The ONE SP Racing Kona

When Nick Thompson agreed to race on the Factor ONE SP at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Nice, he was so impressed with the way the bike could hold its speed that he decided to take the plunge and use it for his whack at the big daddy of them all, the Ironman World Championships in Kona. And his choice proved sound since he posted the third-best bike split of anyone who finished the event, on his way to taking an impressive 11th overall.

For the event, athletes must complete a gruelling 140.6-mile (226 km) total distance while facing extremely hot and windy conditions. The bike leg is 112 miles (180.2 km), across heat-baked tarmac on the Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway. Though the conditions are brutal, the ride requirements almost couldn’t be more different from what the course in Nice demands. Defined by a long, straight, flatter, and wind-swept road, the bike portion of Kona is more a mental than physical challenge, and a specific challenge for equipment. Things like weight and technical responsiveness take a back seat to full-blown straight-line aerodynamics.

But Nick still chose to ride the ONE SP after his Nice experience. And he wasn’t sorry: “I was so impressed with the ONE SP and how it held speed on a much more flat and straight course in Kona compared to Nice a few weeks ago,” Nick said. “I’m really, really proud of the way I raced.”

The Triple Threat

Even in Factor’s own messaging, the ONE SP is highlighted as being a prime option for triathletes facing hillier, more technical courses. But that is not to preclude the possibility of taking it out on blustery, straight, out-and-back routes like the one found at Kona. Though the total elevation gain is above 1000 meters on the route, it’s rolling elevation primarily, and big-ring climbing. It’s the type of course where riders will typically be willing to use a heavier bike if it offers aero benefits.

But in the case of the ONE SP, Nick Thompson was able to take advantage of the bike’s low relative weight while still enjoying the exceptional aero-efficiency. And considering the 2026 edition of the event was particularly brutal with heavy winds and intense heat, the ONE SP’s ability to provide a sail effect meant that as often as not, Nick was able to take advantage of the lift provided by the wind at certain yaw angles. 

So the ONE SP is not only lightweight and responsive enough to set Strava KOM times on a course like Ironman 70.3 Nice, but it is aero and straight-line fast enough to carry speed through the demanding conditions athletes invariably find in Kona.

Factor ONE SP

As another expression of the ONE platform, the ONE SP is a new speed solution and step in the ongoing process of finding the fastest possible answer for racing against the clock. It’s a remarkable demonstration of the ONE platform’s potential, and a new option for riders whose priority is simple: covering the distance in the shortest possible time.

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