Rico Bogen Wins Again — Triathlete

Once again, Rico Bogen showed why he is one of the strongest cyclists in the sport. After a strong swim set him up perfectly, he rode away from the field, including Hayden Wilde, and never looked back.

Following his breakout T100 performance in San Francisco last year, Bogen (GER) proved once again why this is “his course.” He delivered another master class on the bike, building a lead of nearly five-and-a-half minutes over the likes of Wilde and putting himself out of reach before the run had even begun.

Lasse Nygaard Priester (GER) was the other standout performer of the day. He was the only athlete able to limit the damage to Bogen on the bike, riding solo into T2 before unleashing one of his trademark fast runs. Even after serving a 30-second penalty, he remained in contention for the win until the closing stages. Wilde, meanwhile, was uncharacteristically off the pace on the bike but recovered well on the run to round out the podium.

As the pros boarded the iconic ferry to Alcatraz before making the famous jump into the water for the second race of the T100 season, all eyes were on Wilde and whether he had fully recovered from the illness that affected his preparation.

It was arguably the calmest morning in the Bay for T100 race with what must have been a reduced current to previous years with longer swim times than usual, mixing up the race more than the past editions.

This was the third edition of the T100 race in San Francisco, and each year the swim course seems to get slightly longer. The first men took 17:42 to reach shore, with Morgan Pearson (USA) and Leo Bergere (FRA) emerging from the cold water with a small lead. However, it was a sea lion that stole the attention, swimming directly in front of the athletes as they approached the exit and drawing some of the loudest cheers from spectators.

The lead group of nine athletes exited the water around 30 seconds ahead of the chase group that included Wilde. After a quick transition, Pearson immediately pushed the pace on the bike, opening up a gap of around a minute. But it wasn’t long before Bogen bridged across and quickly established a pace nobody else could match for the remainder of the ride.

As he explained after the race, Bogen committed fully to going all out on the bike leg, knowing that it was his best opportunity to win.

Behind him, his fellow German, Priester, was enjoying a stellar T100 debut. The former short-course specialist had already enjoyed an impressive season, finishing runner-up and third in his previous two Ironman 70.3 appearances this season. He entered T2 just 2:30 behind Bogen but was carrying a costly mistake from transition, having left equipment outside the designated area and earning a 30-second penalty to be served during the run.

Leo Bergere also found himself on the wrong side of the officials, receiving a one-minute “blue card” drafting penalty. It was a frustrating setback for the Frenchman, who was making his return to racing after nearly a year on the sidelines due to injury.

Despite the penalty, Bergere started the run alongside Wilde, but immediately was off the pace, as the fastest runners on the course began to reel him in. Pearson, Jason West (USA), and several others quickly began moving through the field on the flat, fast course beneath the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Up front, however, there was no catching Bogen. The German’s bike lead was too much as he secured his first T100 victory of the season, posting a run split remarkably similar to the one that earned him victory here last year. Priester ultimately finished only a minute behind and, without the penalty, may well have pushed Bogen all the way to the finish line.

Wilde shared after the race he was eager to return to racing to reclaim his usual spot at the top of the podium, but at the same time was gracious in defeat, acknowledging the impressive performances of the two ahead of him.

Next up for Bogen is his first full-distance debut at Challenge Roth, where it won’t get any easier, as he will take on the likes of Sam Laidlow and Kristian Blummenfelt. The T100 series now heads to Vancouver in August before the men’s field returns to the French Riviera in September.

2026 San Francisco T100 men’s results

Saturday, June 6, 2026 | 2K swim, 80K bike, 18K run