Marjolaine Pierré Defends Title as Michele Bortolamedi Breaks Kristian Blummenfelt’s Course Record

Italy’s Michele Bortolamedi stunned the men’s field at Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence after emerging from the swim in the front pack before delivering an aggressive bike leg that set up a dramatic battle on the run. After initially pulling away, Bortolamedi was reeled in late by 2023 Ironman 70.3 world champion Rico Bogen (GER), but the Italian responded decisively to surge clear again and break Kristian Blummenfelt’s course record.

The women’s race was broken apart halfway on the bike, as Marjolaine Pierré (FRA) showcased her French climbing and descending skills to build an unassailable lead that only increased throughout the run.

A field of 44 men and 34 women lined up to compete for the $50,000 prize purse in calm, still conditions, though athletes described the early-morning temperatures as “freezing.” Gloves, gilets, and even foil stuffed under tri suits were common sights in T1 before temperatures climbed into the high 60s later in the day.

Attention was not only on the prize money and valuable Ironman Pro Series points but also on the three men’s and women’s qualification slots available for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice. With the qualification window closing at the end of June, opportunities were rapidly running out for many professionals.

The men’s swim was predictably led by South African Olympian Jamie Riddle (RSA), who blasted through the water in a course-record 21:48. However, a long 400-meter run and a slow transition allowed several athletes to overtake him during T1, including Rudy Von Berg (USA), Justus Nieschlag (GER), and Bogen – who was opening his 2026 season.

Onto the challenging 90km bike course, Bogen (GER) immediately asserted himself at the front, helping split the field into a leading group of four that contained Maximilian Sperl (GER), Nathan Guerbeur (FRA), and Michele Bortolamedi, while a second chase pack of four tried to hold the gap to the front and to a much larger third group further back.

Eventually, the second and third groups merged, but despite their numerical advantage, they continued losing time to Bogen and company. The leaders eventually extended their advantage beyond four minutes while all riding under the existing bike course record pace into T2. Meanwhile, top-ranked athletes, including Riddle (RSA) and Von Berg (USA), were left chasing from behind, likely too far to catch the front-runners.

Onto the run, Bortolamedi immediately looked composed and powerful while Bogen moved past Maximilian Sperl (GER) in pursuit. Amid his own chase through the field, the South African Riddle suffered a fall early on the run course and was forced to withdraw.

With around 10km remaining, Bogen finally caught Bortolamedi and attempted to surge clear. The Italian refused to crack, staying glued to Bogen’s shoulder before launching another decisive attack a few miles later. This time, Bortolamedi never looked back, storming to victory by more than 30 seconds, breaking Blummenfelt’s course record in the process.

“I told myself, today I win…my legs were perfect, the brain always believed.” – Michele Bortolamedi

Lasse Priester (GER) nearly ran down Bogen in the closing stages after recording a blistering 1:07:05 run split – a new course-best half marathon. Priester eventually finished just nine seconds shy of second place and later admitted that inexperience may have cost him the race after allowing the lead group too much freedom on the bike.

2026 Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence men’s results:

In the women’s race, Fenella Langridge (GBR) led the swim from start to finish as she continued her return to form following a couple of difficult seasons. Imogen Simmonds (SUI), racing for just the third time since her comeback, exited with a small lead group of five athletes trying to establish an early advantage over defending champion Marjolaine Pierré (FRA) and reigning Ironman world champion Laura Philipp (GER), who trailed by 36 seconds and 1:53, respectively out of the water.

Like the men, many of the women wore extra layers on the bike, including foil tucked beneath tri suits and gloves. Both Simmonds and Philipp later shared that it still wasn’t enough to stay warm. Philipp explained afterward that she was shivering throughout the technical descents, making handling and braking particularly difficult.

Belgium’s Hanne De Vet capitalized on a rapid transition to immediately take control of the bike, quickly distancing a six-woman chase group led by France’s Audrey Merle (FRA) and Pierré. Philipp, meanwhile, was already a further minute behind early in the ride, raising questions about whether her form was fully ready following a recent health scare.

With around 25 miles remaining on the bike, Pierré finally bridged across to De Vet before immediately riding away from the Belgian. By T2, the Frenchwoman held a two-minute advantage over De Vet, 4:30 over Simmonds, and five minutes over Philipp. Simmonds later revealed she had skidded out and taken a tumble on the second descent, costing her valuable time.

That advantage only continued to grow during the run as Pierré soaked up the energy of the home crowd all the way to the finish line. She eventually posted a 1:19 half-marathon to win by nearly four minutes while also lowering her own course record from last season by over three minutes.

Speaking about the upcoming Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice afterward, Pierré exclaimed, “I really wanted to have that slot, the race is just 1km from my bed, so I really needed to be there.”

Simmonds secured second place just ahead of Philipp as both athletes claimed the remaining qualification slots for Nice. De Vet faded late on the run, eventually falling behind Anne-Sophie Pierré (FRA) in the closing stages.

Notably, three other major contenders for Nice qualification – Audrey Merle and Germans, Tanja Neubert and Daniela Kleiser – all withdrew after the bike leg.

The Ironman Pro Series now remains in Europe as it heads next to Ironman Hamburg on June 7 for the women’s race, which is expected to feature both Pierré and Philipp once again. After that, the North American Championship in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania on June 13 will offer three of the final qualification slots for the Nice 70.3 world championships.

2026 Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence women’s results: