Here’s the lowdown on the biggest names who could swim, bike and run their way onto the podium.

Ironman 70.3 Oceanside

Always an early-season hit out for the cream of North American racing, Oceanside has even bigger prominence this year ahead of May’s Ironman World Championship in St. George.

Date: Saturday 2 April
Location: Oceanside, California
Local start time: 06:40

Men’s Race – Brownlee Is Back!

Top Ranked athletes:

Lionel Sanders (PTO #3)
Ben Kanute (PTO #8)
Rudy Von Berg (PTO #10)

Oceanside has seen many epic battles over the years – including an awesome showdown between Lionel Sanders and Jan Frodeno in 2018 – but one athlete who’s never raced in this stacked-field season opener is double Olympic champ, Alistair Brownlee.

That’s set to change on Saturday though. After his absence in the second half of 2021 following his attempts to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a long recovery from ankle surgery, two-time Olympic Champion Ali Brownlee is back!

All eyes on Oceanside :ocean:@AliBrownleetri looks to lay down some solid performances to qualify for @TheCollinsCup :raised_hands: pic.twitter.com/fnRYxXmTHJ

— PTO (@protriorg) March 31, 2022

Brownlee will face none other than Lionel Sanders, whose race against Frodeno here in 2018 lit a fire within Sanders that still burns strong to this day. Sanders comes into the 2022 season confident having executed strong consistent performance at the end of 2021 under the guidance of new coach Mikal Iden (big brother and coach of Gustav Iden). 

Brownlee and Sanders have met before on three occasions (Challenge Samorin 2017, Kona 2019 and the PTO 2020 Championship) but on all occasions either one or both did not have strong days so have never had the chance to go toe-to-toe with one another. 

Having not seen Brownlee race since his Olympic qualification bid ended in a controversial DQ at WTCS Leeds back in June 2021, it could be reasonable to have a question mark hanging over Brownlee’s form upon return… However, word on the street is that Brownlee is stronger and faster than ever over the middle and long distance!

This would bode well for him in a year where he is also set to go up against Kristian Blummenfelt in the Pho3nix Sub7 Project. While both are aiming to beat the seven-hour mark, they are equally going to be battling to see who can go under seven hours by the biggest margin.

Brownlee and Sanders may be the headline names racing in Oceanside but you should never count out the likes of Ben Kanute, Rudy Von Berg, Jackson Laundry, Sam Appleton, Matt Hanson and so many more world class athletes all on the start list. 

Ben Kanute of course has won Oceanside on the previous two runnings of the race in 2021 and 2019 (the 2020 edition was cancelled due to COVID), beating Rudy Von Berg on one of those occasions in 2019 by just 12 seconds! There will certainly be a score to settle there.

Full start list

Women’s Race – Knibb vs. Ryf Reimagined!

Top-ranked athletes: 

Daniela Ryf (PTO #3)
Taylor Knibb (PTO #5)
Skye Moench (PTO #8)

The last (and so far only) time that Daniela Ryf and Taylor Knibb have raced one another was their match at The Collins Cup where Ryf was self-admittedly not on form and “arguably shouldn’t have raced but didn’t want to let the team down”. Knibb took an ‘easy’ match victory and was disappointed that she didn’t get to race Daniela on her best day. Now is Knibb’s chance to take on a refreshed Ryf, who’s back and stronger than ever with a new mindset to training, racing and life in general.

The women’s start list is equally as stacked as the men’s, meaning that if Ryf or Knibb let slip even just a little, there will be many fierce competitors ready to pounce on them for the win! Skye Moench, Paula Findlay, Holly Lawrence, Heather Jackson, Jackie Hering, Tamara Jewett and Chelsea Sodaro are all names that could be very much in the mix come Saturday. 

Don’t forget to watch out for former short-course athlete Ashleigh Gentle, who’s coming off a big win at Clash Miami. A few more races like that and she’s sure to shoot up the PTO World Rankings and become a shoo-in for the Collins Cup this August.

With such strength in depth, one can only hope that there will be some dramatic racing on show pushing one another to the limit! 

Full start list 

Challenge Salou

For those athletes staying in Europe, this weekend, the big half-distance race is Challenge Salou, which boasts a strong field looking to move up the rankings.

Date: Sunday 3 April
Location: Salou, Spain
Local start time: 08:00

Women’s Race – Haug vs Nordén

Top-ranked Athletes:

Anne Haug (PTO #4)
Lisa Nordén (PTO #16)
Fenella Langridge (PTO #21)

In the women’s race, Challenge Salou will make it two races in two weeks for Anne Haug and after a second-place finish in Lanzarote, behind Kat Matthews who scored an impressive 104.92 points, Haug will be eager to go one better and be standing on top of the podium. 

It will be by no means an easy win for Haug – she will have to overcome the likes of Lisa Nordén who won Challenge Salou in 2021. Nordén has recently been training with Laura Philipp, who just became PTO World #1, so perhaps Nordén will be in equally strong form and be able to make it two-second place finishes for Haug in two weeks.

The long list of other female challengers is topped by Fenella Langridge. The Brit will be taking her brand new Trek Speed Concept out for its first race, having been flaunting the wind tunnel testing she’s been doing on Instagram, so let’s see how slick she is on course! Then there’s Laura Zimmerman, Justine Mathieux, Elisabetta Curridori and India Lee… the list goes on! 

Full start list

Men’s Race – Third Time’s The Charm For Luis?

Top-ranked Athletes:

Kristian Hogenhaug (PTO #11)
Denis Chevrot (PTO #18)
Miki Moerck Taagholt (PTO #30)

Short course superstar Vincent Luis is set to further build his middle-distance resumé with Salou being only his third middle distance race. Luis’s previous middle distances exploits include a second-place finish at 70.3 Indian Wells in 2021 behind Lionel Sanders – an incredible result given that he was knocked off his bike by a car after being sent off course. 

Luis also finished eighth at the PTO 2020 Championship having received a two-minute penalty for drafting on the bike. That made his final gap to winner Gustav Iden, 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Perhaps we’ll get to see that sprint finish later in the season!

Luis will be lining up alongside Miki Moerck Taagholt, Kristian Høgenhaug, Denis Chevrot, Sam Laidlow and Clement Mignon. Like the women’s race there is a long list of other challengers racing in Salou, all hungry to bank a strong result early in the season.

Full start list 

Ironman South Africa

Full distance racing is back! While there have already been a handful of middle distance races for pros to tick off, this is the first opportunity for those full distance specialists to flex – and the chance to walk away with the African Championship title.

Date: Sunday 3 April
Location: Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa
Local start time: 06:30

Men’s Race – Skipper Starts The Season, Chartier Steps Up

Top-ranked Athletes:

Joe Skipper (PTO #7)
Collin Chartier (PTO #29)
Jesper Svensson (PTO #36)

Favouring the full-distance, it’s no surprise that Joe Skipper has journeyed to South Africa to race and is the hands-down favourite to take the win. Justin Metzler teased Skipper during the Collins Cup press conference for only having “one speed” and not being able to match him and Jackson Laundry over the 100km distance… That one speed however is RAPID over the full distance. Finishing off 2021 with a 100 point score at IM Chattanooga, Skipper has been banking consistent miles over the offseason so can expect a strong start from the Brit.

Other notable mentions include Collin Chartier, taking on his first-ever full-distance race. Though they did not race in the same match at the Collins Cup, Skipper’s overall finish time was two minutes faster than Chartier so if it did come down to a sprint to the finish between the two, one might expect Skipper to be able to pull out some speed over the American… 

Home favourites Bradley Weiss and Matt Trautman will certainly be gunning to take the title of first South African across the line and will also be keen to get in the mix at the front of the race. Also, Jesper Svensson will be racing to overwrite his DNF at the race in 2021 and having clocked the fastest swim in 2021, he’ll no doubt be hoping to enter T1 in first and hold on for as long as he can!

Full start list

Women’s Race – Bleymehl Back, But Not Without Challengers

Top-ranked Athletes:

Sarissa De Vries (PTO #22)
Emma Bilham (PTO #33)
Kylie Simpson (PTO #55)

Daniela Bleymehl had a disappointing return to racing in Dubai earlier this year with a DNF, both her first 2022 race but also her first race since returning from maternity leave. Bleymehl has multiple 100+ point scores in her race record prior to maternity leave so it surely is only a matter of time before she’s back on top.

Bleymehl will have the likes of Sarissa De Vries, winner of the World Long Distance Triathlon Championship in 2021, to contend with, as well as Emma Bilham, another strong competitor over the full distance. Kylie Simpson is also expected to be in the mix and with two 80+ point scores and one 34 point score contributing to her ranking of 55th this will surely be a chance to make a big leap in the rankings with a good result. 

Full start list

It is for sure going to be a busy weekend of racing around the world which we cannot wait to keep up with! Make sure you are following the PTO on Instagram to see posts about the winners and podium athletes as well as links to the full results.  

The post Weekend Preview 2-3 April: Oceanside, Salou & South Africa appeared first on PTO.

Back after a COVID-induced break, the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah, has a sensational line-up of top-class competitors all hungry to claim victory after a year without the event. With Gustav Iden and Daniela Ryf on the start line, both 2019 champs have huge targets on their backs.

Here’s who to look out for in St. George this weekend.

Key Info

Date: 18 September
Location: St. George, Utah
Start Time: 13:00 UTC
Prize Money: $350,000 – pays 15 deep $50,000 to $3,000
Course: Lake swim, hilly bike, hilly run

Top-ranked Athletes

Men
Gustav Iden (PTO #3) / Sam Long (PTO #4) / Daniel Baekkegard (PTO #10)

Women
Daniela Ryf (PTO #1) / Lucy Charles-Barclay (PTO #4) / Holly Lawrence (PTO #5)

Men’s Race

2019 70.3 world champ and PTO 2020 Champion Gustav Iden is a strong favourite at the race. He can swim well, bike with the best and then outrun them – as evidenced by his fastest run split at the Collins Cup. If anyone’s going to take Iden down, the Norwegian will make them work for it.

Sam Long came second to Lionel Sanders at 70.3 St. George in May and while this course is a little different, it suits his strong bike-run combo. The question is, will the front of the race be too far out of reach after the swim for him to get to use his strength?

Daniel Baekkegard is a big challenger for the title. Imperious in his match-up at the Collins Cup, where he had the day’s third-fastest time, the Dane has no weaknesses and should be vying for the lead from the gun in St. George. A head-to-head with the Norwegians could provide a real battle to the line.

Tokyo Olympic Champion Kristian Blummenfelt could well be Iden’s biggest rival and following his World Triathlon title, is clearly in scintillating form. The pair have only fought it out at two 70.3 events previously: 70.3 Bahrain in 2019 – where Blummenfelt put Iden into second with the world-record time; and the 2019 world champs in Nice – where Blummenfelt came fourth. St. George’s hilly bike and run could favour Iden, but don’t be surprised to see two Norwegians on the podium.

While Long is ranked higher, Ben Kanute (PTO #11) has the all-round swim, bike and run speed that could see him finish as the best US athlete at the event. He had the fourth-fastest time at the Collins Cup behind Frodeno, Iden and Baekkegard, so is in great form but suffered in St. George in May only coming 26th.

George Goodwin (PTO #13) missed out on Collins Cup selection so will be all-in for 70.3 worlds. After taking third at the PTO 2020 champs in Daytona last December, the Brit showed his class to take the 70.3 European title in June. However, like Kanute, he had a substandard race in St. George this May with a 17th place finish.

Look Out For

All-star swimmer and fifth-fastest finisher at the Collins Cup, Sam Appleton (PTO #15) should be right up there.

The pedigree of nine-time world champ Javier Gomez (PTO #16) is always worth taking notice of.

Florian Angert (PTO #23) is a swim-bike beast and just won Challenge Samorin.

Jackson Laundry (PTO #26) had the fourth-fastest run at the Collins Cup and that form could see him finish strong here too.

Women’s Race

Daniela Ryf bounced back after illness at the Collins Cup to win IM Switzerland on 5 September, but that effort is unlikely to dent her power here. Never too far behind in the swim, the Swiss star is peerless on the bike, creating insurmountable leads on her opponents. Because of that, we’ve not seen her pushed in a run battle but given Ryf’s already got five 70.3 world titles in the bag, it would be foolish to bet against her. She also won 70.3 St. George in May, so we know she races well over this terrain.

As in years past in Kona, Lucy Charles-Barclay could be Ryf’s biggest threat in St. George. Despite being ill at the Collins Cup, the 70.3 European champ put in the second-fastest time of the day. She’s bound to have a lead out the swim and if she can hold Ryf when the pass we’re all expecting happens, it’ll be a great running duel to the finish.

Holly Lawrence came second to Charles-Barclay at the 70.3 Euro champs but that was a week after winning 70.3 Des Moines stateside. A true all-rounder, Lawrence came closest to Ryf at the 2019 worlds on a course that didn’t suit her. Lawrence took sixth at 70.3 St. George in May but expect her to finish higher this weekend.

Emma Pallant-Browne (PTO #7) is a real star on the rise. Now coached by Tim Don, the South Africa-based Brit came third at St. George in May despite some gastro issues before coming second to Lawrence in Des Moines. Her recent form is exceptional with first at 70.3 Boulder, besting Lawrence at Escape From Alcatraz and setting the third-fastest time at the Collins Cup. With an improved swim, this uber-bike-runner could top the podium on Saturday.

She might be way down the PTO rankings, but Taylor Knibb will be up at the top of many people’s lists for a win in St. George. The American, who took mixed relay silver in Tokyo, had the fastest split at the Collins Cup including the swiftest bike leg despite riding a road bike. A faster swimmer than Ryf, we could see Knibb working with Charles-Barclay on the bike then sticking with Ryf on the bike and running away to victory.

Jeanni Metzler (PTO #11) took second behind Ryf at 70.3 St. George in May with a superb run that put her within five minutes of the champ. The hilly course suits her and she races well in the heat, so a podium certainly isn’t out of the question for the South African.

After beating Metzler and Anne Haug at the Collins Cup with the day’s fastest run, Jackie Hering (PTO #15) won’t be flying under the radar this weekend. If she can limit her losses on the swim and hang tough on the bike, Hering is sure to improve on her eighth place from the race in May.

Ellie Salthouse (PTO #16) is another athlete who wouldn’t be out of place on the podium. The Aussie star has five middle-distance wins this season plus a win in her Collins Cup matchup. She’s a 70.3 specialist and a strong all-rounder who’s great in the heat so expect a strong performance.

When she’s on, Paula Findlay (PTO #6) has the talent and speed to crush it. The PTO 2020 Champion has had a strong rather than stunning 2021 but came fourth at 70.3 St. George in May before being sidelined by injury. She wasn’t back to her best for the Collins Cup but if she’s on her game this weekend, the podium beckons.

Look Out For

Despite being more of an iron-distance specialist, Kat Matthews (PTO #9) had the fourth-fastest time at the Collins Cup.

Skye Moench (PTO #10) will be toeing the line in her first 70.3 Worlds as was the top US-finisher at St. George in May with fifth place.

Imogen Simmonds (PTO #20) was second to Ryf at 70.3 Dubai and has the class to finish well here too.

Chelsea Sodaro (PTO #22) is proving herself a super-mom and just keeps getting stronger on her path back to the top after giving birth in March.

Tamara Jewett (PTO #65) recently won Timberman with a 1:14:19 half marathon split – the third-fastest ever in a middle-distance race.

The post Ironman 70.3 World Championship 2021 Preview appeared first on PTO.

Ironman Copenhagen 2021 Race Preview

With a male-only field and two Kona spots on the line, IM Copenhagen has a long list of starters topped by Collins Cup Team Internationals #1 athlete Lionel Sanders.

Date: 22 August
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Start Time: 05:00 UTC
Prize Money: $50,000 – pays 10 deep $15,000 to $1,000
Course: Ocean swim, rolling bike, rolling run

Top-ranked Athletes (Non-IM Frankfurt racers)

Lionel Sanders (PTO #2) / Jesper Svensson (PTO #58) / Yvan Jarrige (PTO #77)

Lionel Sanders is the standout athlete racing in Copenhagen, the Canadian stopping in Denmark on the way to the Collins Cup with the aim of securing his trip to Hawaii. His last attempt to grab a slot at IM Coeur d’Alene was blighted by gastro issues, though he seemed stronger in that department at the Tri Battle Royale. But with championship season getting underway, this is probably his last shot for 2021.

Of the athletes signed up for Copenhagen who didn’t race last weekend at IM Frankfurt, Jesper Svensson is the top ranked. One of the many DNFs at IM Tulsa in May, his last iron-distance result was eighth in Florida in 2019.

Next up is France’s Yvan Jarrige an all-rounder to took third at IM 70.3 Les Sables in July. Also keep a lookout for Britain’s Elliot Smales (PTO #82), who will be looking to go a couple of steps higher than his fourth place at IMUK to clinch a Kona spot.

Of the athletes on the start list who raced in Frankfurt but didn’t get a ticket to Hawaii, Maurice Clavel (PTO #47), David Plese (PTO #70) and Marcus Herbst (PTO #75) are the highest ranked. But whether they’ll be backing up just a week after an iron-distance effort is a long shot.

