Get to know Parcours triathlete Youri Keulen
Youri Keulen is a new member of the Parcours team for 2024. Keulen finished 6th at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in 2023, and now after a great start to the year in the T100 Miami, where he finished 4th having gained a Wild Card spot to race, he leaps to #12 on the PTO rankings.
We caught up with Youri, to find out more about him, his goals and T100 Miami.
So I’m super excited to join Parcours team. I tested them very well in Miami and I’m absolutely amazed by them. I have experience with a lot of different wheel brands, and I’m not lying, but think Parcours are one of the best wheels I have even ridden in terms of stability. I love the feeling of them, with the bearings and everything, so it’s really exciting for me to start working with a brand like Parcours.
My goals is to become Ironman 70.3 World Champion or get a podium. I was 6th last year and I just came 4th in the T100 Miami so I think I could have a real shot at it, and of course now after Miami a lot has changed, but I’d like obviously to get as high into the PTO T100 Series rankings as much as possible.
On T100 Miami…
I missed out on a T100 contract but I got a Wild Card and I think proved myself (in Miami) that I’m worthy to be in the tour. The race itself was quite difficult, to be honest, because it was very hot and it was quite windy at the same time, so you’d have a tailwind, and you were overheating and then you’d have a headwind as it would switch with the nature of the course. So, it’s was quite hard to get through to the race. But I’m super happy, especially with my swim as I made the first pack and from there on you can go everywhere. You can drop back if you have a bad day but if you have a good day you could ride to the front. I was really happy to come home with the result like that.
I gave everything and I just missed perhaps a little extra push at the end but I think that has something to do with the heat in Miami. I have been there twice before, this was my third time and I know the place well. I’ve been there with my coach too, he was there both years, so I love that place of America. I’m not usually, a big America fan but I really like the place (Miami) itself and it’s given me good feelings. Especially with the preparation we did. We did a lot of prep before, so I came there with some confidence about the whole series.
On the PTO T100 Series…
I’m excited for the T100 series. I think it’s good because it’s created a kind of Formula One event. It really had the Formula One vibe as well, as they’re only 20 athletes contracted and you’re really part of something special. Especially with it being such a unique distance. You never see 100k race anywhere and with only 20 athletes on the start line which is completely different to 60 and 70, it’s quite nice.
I’m racing in Singapore, the next PTO T100 event, and I’m happy the PTO has given me another chance to get myself even higher in the series and stay in the rankings as much as possible this summer.
Strengths and Weaknesses…
This Winter I’ve been working on my swim a lot. I hired a new swim coach and from that moment on, everything we did went quite well, especially considering my last race. Overall just trying to work on getting my level up across the board. I think every year it’s a process of getting better and then making sure that you don’t leave anything untouched. I think my strength is probably the last part of the run race. I’m a good kicker, as they say, and with the last three to four kilometers to go, I can maintain the same pace or even accelerate. My weaknesses have probably been the swim and maybe the middle part in the bike. I always seem to struggle there a bit but we’ve been working a lot on it and I think when Parcours stepped in and provide me with the best equipment and the work I’ve put in over Winter, I have the belief that it won’t be a problem this season.
We are excited to continue supporting Youri and following his season in 2024!