Kristian Blummenfelt is untouchable in Texas. The CADEX triathlete made it back-to-back North American Championship titles, crossing the line in 7:21:24 to break his own course record by nearly three minutes.
Powering his CADEX Tri frameset equipped with the CADEX Max Aero Disc rear wheel and Aero 4-Spoke 1K front wheel, Blummenfelt finished the bike leg with the lead pack in his sights. He then delivered a blistering 2:30:47 marathon, the fastest run split of the day. Belgium's Marten Van Riel finished second and fellow Norwegian Casper Stornes rounded out the podium.
CADEX athletes Rudy Von Berg and Gustav Iden added fifth and eighth place finishes respectively, while Bianchi Pro Triathlon Team's Daisy Davies—also racing with a Max Aero Disc rear wheel and Aero 4-Spoke 1K front wheel—claimed a dominant wire-to-wire victory at Ironman South Africa the following day. It was a landmark weekend for CADEX across the sport.
Held in The Woodlands, Texas, the race drew what some called the strongest men's field ever assembled outside of an Ironman World Championship. All the Ironman World Champions of the decade other than Sam Laidlow were present, plus seven of the top nine finishers from last September's Nice edition.
The swim went out fast in a tight pack of around 20 athletes, with Blummenfelt content to sit within the group. He made a calculated stop in transition to put on calf sleeves, which briefly dropped him out of the front group and put him in chase mode for much of the first 100km of the bike.
"I decided to put on the calf sleeves in T1, which maybe cost me a few seconds, and I ended up on the wrong side of the two groups and had to chase for that first 100 km," Blummenfelt told Slowtwitch.com afterward.
He managed to finish within striking distance of the lead pack, setting himself up to make the winning move on the run. Von Berg had tracked the front group throughout the ride as well, while Iden worked his way through the field over the marathon from well back of the leaders to secure eighth.
Geens and Schomburg set the early run tempo before Van Riel took control. Blummenfelt tracked him down methodically, and for 20km the two ran within seconds of each other.
"From there it was probably 20km where I was just chasing Martin, sitting between five and 15 seconds behind him," Blummenfelt told Slowtwitch.com. "I had to give it everything at the end—try to go by him and get that mental advantage from coming from behind and passing him."
He surged clear with 10 kilometers to go and didn't look back. "It was a rough final 11 km, but it tastes really, really sweet to take this win," he said. "Three wins in four weeks, it's been busy!"
"First of all, it means a lot to take the win against this World Championship field," he added. "It always means a lot to win a race. I am definitely not taking it for granted."
With maximum Pro Series points banked and his Texas course record now set under fully fair conditions—no current-assisted swim, no caveats—Blummenfelt remains unbeaten in The Woodlands. With Von Berg and Iden also collecting valuable points, the CADEX team sits in a strong position in the 2026 Ironman Pro Series standings.
Davies Dominates at Ironman South Africa
The weekend's success extended to Nelson Mandela Bay, where Daisy Davies of the Bianchi Pro Triathlon Team delivered a commanding wire-to-wire victory at Ironman South Africa on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Brit led from the first stroke, exiting the water in 55:05 with a 4-minute advantage over the field. She extended that to more than 15 minutes on the bike before closing out the win with a 3:08:11 marathon, crossing the line in a new course record time of 8:46:30. Denmark's Katrine Græsbøll Christensen finished second, more than 11 minutes back, with Germany's Daniela Bleymehl third.
"I knew I would probably be on the front or near the front coming out of the swim, and I would just use that momentum throughout the rest of the race," Davies said after the finish.