Ironman 70.3 Timberman

A strong field of women are set to race at Timberman 70.3, which makes a welcome return to the circuit five years since its last running, albeit in a new venue.

Date: 22 August 2021
Location: Laconia, New Hampshire, USA
Time: 10:50 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $25,000 – pays 8 deep $7,500 to $1,000
Course: Lake swim, rolling bike, rolling run

Top-ranked Athletes

Jeanni Metzler (PTO #11) / Heather Jackson (PTO #14) / Linsey Corbin (PTO #29)

Jeanni Metzler tops the list, the South African super-runner getting in a tune-up race before heading to the Collins Cup as a key player on Team Internationals.

Heather Jackson is likely to be the biggest test for Metzler. The US star will be looking to banish the memories of a tough marathon at IM Lake Placid with a strong performance before championship races get underway.

Linsey Corbin will be sharpening her speed here after coming third at IM Coeur d’Alene in June. Expect to see her come through stronger and stronger as the race progresses.

Sarah Piampiano-Lord (PTO #39) came back from maternity leave with a creditable eighth place at 70.3 Boulder a couple of weeks ago. She’s back in action at Timberman this weekend in her bid to return to the top.

Lisa Becharas (PTO #59) is having a solid season so far with three top-10 performances on the US 70.3 circuit. A strong swimmer and biker, Becharas will need a big run to duke it out with the best on two legs at Timberman.

Speaking of the best running legs on the start list, former Canadian track and field star Tamara Jewett (PTO #65) is one to watch. Winner of the 2020 Canadian Pro Championships, Jewett came fifth at 70.3 Boulder with the day’s fastest run split – a fleet-footed 1:16:50. If she continues to improve her swim and bike, she’ll be a real contender – watch this space for Collins Cup 2022!

Finally, three-time Kona winner – and defending Timberman champ from 2016 – Mirinda Carfrae will be making her return to racing seven months after giving birth. We’re unlikely to see her jump right back into a dominant position, but Timberman will be a good tester to see how close she is to her pocket rocket best.

The post Weekend Preview: Ironman Copenhagen & Ironman 70.3 Timberman appeared first on PTO.

For 2021, the men’s and women’s IM Euro champs take place at different races. The men will do battle at IM Frankfurt and the women at the inaugural IM Finland, each race featuring a $75k prize purse and three Kona slots.

As is regular in the fight for IM World Champs qualification, some athletes have their names down for several conflicting event dates, making start lists a little fluid – but here’s who we’re expecting to toe the line at these key Ironman events.

Ironman Finland 2021 Preview

This female pro-only race has a strong field gunning for the Ironman European title. Key players include PTO #20 Imogen Simmonds, PTO #32 Manon Genet and PTO #34 Laura Philipp.

Whoever takes the win will set a course record for this first-time event, which features a one-lap lake swim, two-lap bike with 1100m of climbing and a four-lap rolling mixed-terrain run. Temperatures could be chilly and rain could cool athletes further, which could enhance or diminish performance depending on the athlete.

Date: 14 August
Location: Kuopio-Tahko, Finland
Start Time: 04:30 UTC
Prize Money: $75,000 – pays 10 deep $12,000 to $1,000
Course: Lake swim, rolling bike, rolling run

Top-ranked Athletes

Imogen Simmonds (PTO #20) / Manon Genet (PTO #32) / Laura Philipp (PTO #34)

Imogen Simmonds is an all-rounder who can really put the hammer down and is likely to out-swim Lauran Philipp – probably her biggest rival here – to take an early lead. Second only to Kona champions Daniela Ryf at 70.3 Dubai and Anne Haug at Challenge St Polten, the Swiss athlete is in great form this year and, like Philipp, is still looking for Kona qualification.

Laura Philipp was fourth in Hawaii in 2019 and third at the PTO 2020 Championships in Daytona last December but hasn’t raced since due to Covid and a hip injury – hence her lower ranking. She’s made the most of the situation with extra pool time to improve her swimming and combining that with her exceptional bike and run speed will make her even more of a threat for the win in Finland.

France’s Manon Genet has refocused on her training and recovery following her DNF at Ironman Lanzarote in July but expect her to put it all out there in Finland to get her ticket to Hawaii. She’ll likely be chasing out the water but could find herself in good company with the other strong bikers. From there, her power on two wheels and two legs should keep her in contention.

Jocelyn McCauley (PTO #41) raced 70.3 Boulder just last weekend, her first event back after maternity leave. Ninth there was a disappointment for the American so just a week on she’s battling jet lag in Finland to go double the distance. In 2019, McCauley came tantalisingly close to beating PTO #1 Daniela Ryf at Ironman Texas – just two minutes down but nearly 20 minutes ahead of the rest of the field. Once she can recapture that form, she’ll be rising back up the rankings.

Svenja Thoes (PTO #44) is the final top-50 ranked athlete on the start list. The German came second at 70.3 Andorra in early July and is likely to be one of the powerful bikers getting out the water with time to make up.

Renee Kiley (PTO #57) has already raced three Ironmans this year but has just missed out on qualification. Like Philipp and Genet, she’ll won’t be up front after the swim, but her mega bike power could see her drive to the head of the race after that to put herself in podium contention.

Also look out for 2019 World Triathlon Long Course Champion Alexandra Tondeur (PTO #63), who came third at Alpe D’Huez Long Course and fifth at 70.3 Switzerland – if three straight weekends of racing don’t catch up with her!

If she races, Joanna Ryter (PTO #64) is also one to watch on the run after her race-best split at IM Lake Placid – 13-minutes faster than any other competitor – earned her third there.

Ironman Frankfurt 2021 Preview

The male-only companion to the women’s European champs in Finland, Ironman Frankfurt is one of the few chances left to gain a start in Kona this year. As such, there’s a long list of quality athletes, which should make for some close racing in Germany.

Established on the circuit since 2002, Frankfurt features a two-loop swim with a short Australian exit between each before a two-lap bike course with over 1900m of climbing and a flat, four-lap marathon. With temperatures set to near 30°C, heat could play a factor in the outcome here as in previous years.

Date: 15 August
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Start Time: 04:25 UTC
Prize Money: $75,000 – pays 10 deep $12,000 to $1,000
Course: Lake swim, rolling bike, flat run

Top-Ranked Athletes

Andi Boecherer (PTO #34) / Pieter Heemeryck (PTO #37) / Cam Wurf (PTO #38)

The highest place starter on the PTO World Rankings, Andi Boecherer is already Kona-qualified. However, the German will be looking to take the win here having previously come second twice back in 2016 and 2017. In fine form this season, Boecherer took the win at IM Lanzarote in July. His bike is his weapon, but he’s a strong athlete across the board with a rating of 90%.

Of the athletes seeking a Kona ticket, Pieter Heemeryck is the highest ranked. The German has struggled this year with back problems which led to a 26th-place finish for his Ironman debut in Lanzarote but with things looking up, he could contend for the podium here thanks to great all-round swim-bike-run strength.

Also aiming to get in the top three and book flights to the Big Island, Tom Davis (PTO #40) needs a break from his bad luck in 2021 to show his true potential. A great swimmer, he could lead Heemeryck and Maurice Clavel out the water and stay up there on the bike. Then it’ll be down to how his legs hold up on the marathon – only his second ever at the end of an iron-distance race.

Maurice Clavel (PTO #47) has been targeting a home-soil win in Frankfurt, putting in a preparation block in the mountains of St. Moritz. The German showed good form with third at Challenge St Polten in May and is another strong swimmer who could form part of that bike front pack and duke it out for the podium.

Rather than qualification, Cam Wurf will be looking for more race experience this year after focusing on cycling with the Ineos Grenadiers. He struggled on the run to a fifth-place finish at the PTO-supported 140.6INN International Triathlon in May but managed third at 70.3 Andorra in July. If he’s back to his 2019 form, when he won IM Italy in 7:44, he could take victory here.

As a championship race, many of the names on the start list could factor in the standings at Frankfurt. Athletes to watch include David McNamee – a two-time Kona podium getter – will need a big performance to get back to the Big Island after struggling with burnout earlier this year and Sweden’s Patrik Nilsson who came second here to Jan Frodeno in 2018.

Also keep an eye on rookie Casper Stornes, the Norwegian teammate of Olympic Champion Kristian Blummenfelt and PTO 2020 Champion Gustav Iden. As part of Norway’s formidable short-course squad, there’s no telling what sort of a performance Stornes could pull out in his bid to join Blummenfelt, who’s already been gifted a world champs slot, in Kona.

