Kristian Blummenfelt, who won the Ironman worlds in St George in 2022, was in his pomp two years ago when he chose to skip the event to focus on defending his Olympic title from Tokyo. While that didn’t go to plan last summer in Paris and there were rumours of a transition to professional cycling, he has returned fully focused to long course triathlon and is in a hot streak of form. 

Winner of the regional championships in both Texas and Frankfurt, arguably the two biggest Ironman races outside of the world championship, Blummenfelt will be many observers’ favourite and as one of five Norwegians on the start-list, might be able to work with his compatriots to find a tactical edge.

One of those is his longtime training partner Gustav Iden. Now 29 years old, the 2022 Hawaii champion Iden has struggled for the past two seasons but is showing glimmers of his old self in 2025. 

It would be a surprise if there was enough progress to make him a title contender here, but memories of his Ironman 70.3 worlds win on a road bike on a similar course in 2019 should be a reminder that he has the quality to contend.

Staying in Scandinavia, Magnus Ditlev leads a four-strong Danish contingent, hoping to become the first from his nation to land the title. Ditlev was second in Hawaii last year and third in Nice in 2023, so he’s edging closer. 

After winning Ironman South Africa early this season, his two races since haven’t gone to plan, and at 6ft 4, the bike course advantages smaller athletes from a power-to-weight perspective. However, with last year’s record-beating Challenge Roth still fresh in the memory, and raw bike power to send shudders through rivals, there’s no doubt this is the one he craves more than any other. Ditlev is certainly in the mix.

Rudy Von Berg is another contender who should be taken seriously. The leading American, he grew up in southern France racing on these very roads, and rarely fails to perform on the big stage. A more than capable front-pack swimmer, Von Berg will likely handle the bike course better than anyone, and if he runs the marathon of his life – likely needing to be sub 2:356 – he can look to improve on his third from 2024 and fourth place from Nice in 2023.

There were 59 names on the original and wide-open start-list, and threats could come from just about anywhere. But others worth a mention include France’s Leon Chevalier (seventh in 2022, fifth in Kona 2024, fourth in Nice 2023), Cam Wurf (the evergreen Aussie and Ineos Grenadiers pro cyclist), Matt Maquardt (an improving US threat, who combines racing with a medical career), and Marten Van Riel (the reigning T100 world champion, who would be much more highly fancied if he hadn’t been battling injury coming into the event).

As for the Brits, if any of them can crack the top 10 it would be a notable result. Kieran Lindars might be best placed after his eighth place in Hawaii in 2024, and he’s joined by 70.3 Swansea winner Harry Palmer, Zack Cooper, who has a career-best fourth place in Copenhagen last month, and the experienced Joe Skipper, whose career might be on the wane but has the experience of three top 10s in this event to fall back on.

Tim Heming’s Ironman World Championship predictions

This one is tough to call, but Laidlow’s focus on this event and pedigree on the course means he can knock lumps out of the field on the bike to give him the buffer required. Lange can never be ruled out, so expect a repeat of the one-two we saw here two years ago, while Rudy Von Berg will also use local knowledge to prosper with another hard-earned podium. No Blummenfelt in the top three? Not for me. I expect plenty of gambles to stay in the race and the DNF rate to be high. The Norwegian is all in for the win and that doesn’t come without risk.

Full Ironman World Championship start-list*

1 Patrick Lange Germany (DEU)

2 Magnus Ditlev Denmark (DNK)

3 Rudy Von Berg United States of America (USA)

4 Léon Chevalier France (FRA)

5 Sam Laidlow France (FRA)

6 Gustav Iden Norway (NOR)

7 Kristian Blummenfelt Norway (NOR)

8 Cameron Wurf Australia (AUS)

9 Kieran Lindars United Kingdom (GBR)

10 Kristian Høgenhaug Denmark (DNK)

11 Matt Hanson United States of America (USA)

12 Bart Aernouts Belgium (BEL)

14 Fernando Toldi Brazil (BRA)

15 Matthew Marquardt United States of America (USA)

16 Finn Große-freese Germany (DEU)

17 Sam Long United States of America (USA)

18 Jan Stratmann Germany (DEU)

19 Mike Phillips New Zealand (NZL)

20 Lucciano Taccone Argentina (ARG)

21 Dylan Magnien France (FRA)

22 Harry Palmer United Kingdom (GBR)

23 Henrik Goesch Finland (FIN)

24 Kacper Stepniak Poland (POL)

25 Marten Van Riel Belgium (BEL)

27 Mathias Lyngsø Petersen Denmark (DNK)

28 Paul Schuster Germany (DEU)

29 Casper Stornes Norway (NOR)

30 Mattia Ceccarelli Italy (ITA)

31 Dominik Sowieja Germany (DEU)

32 Jonas Hoffmann Germany (DEU)

33 Jonas Schomburg Germany (DEU)

34 Nick Thompson Australia (AUS)

35 Trevor Foley United States of America (USA)

36 Jamie Riddle South Africa (ZAF)

37 Andrea Salvisberg Switzerland (CHE)

38 Ben Hill Australia (AUS)

39 Bradley Weiss South Africa (ZAF)

40 Antonio Benito Spain (ESP)

41 Nathan Guerbeur France (FRA)

42 Daniel Bækkegård Denmark (DNK)

43 Jason West United States of America (USA)

44 Benjamin Zorgnotti French Polynesia (PYF)

45 Chris Leiferman United States of America (USA)

47 Jon Saeveras Breivold Norway (NOR)

48 Wilhelm Hirsch Germany (DEU)

49 Federico Scarabino Uruguay (URY)

50 Andreas Dreitz Germany (DEU)

51 Andre Lopes Brazil (BRA)

52 Jordi Montraveta Moya Spain (ESP)

53 Joe Skipper United Kingdom (GBR)

54 Kristian Grue Norway (NOR)

55 Jack Moody New Zealand (NZL)

56 Filipe Azevedo Portugal (POR)

57 Dario Giovine Italy (ITA)

58 Zack Cooper United Kingdom (GBR)

59 Sven Thalmann Switzerland (CHE)

*Subject to change