What Instagram Is Quietly Showing Us About Pro Race Preparation
From training camps to technical refinements, race preparation is already well underway.
Many of us are counting down to the first major races of the year, whether it’s the T100 Triathlon World Tour opening on Australia’s Gold Coast in March, or the launch of the Ironman Pro Series with Ironman New Zealand and Ironman 70.3 Geelong in Oceania, followed shortly by Ironman 70.3 Oceanside in North America.
While the race calendar has been relatively quiet, the same cannot be said for the athletes themselves. Across the professional field, preparation is already well underway as competitors build toward early-season debuts.
A quick scan through Instagram offers a scattershot view into where some of our favourite pros are currently training, and even some glimpses into more technical race-day preparation such as velodrome and wind tunnel sessions.
Where Pros Have Been Spotted
Laura Philipp, the 2024 Ironman World Champion, recently posted about the conclusion of a two-week, cycling-focused training camp in Valencia, Spain, where she trained alongside the CANYON/SRAM Women’s WorldTour team. In her post, she reflected on the block as a meaningful step forward, highlighting both the quality of the riding and the environment that allowed for sustained time on the bike.
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Patrick Lange, three-time Kona champion, has meanwhile been spotted in Mallorca. The German noted he was “back at it” and enjoying time on the roads of what he described as his favorite training island.
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Of course, we can’t forget about one of the most familiar training camp destinations in the triathlon world: Lanzarote. Whether based out of Club La Santa or other nearby resorts, the island has long been a popular choice for both professionals and age-group athletes. Kat Matthews recently posted a photo cycling there alongside Steph Clutterbuck.
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Lucy Charles-Barclay, the 2023 Ironman World Champion and a two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion, has also kicked off 2026 at Club La Santa. The venue is a long-standing favourite of hers and one she often returns to ahead of Kona, drawn by cycling terrain that closely mirrors the demands of the World Championship course.
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The Real Tri Squad (RTS), including Jackson Laundry and Mark Dubrick, recently wrapped up a training camp in Cozumel, adding to the pangs of jealousy many of us feel while watching the pros prepare in such iconic locations! (Notably, the RTS Cozumel camp is also open to age-group athletes, making it a potential bucket-list option for readers for future seasons.)
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Perfecting Set-Ups Ahead of Race Day
Alongside warm-weather training blocks, a number of pros have also been spotted dialing in equipment and aerodynamics as race season approaches. Several athletes, including Solveig Lovseth, Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, and Julie Derron have shared glimpses of velodrome testing, while Joe Skipper has been spotted in the wind tunnel.
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With early-season racing now just weeks away, the anticipation is building for athletes and fans alike!