Rico Bogen Successfully Defends His Sokin San Francisco T100 Title
The German once again shone in San Francisco, even defeating the seemingly untouchable Hayden Wilde.
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In our pre-race interview, Rico Bogen shared a simple race plan: build a significant lead on the bike and give himself enough cushion to withstand the challenge of the world’s best runners. Known for producing some of the fastest bike splits in the sport, Bogen believed he would need a two-minute advantage heading onto the run to defend his title at the Sokin San Francisco T100.
That is exactly what he delivered.
Starting the run with a 2:24 lead and ending it still a minute ahead of the next contender, Bogen dominated from the start of the ride to the finish line, adding another memorable San Francisco victory to his resume. Here’s how it unfolded.
Race Recap
American Morgan Pearson led out of the water in 17:42, heading a front pack of eight men that also included Bergere, Schaufler, Schoeman, Rapha, Priester, Bogen, and Birtwhistle. Hayden Wilde, widely regarded as the pre-race favourite and virtually unbeatable over the distance, exited the water 44 seconds back, leading the chase pack.
Bogen started the ride in third, 16 seconds off the lead, but quickly worked his way to the front, taking control of the race by around the four-kilometre mark. Priester remained with him through the opening laps, while Wilde began the bike in tenth, 59 seconds back. At one point, Wilde reduced the gap to 44 seconds, but it soon became apparent he was not having his best day. After battling a significant illness in the lead-up to the race, his deficit to the leaders gradually began to grow.
By lap three, Bogen had pulled clear of his competitors and was riding solo off the front, exactly as he had planned. He entered T2 after an impressive 1:55:34 bike split, with Priester 2:24 behind and Wilde 5:34 back in third.
Throughout the run, Bogen’s lead was never under threat. He crossed the line in 3:17:25, more than a minute clear of the rest of the field to take the win.
Priester finished second, 1:05 back, while Wilde rounded out the podium 3:48 behind.
San Francisco Belongs to Bogen
“It’s my course and I did it…it was really great,” Rico Bogen shared with us in a post-race interview at the finish line, the emotion of the moment clear.
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Priester was pleased with his breakthrough second-place finish on the T100 stage, while Wilde, despite missing out on his customary victory, said he felt “terrible” but was satisfied with his performance given the circumstances surrounding his lead-in to the race.
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With another podium finish secured, Wilde remains in a strong position as he looks to defend his T100 title in the Race to Qatar.
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