This week Belinda Granger joins as guest co-host, bringing her perspective from inside the commentary box and from her role as pro liaison at Challenge Roth.

We spend a big chunk of the episode talking through the 2026 WTCS season with Belinda, covering Beaugrand's continued dominance, Vasco Vilaca leading the men's standings, what Alex Yee's DNF in Quiberon means for the rest of the season, and what it's actually like to call these races up close.

Then we get into Ironman Frankfurt, where Casper Stornes backed up his Kona title with a win over Gustav Iden in a race shortened to a 125km bike and a half marathon due to extreme heat, with Antonio Benito Lopez rounding out the podium.

The back half of the episode is all Challenge Roth, and with Belinda involved in the race it's about as good an insider preview as you'll get. On the women's side, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Kat Matthews headline as the two to beat. On the men's side, we dig into whether Kristian Blummenfelt can deliver, and where Sam Laidlow and Patrick Lange fit into the picture on one of the fastest courses in the world.

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We open with a full recap of WTCS Quiberon, where Cassandre Beaugrand was in superb form, putting the race to bed as soon as she kicked to beat Tilda Mansson. In the men's race, Dorian Coninx outsprinted Vasco Vilaca in a thriller reminiscent of his 2023 title run, while Alex Yee was forced to DNF. We also break down the Mixed Team Relay, where France completed a clean sweep of the weekend, winning comfortably even without Beaugrand in the lineup.

After the break, we cover Ironman 70.3 Elsinore, where Marten Van Riel made it six wins from six in 70.3 racing this year, setting a new course record alongside Kat Matthews, who ran away from the women's field for victory. Both results lock in important qualification slots heading toward the 70.3 World Championships.

We close with previews of two of the biggest races coming up: Ironman 70.3 Nice, where the final women's slot for the 70.3 World Championships will be decided, and Ironman Frankfurt, where Casper Stornes, Gustav Iden, and a long-awaited season debut from Magnus Ditlev headline the men's European Championship field.

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We open with news that Olympic champions Alex Yee and Cassandre Beaugrand are heading to the Diamond League, with Yee racing the 5,000m and Beaugrand the 3,000m at Monaco on July 10, marking Yee's first Diamond League appearance since 2019 and a first-ever start for Beaugrand. Then we cover Taylor Knibb, who claimed her second US Pro Road Nationals time trial title in Charleston, continuing her run as one of the most dangerous dual-sport athletes in the world. We also break down the announcement that Chattanooga will host the Ironman 70.3 World Championship again in 2027, locking in a new five year agreement with the qualifying cycle kicking off on July 5.

After the break, we recap Ironman Cairns, where Nick Thompson and Penny Slater both picked up maiden Ironman wins, with Slater inheriting the lead after Regan Hollioake was forced to retire with a torn hamstring while well clear on the bike. We then run through Happy Valley 70.3, where Trevor Foley finally got the better of Sam Long in their fourteenth head to head meeting, and Paula Findlay ran away with a dominant women's win.

We close with a preview of WTCS Quiberon, breaking down the start lists and storylines heading into the men's and women's races this weekend.

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To support the podcast please head to: patreon.com/talkingtriathlon

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Or check us out on Social Media:

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You can follow James at https://www.instagram.com/bale.james85

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