The post Weekend Preview 14-15 August 2021 appeared first on PTO.

With the cut-off for Collins Cup qualification on 9 August and teams announced just a few days later, this weekend’s trio of races is the last chance for athletes to secure points to bump themselves up the leader boards – or put in such a big performance that the Collins Cup captains will have to take notice.

There are quality fields at 70.3 Boulder and 70.3 Switzerland with 70.3 Gdynia providing a proving ground for fresher names – but where will the biggest points be made for a last-minute surge up the rankings? Read on for the lowdown on the PTO-ranked athletes who will be fighting it out at this pivotal moment in Collins Cup selection.

Ironman 70.3 Boulder 2021 Preview

The 70.3 Boulder start list is stacked and fittingly for one of pro triathlon’s favourite training location, a global field has turned out.

The women’s race features six athletes from the PTO World Top 20 rankings including Team US #1 Skye Moench, Team Europe #4 Holly Lawrence and Team Internationals #4 Jeanni Metzler, who are all currently in the automatic qualification zone.

On the men’s side, US #1 Sam Long will take on Internationals #3 Sam Appleton and Internationals #5 Tyler Butterfield.

Date: 7 August 2021
Location: Boulder, Colorado 
Time: 13:05 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $50,000 – pays 8 deep $7,500 to $1,000
Course: Reservoir swim, hilly bike, hilly run

Top-Ranked Athletes

Women

Holly Lawrence (PTO World #5 / Europe #4) / Skye Moench (PTO World #9 / US #1) / Jocelyn McCauley (PTO World #10)

Men

Sam Long (PTO World #5 / US #1) / Sam Appleton (PTO World #18 / Internationals #3) / Tyler Butterfield (PTO World #27 / Internationals #5)

Women’s Race

Team Europe #4 Holly Lawrence has had a couple of great results this year that have indicated a return to the form that saw her so dominant in 2019. In Des Moines, she topped the podium, beating challengers racing here including Emma Pallant-Browne and Jeanni Metzler. Meanwhile at the 70.3 European champs just a week later, Lawrence came second only to Collins Cup teammate Lucy Charles-Barclay.

Skye Moench is certainly deserving Team US #1 status thanks to her win at 70.3 Texas, fifth at 70.3 St. George and third at IM Tulsa this year. Moench’s place at the Collins Cup is almost assured but if she can defend her title here from 2019 to beat Lawrence and Jeanni Metzler, it could land a psychological blow to Team Europe and Team Internationals rivals ahead of Samorin.

In Jocelyn McCauley (PTO World #10) and Chelsea Sodaro (PTO World #11), we have a pair of proven performers taking on their first big races after coming back from maternity leave. In fact, depending how the points play out, they could slot into spots two and three for Team US and earn automatic qualification just by completing the race.

With Internationals #2 Paula Findlay recovering from a stress fracture and out of the race, Jeanni Metzler (PTO World #12 / Internationals #4) will be flying the flag for Team Internationals. With outstanding runs at 70.3 Texas and St. George, Metzler announced herself as one of middle-distance triathlon’s very best and a serious talent for the Collins Cup.

One athlete who will be a little less scared of Metzler’s run than most will be Emma Pallant-Browne (PTO World #13). The Brit has come extremely close to matching the South African this season and outran her (and the rest of the field) at 70.3 Des Moines, where she took second to Lawrence.

There are plenty of other strong names on the start list who could threaten the podium including Team US #6, 7 and 8 Alissa Doehla, Meredith Kessler and Lesley Smith.

Rising long-course star Pamella Oliveira (PTO World #44) will certainly be vying for the lead after the swim with Lauren Brandon (PTO World #69 / US #10) but don’t count out World Triathlon racer and recent Olympian Taylor Knibb from having an impact in her first 70.3 race.

Men’s Race

In the men’s race, the field isn’t quite so deep but it’s still an international affair as Sam Long looks to safeguard his Team US #1 spot and see off the rest of the competition to show the USA should be feared at the Collins Cup. That will likely include coming through like a freight train on the bike before a powerful run.

Sam Appleton is a quality athlete we’re yet to see the best of in 2021. The Aussie is still as Internationals #3 thanks to his sixth place at the PTO 2020 champs in Daytona last December. However, the rest of the Internationals top-10 are within five points of taking his spot, meaning he’ll need to score well here to stay in the auto qualification zone.

One athlete who’ll be hoping to get across the line ahead of Appleton will be Tyler Butterfield. As Internationals #5 and one point behind the tallies of Appleton and Max Neumann (Internationals #4), it could all make all the difference in making it to Samorin at the end of the month.

Also keep an eye out for the evergreen Andy Potts (PTO World #45 / US #8) and Justin Metzler (PTO World #58 / US #10) the latter of whom will still be buzzing from his second place at Ironman Coeur d’Alene.

Ironman 70.3 Switzerland 2021 Preview

Ironman 70.3 Switzerland is another race with a strong field this weekend. The women’s race is highlighted by PTO World #1 and Europe #1 Daniela Ryf, who’s odds-on for another domination here. If she wins, it’ll be her seventh consecutive victory at the event.

Meanwhile, there’s a Collins Cup flavour in the men’s top three with the USA’s Rudy Von Berg, Australia’s Max Neumann and Belgium’s Bart Aernouts.

Date: 8 August 2021
Location: Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland
Time: 05:55 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $30,000 – pays 8 deep $4,000 to $750
Course: Lake swim, hilly bike, rolling run

Top-Ranked Athletes

Men

Rudy Von Berg (PTO World #9 / US #2) / Max Neumann (PTO World #20 / Internationals #4) / Bart Aernouts (PTO World #21 / Europe #9)

Women

Daniela Ryf (PTO World #1 / Europe #1) / Anne Reischmann (PTO World #75) / Alexandra Tondeur (PTO World #99)

Men’s Race

Rudy Von Berg is unlikely to be unseated from his automatic qualification slot for the Collins Cup, but this superb all-rounder will be doing everything he can to take the win, score big points and get back to the top of the Team US rankings.

Having only raced Down Under in 2021, IM Asia-Pacific champ Max Neumann is something of a wildcard. In Swizerland we’ll get to see if the Aussie excels against European competition as he has done in Australia. There’s added spice for Neumann this weekend as Tyler Butterfield is racing in Boulder and is just a point shy of taking his automatic Collins Cup qualification spot.

Bart Aernouts is another quality athlete who’s had great results this year with the win at 70.3 Florida, fifth at IM Tulsa and third at Challenge Walchsee. Given the strength in depth of Team Europe, he’s quite a way from automatic qualification, but a win here against Von Berg and Neumann would make a strong case for a captain’s pick.

Andi Boecherer (PTO World #36) is the final top-50 athlete on the start. The German recently won IM Lanzarote and has two fifth place finishes at middle-distance Challenge events in Gran Canaria and Riccione.

Women’s Race

In the women’s race, Daniela Ryf  is the big draw here, the Swiss athlete taking the opportunity to race on home soil ahead of the Collins Cup. Ryf is unbeaten so far in 2021 and there’s no reason to believe that streak will end in Rapperswil-Jona this weekend.

The nearest athlete to Ryf in the rankings is Germany’s Anne Reischmann, who recently won 70.3 Les Sables with the day’s best bike and run splits.

Alexandra Tondeur could be Reischmann’s biggest competition for the second slot of the podium, having just come third at Alpe D’Huez Long Course – though bouncing back a week after a race of such toughness could be a big ask.

Another athlete who could be in with a shot at the podium is Germany’s Kristin Liepold. Always a solid racer, mixing it in the top 10 at big races, Liepold also holds the fastest ever Ironman marathon time of 2:41:57 at Ironman UK back in 2011.

Ironman 70.3 Gdynia 2021 Preview

Ironman 70.3 Gdynia in Poland another opportunity to gain Collins Cup qualification points this weekend and while the fields aren’t as strong as in Boulder or Switzerland, there are still some notable names lining up.

Date: 8 August 2021
Location: Gdynia, Poland
Time: 04:00 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $15,000 – pays 5 deep $2,500 to $500
Course: Bay swim, rolling bike, rolling run

Top-Ranked Athletes

Men

Andreas Dreitz (PTO World #23) / Paul Ruttmann (PTO World #72) / James Teagle (PTO #85)

Women

Lucy Hall (PTO World #39) / Maja Stage Nielsen (PTO World #60) / Katrien Verstuyft (PTO World #125)

Men’s Race

Top seed in the men’s race is Andreas Dreitz whose best 70.3 result so far this year has been third in Florida but the German also scored fifth in Texas and sixth in St. George against quality opposition. He’s likely to be down after the swim, but this uber-biker could bring things back before the run.

