T100 Miami champion Magnus Ditlev declared he’s ‘‘fitter and more motivated than he’s been in a long time’’ as he bids to win his second T100 crown in San Francisco this Saturday.

The Dane won the opening race of the T100 World Tour Triathlon in South Florida, finishing ahead of the likes of Olympian Alistair Brownlee but withdrew from the second stage in Singapore after breaking his wrist following a bike crash.

And in a T100 season that has seen him experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, Ditlev revealed the secrets to his motivation as he aims to get back on his bike.  

He said: ‘‘It’s natural in the beginning to be super pissed and bummed and sad about it which I was but then I get the desire and motivation to come back even stronger. I’ve been super motivated and training very well going into the race because I’ve been wanting to go back and prove myself again.

‘‘It’s not been difficult getting back into the swing of things after the setback. It’s almost easier than when you come off a big victory, you find it difficult to get back again because there’s so much stuff going on.

‘‘I went off going from Miami on a high note and then to Singapore for the next race in this series but then I crashed my bike and wasn’t able to race so I went from super high to super low.

‘‘But I think that motivated me to get back to work and work even harder for this one. I’m more motivated and fitter than I’ve been in a long time now and I’m really excited to get to San Francisco.’’

This weekend’s T100 San Francisco triathlon will take place in the iconic Escape from Alcatraz course and marks the third stage of a World Tour scheduled to visit London, Ibiza, Las Vegas and Dubai, with trips to Miami and Singapore already in the rearview.

While injury ended his Singaporean sojourn, Ditlev became the first man to win a race in the T100 World Tour Triathlon when he crossed the finish line in Miami.  

The Dane clocked in at 03.09.08 in South Florida to not only win the race but also to finish ahead of childhood idol and Olympian Alistair Brownlee.

And Ditlev revealed the attitude adjustment needed when competing against someone he spent so many years looking up to.

He admitted: ‘‘I remember some of the first races I did where I started leading and you almost feel like you’re doing something wrong when you overtake Alistair on the bike, something you’re not allowed to do!  

‘‘It was a thing I had to learn, to not put people like that up on a high pedestal and so now I see them as normal competitors when we race and the way the T100 is strucutred, we’re all living in the same hotel.  

‘‘We see each other all the time and it’s a fun atmosphere to be in and you realise that they’re normal human beings that deal with the same things that you do.’’

Considered one of the most talented triathletes of his generation, Ditlev holds the Ironman distance world record time of 7 hours, 24 minutes and 40 seconds.  

Combined with his achievements in the T100 thus far, might there be a risk that the Dane finds himself on a pedestal?

Ditlev confessed: ‘‘I think that’s up to the other guys to judge that! I try to stay humble and with the mindset that anybody can win on any given day. It’s not good for your mentality otherwise.  

‘‘Of course, you have to have self-belief but if you go around and tell yourself that you’re the sh*t because you won the first race of the season, it’s only downhill from there so I try not to put myself too high.

‘‘I just view myself as just another one of the guys on the circuit.’’ 

Watch the world’s best triathletes compete in San Francisco T100 live on Saturday 8 June from 1345 UK on PTO+ or on Eurosport 1 from 10pm CEST.  For more information go to https://t100triathlon.com/san-francisco/pro/