While Dreitz is the only athlete in the PTO top 50 on the start line, James Teagle is a rising star to watch. The former short-course European Cup racer is having a great season with wins at Challenge Gdansk, with the race-best 1:12:59 run split, and the PTO-supported Outlaw Holkham Half, again with the day’s best run. Teagle is also a front-pack swimmer and a strong rider, so expect to see him going for the win this weekend.

Paul Ruttmann is another name to keep an eye on having come eighth in the championship-quality field at 70.3 St. George in May. The Austrian beat plenty of top athletes on the day including PTO World #11 Matt Hanson, and PTO World #16 George Goodwin. That was thanks to him making up serious time on the bike and run after coming out the water in 44th place – expect a similar come-from-behind scenario here.

Women’s Race

In the women’s race, Lucy Hall is the top-ranked athlete. With a swimming pedigree that includes leading out the 2012 Olympic Games, Hall always puts herself in contention once out the water. The Brit is also great on two wheels and her run – which has always been her most challenging discipline – is continuing to improve. Hall was second at Challenge Gdansk and this return to Poland could see her claim her first long-course gold.

Hall’s biggest opposition is likely to be Maja Stage Nielsen. The Dane came third at Challenge St Polten and followed that with fourth at the 70.3 European champs in Elsinore. Stage Nielsen’s weapon is her run, so if she’s in shouting distance after the bike, she could top the podium here.

Katrien Verstuyft is the third-ranked athlete here. She didn’t race in 2020 but had solid results in 2019 – when she was never outside the top 10 – and came sixth in the recent IM 70.3 Les Sables D’Olonne.

The post Weekend Preview 7-8 August 2021 appeared first on PTO.

With 19 teams of four athletes doing battle for their countries at a blistering pace, the Mixed Relay is one of the most exciting and dynamic events of the entire Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

After years of campaigning by World Triathlon, the Mixed Relay’s inclusion this year brings this frenetic racing to a global audience and adds an extra level of team tactics around the Games as athletes are selected from qualifiers for the individual races.

How It Works

Each Mixed Relay team is made up of two women and two men with nations qualifying either through earning at least that number of athlete spots for the individual races, through the Mixed Relay rankings or by performing at a Mixed Relay Qualification Event.

The final selections for each team won’t be confirmed until two hours before the race – and there’s always the chance that some athletes might be ill or injured following the individual races, giving nations the opportunity to sub-in reserves.

Each athlete completes a super-sprint triathlon of 300m swim, 6.8km bike and 2km run in woman-man-woman-man order, tagging their next teammate in at the end of the run. The first team’s final ‘anchor’ athlete to cross the finish line will take the Gold.

There will be 19 teams on the start line – here are the countries to look out for along with their start numbers.

Team France – #1

Hot favourites for the first-ever Mixed Relay win, France were Mixed Relay World Champions in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020. They were also victorious in the 2019 Olympic test event.

There’s good reason for the country’s superiority in recent years. With Cassandre Beaugrand, Leonie Periault, (fifth in the individual race) and a choice from the men of Vincent Luis, Dorian Coninx or Léo Bergere, there’s incredible strength in depth for this distance. Luis is a two-time Super League Triathlon Championship winner, proving his mettle when it comes to short, sharp racing. He’ll also be desperate to lead France to the medals after underperforming in the individual race where he took 13th place.

Australia – #2

Team Australia came out on top against the USA in the 2017 Mixed Relay World Championships and took second and third in 2018 and 2019 respectively. They also took Gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 – the format’s first major games inclusion.

As the only nation to qualify three men and women for the Olympics, the Australians have plenty of choices when it comes to their team. Given his calibre, Jake Birtwhistle underperformed in the men’s individual race with 16th place, so will be going all out here – likely alongside Matt Hauser who cut his teeth at Super League Triathlon – but Aaron Royale is also a potential pick. On the women’s side, Emma Jeffcoat was the country’s highest individual-race finisher in 26th place while Ashleigh Gentle and Jaz Hedgeland – quality athletes with plenty of mixed relay experience – were both lapped out of the individual.

Were these athletes all saving themselves for a potential Gold in the Mixed Relay? The team has the strength to battle it out right to the line in the chase for a medal.

Team USA – #3

Team USA took the Mixed Relay World Championship in 2016 and more recently came third in the 2019 test event and took second behind France at the 2020 world champs.

Traditionally weaker on the men’s side, Morgan Pearson’s rise to one of the sport’s best runners and Kevin McDowell’s strong sixth-place finish in the men’s race, the extra year from the Games’ postponement will certainly play into the Americans’ favour.

Katie Zaferes’ scintillating Bronze performance in the individual race – and her previous two Super League Triathlon Championship wins – makes her a must pick while the USA can also choose from Summer Rappaport or Taylor Knibb, each of whom could help the Stars and Stripes earn a podium place in Tokyo.

Team Great Britain – #4

Despite Great Britain’s dominance on the World Triathlon scene, the Brits haven’t won a Mixed Relay World Championship title since 2014. However, the team only just lost out to France in a photo finish at the Olympic Test Event in 2019 while this year has seen them become European Relay Champions so there’s certainly medal potential.

Add to that the jubilation in the British camp from Alex Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown’s Silver medals in the individual races and hopes will be high for more success. Jonny Brownlee will be all-in to earn a medal at his third consecutive Olympics while Jess Learmonth’s stellar swimming makes her a strong tactical pick, though the team could also opt for Rio Bronze medallist Vicky Holland.

All that makes Great Britain the biggest rival for France and potentially the stronger of the two nations.

Team New Zealand – #5

Riding high on men’s Bronze medallist Hayden Wilde’s spectacular performance, Team New Zealand – ranked fourth in the world at the Mixed Relay – could cause an upset. Wilde is joined by the ever-solid Tayler Reid, Ainsley Thorpe and Nicole Van Der Kaay – all part of the country’s winning squad for the 2019 Edmonton leg of the Mixed Relay Series.

While outside of Wilde they’ve not got the individual firepower boasted by other nations, they’re still in with a shot if the race goes their way.

Team Belgium – #8

Belgian speedmeister Jelle Geens missed out on the individual race due to a last-minute Covid-positive. However, he’ll be in Tokyo for the Mixed Relay and along with Marten van Riel – fourth in the men’s race – the country has a pair of super-sprint weapons. Meanwhile, the women’s pairing of Claire Michel and Valerie Barthelemy – 10th in the individual – are both strong athletes in their own right.

The team won the Mixed Relay qualification event in Lisbon in May and with this class of athletes, Belgium could be an outside chance for the podium.

The post Tokyo 2020 Olympic Mixed Relay Triathlon Preview appeared first on PTO.

If you follow the world of short-course triathlon and know your Taylor Knibb from your Tayler Reid and your Jo Brown from your Jonny Brownlee, the Tokyo Tri Fantasy Game is the perfect way to channel your excitement for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic triathlon races. Use your budget to pick your team then see how they perform and find out how you fare in the global rankings.

How It Works

All you need to do is choose a team of the top five male and female triathletes who you think will race the best in the individual Olympic triathlons. But before you go to town picking all the favourites, there’s a catch – you’ve got a limited imaginary budget of ¥350 to play with.

This is your virtual seed money to spend on your team and each athlete costs a different amount based on their World Triathlon Ranking points going into the Games. So, the top-ranked male and female athletes at the Games – Spain’s Mario Mola and the USA’s Summer Rappaport – will set you back ¥55 and ¥49 respectively. Meanwhile, you can pick up some less well-known athletes from just ¥7.

As it’s based on the current rankings, there are some bargains to be had. A big favourite from our Tokyo women’s race preview, Bermuda’s Flora Duffy, comes in at the tempting price of ¥34 while WTCS Leeds winner Maya Kingma of the Netherlands is only ¥28.

It’s a similar story on the men’s side with some stars from our Tokyo men’s race preview available for a budget-friendly outlay. Britain’s Alex Yee, the men’s winner in Leeds and the sport’s fastest runner is a reasonable ¥33 while nine-time world champ and Olympic Silver medallist from London, Javier Gomez of Spain can be yours for ¥26.

Scoring

Once you’ve picked your international squad of super athletes, all that there’s left to do is enjoy the edge-of-your-seat racing on offer in the men’s and women’s individual races – which take place on Monday 26 July 2021 06:30am and Tuesday 27 July 2021 06:30am (Tokyo time).

The new male and female Olympic Champions will each earn 1500 points. For every place after that, the points haul decreases by 7.5%, so you’ll get 1387.5 points for Silver and 1283.44 points for Bronze – right down to 22.27 points for 55th place. And of course, if your athlete doesn’t make it to the finish, there will be no points to claim.

The more points you have after both races, the higher you’ll appear on our global rankings where you’ll be able to compare how you’ve done against other triathlon superfans.

So, put on your triathlon pundit’s hat, make your predictions and get ready to hold bragging rights over your friends – or be the butt of a chorus of ‘I told you so,’ if you’re completely off base!

Don’t forget to check out our guide to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic triathlons as well as our men’s race preview and women’s race preview to help you make your selections.

Make your selections now for the Tri Fantasy Game!

The post Tokyo 2020 Tri Fantasy Game appeared first on PTO.

Five years since the last Games could be one too many for some of the favourites who were banking on a race in 2020, while new names have thrived and come to the fore ahead of the big day in Tokyo. Add in the effects of Covid on athletes’ training, limited racing opportunities and the high heat-humidity combination and it’s hard to know who’s going to arrive in Tokyo in the most scintillating form.

Read on for how the race might play out and the key athletes to watch. Don’t forget to check out our guide to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games triathlons, our men’s race preview and make your own picks in our Tri Fantasy Game.

Race Dynamics

The non-wetsuit two-lap 1500m swim, flat and corner-filled 40km bike course and flat 10km run make the Olympic course much the same as many World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) races. That means we’re likely to see a group of strong swim-bikers hoping to employ tactics already proven on the race circuit – create a breakaway that gains time on the chasers and hold off swifter runners to the finish. That approach could be even stronger here with fewer athletes from the strongest nations on the start list, meaning fewer feet to follow in the swim and a more broken up group.

However, with Olympic medals on the line, there will be a bigger incentive than ever for the chasers to ride hard and make the catch. There’s also plenty of firepower from the second-pack swimmers to do just that. If the breakaway doesn’t succeed, it’ll be a fascinating run with a savage pace from the first step out of T2.

Here’s who to look out for in this year’s women’s Olympic battle – along with their start numbers.

Maya Kingma – Netherlands – #1

Maya Kingma has been a revelation this year, using the swim and bike prowess we already knew she had to get away from the rest of the field and create a buffer before T2. The difference has been in her run, which has come on significantly, helping her earn third place in WTCS Yokohama and first at WTCS Leeds this year to lead the World Triathlon rankings. With plenty of confidence from those performances, if the same game plan comes to fruition in Tokyo, the Dutchwoman could certainly come away with a medal and maybe even Gold.

Katie Zaferes – USA – #14

Going into 2020 as the reigning World Triathlon Champion, Katie Zaferes was the athlete to beat and was the top pick for Gold in Tokyo. A year later and there was even a question around whether the American would make the team. With 23 WTCS podiums and six wins, Zaferes has been one of the sport’s most consistent top-level performers over the last few seasons. After tragically and suddenly losing her father earlier this year, the American has been a shadow of her former self, her best result being 18th place at WTCS Leeds. As one of coach Joel Filliol’s athletes, the saving grace could be that none of the squad – Olympic contenders all – have shown their best so far in 2021 and if Zaferes gives us that, she’ll be on the podium.

Nicola Spirig – Switzerland – #26

With a Gold medal from London and Silver from Rio, everyone will see 39-year-old Nicola Spirig as a serious threat in her fifth Olympic Games. She’s not raced the WTCS this season but has a pair of middle-distance wins from Challenge Gran Canaria and Challenge Walchsee as well as a World Triathlon Cup win in Lisbon, so her form is right where she wants it to be. If she misses the front pack in the swim, expect her to be the key driver on the bike to bridge up to the leaders before unleashing a frightening run backed by her unmatched race experience to claim a third Olympic medal.

Flora Duffy – Bermuda – #29

Flora Duffy will be the favourite for many going into the race. World Triathlon Champion in 2016 and 2017 and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist in 2018, injury side-lined the Bermudian for a while but she’s now back to her best and looking seriously dangerous. A top-class swimmer with the capacity to come out the water with the best, she’s also one of the strongest bikers in the field. Whether or not she gives herself the advantage of a successful breakaway on the bike, Duffy’s an incredible runner who’s the match of anyone else on the start list – proven with her race-best run split at WTCS Leeds. That means this all-rounder has more cards to play than most in her bid for Gold.

Cassandre Beaugrand – France – #30

A future world champion in the making, Cassandre Beaugrand is a great swimmer and one of the sport’s swiftest runners. If she can hang tough on the bike and come out of T2 with the leaders, that running class could keep her in the hunt for a medal. The 24-year-old is still on her way to cracking consistency at the Olympic distance, but showed great 10k form at WTCS Leeds, where she was only outrun by Flora Duffy and uber-runner Beth Potter. Beaugrand’s main focus is likely to be the Mixed Relay event so without the pressure to perform in the individual race, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see her end the day on the podium.

Vicky Holland – Great Britain – #32

Along with Spirig, Vicky Holland is the only returning Olympic medallist in this year’s race – bronze from Rio. The 2018 World Triathlon Champion has described the Tokyo race as a ‘free hit’ with no pressure, a mindset that could see her coming away with another Olympic medal. Her only World Triathlon result this year has been fifth at a World Triathlon Cup in Lisbon, but having been selected back in 2019, her entire life has been set on peaking for Tokyo. If a good swim and bike can deliver her to T2 near the front, Holland’s running strength could yield more Olympic success.

Jess Learmonth – Great Britain – #33

Once known only as a swimmer, Learmonth has proven herself as a force to be reckoned with across all three disciplines, taking Commonwealth Silver in 2018 and nine WTCS podiums including second in Leeds in June. Able to best anyone else in the water, Learmonth has ushered in a reign of breakaway superiority. In Tokyo, she’s bound to try the same aggressive tactic and if the likes of Flora Duffy, Maya Kingma and Georgia Taylor-Brown are with her, it’s hard not to imagine some if not all the medals coming from that group.

Georgia Taylor-Brown – Great Britain – #34

Completing Britain’s trio of medal contenders, Georgia Taylor-Brown is an all-rounder with amazing consistency having taken seven WTCS podiums and two wins from 15 starts. The 2020 World Triathlon Champion also took series silver in 2018 and 2019, showing her true class. She crossed the line first alongside Learmonth in the Tokyo test event – an action that saw both DQ’d – but has proven herself in the heat on the course. Taylor-Brown’s powerful run will frighten many of the field and if she begins the footrace in a leading position from a breakaway, a medal is on the cards.

Tri Fantasy Game

To celebrate the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games triathlons, we’ve expanded our Tri Fantasy Game to get you even more invested in the outcome! Purely in the name of fun, you can put on your triathlon pundit’s hat and make your predictions for the Games to earn bragging rights with your friends.

Start by selecting a team of your top five men and women. You’ve got an imaginary budget of ¥350 to play with and different athletes warrant higher values. Once your 10 athletes are in your squad, it’s time to sit back and see how they do! The winner of each individual race will get 1500 points with points decreasing by 7.5% for every position after that. The more points you end up with, the higher your ranking will be.

To play, head to Fantasy Game Now

The post Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Women’s Triathlon Preview appeared first on PTO.

Due to Covid, we’ve not seen athletes race as much as normal before an Olympics, so the form book gives an incomplete picture ahead of the race. Add in different restrictions around the world, athletes stretching their Olympic cycles for an extra year and the heat expected in Tokyo and it’s one of the most open Olympic races we’ve ever seen.

Race Dynamics

With a non-wetsuit 1500m swim, flat but technical 40km bike course and flat 10km run, the men’s race dynamics could follow most similar short-course World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) events. That’s usually a fast swim with a doomed breakaway on the bike which is caught to create a big group with a footrace to decide the medals. 

Deviation from that recipe here could come down to the depth of the 55-strong field. Here we have limited numbers for each country and some athletes who are likely to be under orders to act as domestiques or go easy ahead of the Mixed Relay. That could lead to things getting more stretched out than usual in the swim which could favour a breakaway. If a small, strong working group can get out of sight on the bike, we could be in for a thrilling cat-and-mouse as the fastest runners begin their hunt from T2.

Here is a selection of athletes to look out for on the day – along with their start numbers.

Hayden Wilde – New Zealand – #2

Hayden ‘The Falcon’ Wilde made use of his extra year of Olympic training by winning the NZ 5km National Championships in 2020 and 2021. Taking the latter in a scorching time of 13:43.53, he then surpassed that mark in February this year – going 13:29.47 on the track that puts him in contention with Alex Yee as the sport’s fastest runner. Wilde was third at the Olympic Test Event in 2019 – so has proven his talents against a strong field and the Tokyo heat – and raced aggressively at WCTS Leeds, where he faded to fifth. If he makes the front pack in the swim – or uses his bike strength to bridge up – he’s certainly a medal contender.

Vincent Luis – France – #7

2019 and 2020 World Triathlon Champion and two-time Super League champ, Vincent Luis is a stellar all-rounder with the winner’s mindset to boot. There’s no denying the Frenchman’s class or speed – he’s beaten every athlete in the Olympic field on multiple occasions and went into 2020 as the overwhelming favourite for Gold at the Games. Things have changed a little since then – at least outwardly. The only WTCS event we’ve seen him at this year was in Yokohama, where he finished a sub-par sixth, giving other athletes the hope that he’s human and beatable in Japan.

Tyler Mislawchuk – Canada – #15

Perhaps a little less well known than some of the other athletes on this list, Canada’s Mislawchuk earns a place here thanks to his spectacular performance in the 2019 Olympic Test Event where he beat Norway’s Casper Stornes and New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde to the top spot. A consistent and proven performer in the heat, 2021 has seen Mislawchuk chasing the sun with a World Cup win in Huatulco, Mexico, and another victory at the Americas Triathlon Cup in Long Beach, California on 18 July. All that makes him a worthy athlete all the others will have on their watchlist.

Javier Gomez – Spain – #21

One of three previous Olympic medallists in the men’s field, opponents will be writing off 38-year-old Javier Gomez at their peril. A nine-time world champion across a variety of disciplines and distances, the Spaniard is a class performer through and through. Gomez knows how to perform on the big days and with the weight of expectation much lower than his Olympic turns in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, where he took silver, he’s got nothing to lose in Tokyo.

Mario Mola – Spain – #22

World Champion in 2016, 2017 and 2018, Mario Mola has 16 World Triathlon series wins and 34 podiums to his name. While his run is his weapon, his main goal in Tokyo will be to have a strong swim and bike so he’s in a position to use it. Like Luis, Mola is one of Joel Filliol’s athletes, who, presumably by design, have yet to peak in 2021 with any top-level wins. If he’s up there at the start of the run, his experience and talent could certainly net him a medal.

Kristian Blummenfelt – Norway – #43

If Olympic Gold was awarded on pure guts and determination, it would undoubtedly go to Kristian Blummenfelt. Always racing full gas from gun to tape, Blummenfelt goes hard and doesn’t look back. Despite not usually being able to keep pace with the field’s fastest swimmers, the Norwegian 70.3 world record holder’s aggression on the bike and run means he regularly features in the mix. Winner of the WTCS event in Yokohama in May, Blummenfelt has shown great form this year. Let’s not forget the strength that comes from sharing the start line with fellow countrymen PTO World #XX and PTO 2020 Championship winner Gustav Iden and Casper Stones – second at the Olympic test event.

Henri Schoeman – South Africa – #51

Before taking Olympic Bronze at Rio in 2016, Henri Schoeman was an outside bet. Since then, he’s become one of the sport’s most consistent performers with plenty of great results including the 2016 World Triathlon Grand Final and Gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. A stellar swimmer who can back things up with a strong bike and run, he’s one for targeting the big events and could well feature in the final selection in Tokyo.

Morgan Pearson – USA – #53

A former collegiate runner with a track 5km PB of 13:26.22, Morgan Pearson has seemingly come out of nowhere to the top echelons of World Triathlon in 2021. The American secured his Olympic berth by taking third place in May’s WTCS event in Yokohama then followed this up with second behind Alex Yee at WTCS Leeds in June. On both occasions, it was his spectacular running that made the difference, but he’s also a great swimmer and biker. Brim-full of confidence after these top-level results, don’t be surprised to see him battling for the podium.

Jonny Brownlee – Great Britain – #54

Second only to his brother Alistair in Rio, Jonny Brownlee is, without doubt, one of short-course triathlon’s most successful athletes with 31 WTCS podiums, 13 wins and two Olympic medals. However, his last Olympic-distance WTCS win was back in August 2017 in Stockholm and his only victories since then have been at the sprint distance – WTCS Edmonton in July 2019 and this year’s World Triathlon Cup win in Arzechena in May. That lowering of expectation could be exactly what Jonny needs to claim another Olympic medal – he has nothing more to prove and has already stated his desire to move up to 70.3 after the Games.

Alex Yee – Great Britain – #55

Representing a changing of the guard in British short-course triathlon, Alex Yee is one of the up-and-coming athletes at the Games who’s benefitted from the event’s postponement, giving him the time to translate his promise into results. The sport’s best runner on paper, Yee won the 10,000m British champs on the track with a PB of 27:51 while his 5km best is 13:26. That running pedigree didn’t truly combine with an all-around triathlon performance until June’s WTCS race in Leeds. Yee’s vastly improved swim, aggressive biking and astonishing foot speed earned him the win and a spot on the British Olympic team. While the non-wetsuit swim in Tokyo might slow him a little, he’s now shown he can make it to the front and take Gold.

Tri Fantasy Game

To celebrate the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games triathlons, we’ve expanded our Tri Fantasy Game to get you even more invested in the outcome! Purely in the name of fun, you can put on your triathlon pundit’s hat and make your predictions for the Games to earn bragging rights with your friends.

Start by selecting a team of your top five men and women. You’ve got an imaginary budget of ¥350 to play with and different athletes warrant higher values. Once your 10 athletes are in your squad, it’s time to sit back and see how they do! The winner of each individual race will get 1500 points with points decreasing by 7.5% for every position after that. The more points you end up with, the higher your ranking will be.

To play, head to Fantasy Game Now

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For short course athletes, the Olympic Games Triathlon is the pinnacle of the sport. It represents the culmination of a four-year cycle – five in the case of this year’s Games – of battling to earn the chance to represent their country. From there, the hard work has just begun as these speed specialists go head-to-head in a pressure-cooker bid for glory and the opportunity to be honoured forever as an Olympic medallist.

Perhaps we’ll even get to see a new Olympic Champion who’ll follow in the footsteps of 2008 winner and PTO World #1 Jan Frodeno – taking short-course tri’s biggest accolade on the way to becoming the biggest force in long-course racing.

Triathlon Events At The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

As with each Olympics since triathlon’s introduction to the Games in 2000, we’ll have the men’s and women’s individual races to look forward to in Tokyo, both held over a 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run.

Triathlon fans will also have another opportunity to cheer on their country’s athletes thanks to Tokyo 2020’s inclusion of the first ever Olympic Mixed Relay event. This action-packed race follows the individual races and features four athletes per team. 

Racing in woman-man-woman-man order, each athlete will each complete a super-sprint race of 300m swim, 6.8km bike and 2km run before tagging in their country’s next competitor. Some countries have even picked their athletes specifically to target a medal in this event rather than going for individual glory.

When To Watch

The Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games Triathlons take place on three dates within the first week of the Olympics. The men and women race on consecutive days – 26 and 27 July – with a few days’ rest before the first-ever Olympic Mixed Relay triathlon on 31 July.

Men’s race – Monday 26 July 2021 06:30 Tokyo

Women’s race – Tuesday 27 July 2021 06:30 Tokyo

Mixed relay – Saturday 31 July 2021 at 07:30 Tokyo

Get Involved With The PTO’s Tri Fantasy Game

To celebrate the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games triathlons, we’ve expanded our Tri Fantasy Game to get you even more invested in the outcome! Purely in the name of fun, you can put on your triathlon pundit’s hat and make your predictions for the Games to earn bragging rights with your friends.

Start by selecting a team of your top five men and women. You’ve got an imaginary budget of ¥350 to play with and different athletes warrant higher values. Once your 10 athletes are in your squad, it’s time to sit back and see how they do! The winner of each individual race will get 1500 points with points decreasing by 7.5% for every position after that. The more points you end up with, the higher your ranking will be.

To play, head to the Fantasy game now!

Olympic Triathlon Race Venue

Odaiba Park will host all three triathlon events as well as the paratriathlon competitions. With spectacular views of the city’s futuristic skyline across the stunning Rainbow Bridge, this small island – south of central Tokyo, between Koto City and Shinagawa City – could provide the most spectacular setting for an Olympic triathlon yet.

While the location provides a unique viewpoint of Tokyo, all eyes will be set firmly on thermometers in the days leading up to the events. The races have been moved earlier to help mitigate fallout from the heat but temperatures are still set to soar to over 30°C while the humidity and even the chance of thunderstorms will be on the athletes’ minds.

Olympic Triathlon Courses

Individual Olympic Triathlons

In the individual races, a pontoon start just off Odaiba Beach will kick things off. Start positions will be decided by a blind selection process that could have a real bearing on the swim as athletes thrash it out for pole position by the first buoy. The swim will consist of two laps – one 1000m and one 500m for 1500m total – each heading out into Tokyo Bay towards Bird Island.

Once out the water, athletes will grab their bikes from T1 in Seaside Park before taking on an eight-lap, 40km bike course through the West Promenade gardens up Wangan-doro Avenue and back past transition. While the elevation change hardly peaks at double digits, it’s certainly a technical course with over 10 90-degree corners and a pair of dead turns. This could favour a small breakaway with the space to take the turns at pace.

After T2 back at Seaside Park, it’s a 10km footrace over four 2.5km laps. Each virtually flat lap circles the park before taking athletes back to the edge of Tokyo Bay for the finishing straight that will crown this year’s Olympic medallists.

Mixed Relay

The Mixed Relay Triathlon features a more compact version of the individual course. The first athletes will begin on the pontoon with a 300m swim in the bay. Next is a two-lap 6.8km bike course that crosses the bridge towards Ariake Tennis Park. It’s another technical bike route with corners aplenty and three u-turns. Finally, there’s a 1km run around Odaiba Beach before handing over to the next athlete, who will perform a spectacular running dive into the water.

Athletes

55 women and men from 38 nations have qualified for the Olympic triathlon races. Australia, Great Britain, Italy and the USA have all qualified the maximum of three women while Australia, Spain, France and Norway each have three men racing. Only Australia has hit the ranking criteria to take six athletes to the Games. Egypt, Morocco and Romania will all be competing in the Olympic triathlon for the first time.

In the Mixed Relay event, 18 nations will line up, each with two men and two women – selected from the same pool as the individual races. However, the final start list, including the order of each team’s athletes, won’t be confirmed until two hours before the race.

Individual Men’s Start List

Individual Women’s Start List

Mixed Relay Country List

How To Watch

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic triathlons will be broadcast all around the world. Here’s a lowdown of all the global carriers so you can make sure you don’t miss a moment of the action.

ARGENTINA: TYC Sports

AUSTRALIA: Seven Network

AUSTRIA: ORF

BELGIUM: VRT & RTBF

BRASIL: Grupo Globo & BandSports

CANADA: CBC/Radio-Canada; Sportsnet; TSN & TLN

CHILE: TVN

CHINA: CCTV & MIGU

CZECH REPUBLIC: ČT

ECUADOR: RTS

ESTONIA: Postimees Group

ALL EUROPE: Discovery, Inc – Eurosport

FRANCE: France Télévisions & Eurosport

GERMANY: ARD & ZDF

HUNGARY: MTVA

HONG KONG: I-CABLE; PCCW & TVB

IRELAND: RTÉ

ITALY: RAI

JAPAN: Japan Consortium

LUXEMBURG: RTL

MEXICO: Televisa; TV Azteca & Imagen Televisión

NETHERLANDS: NOS

PORTUGAL: RTP

ROMANIA: TVR

SLOVENIA: RTV

SPAIN: RTVE & EUROSPORT

SOUTH AFRICA: SABC & SuperSport

SWITZERLAND: SRG & SSR

UK: BBC & Eurosport

USA: NBCUNIVERSAL

The post Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Triathlons – All You Need To Know appeared first on PTO.

Taking place on 18 July and with an all-day livestream of the event from 8:40am CET, we’ll get the chance to see these two triathlon titans battle it out over a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run in Allgau, Germany.

With lane ropes in the swim, talk of velodrome-style banked turns on the bike and a virtually flat run – all on a closed course – Tri Battle Royale is setup for speed and if all goes to plan, we could see Frodeno’s 7:35:39 iron-distance world record tumble.

Join In With PTO Fantasy Triathlon

To get involved with the fun, we’ve launched our Fantasy Triathlon game, which gives you the chance to predict swim, bike, run and transition times for both athletes to see how your guesses compare to fellow triathlon fans.

Everyone who plays starts on an even footing of 5,000 points. For each discipline, the difference in seconds from your predictions to the actual race time will be deducted to give you your overall points. The more of your starting points that you finish with, the higher you’ll be ranked – all in the name of fun.

So where should you start with your predictions? We’ve got the low down on both athletes’ histories, their racing stats, head-to-head record and some suggestions on race dynamics to help you choose wisely.

What The Stats Say

Jan Frodeno is the PTO World #1 and Team Europe #1 for the Collins Cup. He’s ranked 97% for swim, 94% for bike and 99% for run for an overall rating of 100%.

Looking back through the 2008 Olympic champion’s race history underlines why he’s justly considered at the world’s best long-course athlete. Since winning 70.3 Oceanside in March 2015, Frodeno has won all but two of the events he’s completed – Lanzarote in 2016 and Kona in 2017 – and suffered only one DNF.

All in all, the German champ has scored 14 IM 70.3 wins and eight iron-distance victories, giving him a winning record of 76% races he’s started and a podium record of 90%.

At the iron-distance, Frodeno’s best swim and bike splits come from his record-setting day in Roth back in 2016, where he posted a 45:22 swim and a 4:08:07 bike. His fastest marathon was 2:39:06 at IM Germany in 2018.

Lionel Sanders PTO World #3 and Team Internationals #1 for the Collins Cup. He’s ranked 79% on the swim, 100% on the bike and 96% on the run for an overall rating of 97%.

The Canadian has more racing under his belt and many more middle-distance victories than his rival, topping the podium a whopping 23 times. Despite this, he’s only raced the 70.3 worlds twice and not since 2016. At the full distance, Sanders has half the wins of Frodeno with four victories, but also has the 2017 ITU Long Distance world title.

Taking all his race starts into account, Sanders has a winning record of 57% in long-course races and an impressive podium hit rate of 76%.

Sanders’ best iron-distance splits have been a 51:33 swim at IM Arizona in 2017, and a 4:04:38 bike and 2:42:31 run at the same race in 2016.

Head To Head Record

When they’ve faced off against one another in the past, Frodeno has definitely come out on top. Of the nine races they’ve toed the line together, Sanders has finished ahead of Frodeno only once – when the German walked the Kona marathon in 2017 due to a back injury. That gives the German an 88% winning rate.

In the swim, Frodeno bested Sanders 100% of the time while the two are most closely matched on the bike, Sanders taking 55% of the wins. On two feet, it’s once again Frodeno who’s favoured by the stats, outrunning Sanders 77% of the time.

Current Form

Looking at 2021, both athletes went head-to-head at Challenge Miami, a race shorter than 70.3 distance. Here Frodeno won by over two minutes though Sanders did post the faster run of the pair.

Frodeno is yet to take on the iron-distance this year, which might have put him at a disadvantage had it not been for Sanders’ nutrition meltdown in 39°C heat at Ironman Coeur d’Alene. Going into the event as race favourite, Sanders came within a shouting distance of the lead on the run but was reduced to a walk after vomiting heavily at the roadside. All that surely creates a mental and physical blow that will be hard to recover from in just two weeks – while also putting Sanders’ participation in Kona this year in jeopardy.

Race Dynamics

Despite Sanders’ improved swim, Frodeno will surely lead out of the water – the question is by how much? As long as the gap isn’t so great that Sanders loses all hope, we could be in with a nail-biting cat-and-mouse on the bike.

While Frodeno is used to leading on open roads, Sanders has always had to race through a pack of faster swimmers to reach the lead – all the while having to be vigilant of drafting distances and make huge surges to pass athlete after athlete. Free to set his own pace without the complexities of other riders on course, expect Sanders to put in some serious speed. His Canadian hour record on the track proved that free from distraction, he can judge his effort perfectly.

If we’re lucky enough for the two to hit the run close to one another, we’ll be in for a treat. Yes, Frodeno has run quicker, but Roth is known for being a little short on the marathon. We’ve never really seen Frodeno challenged shoulder-to-shoulder at the iron-distance either – especially by someone so determined and ferocious as Sanders. Will the big man falter as Sanders ups his game or be simply urged on to even greater heights?

Get your predictions in now and tune in to the livestream at 8:40am CET to find out.

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There’s still time for race-hungry athletes to score big Collins Cup points and secure automatic qualification before the 9 August cut-off – or simply to show Collins Cup captains that they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Ironman UK 2021 Race Preview

The first full-distance pro-M-dot race on British soil in three years, the 2021 edition of IM UK features a $100,000 prize purse and with it, some quality athletes.

Defending champ from 2018, Joe Skipper (Europe #4 / PTO World #10) will face tough competition from a strong male contingent while the women’s field is headed by Kat Matthews (Europe #5 / PTO World #11), who recently showed incredible form with second at IM Tulsa.

Date: 4 July 2021
Location: Bolton, UK
Time: 05:00 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $100,000 – pays 10 deep $15,000 to $1,000
Course: Lake swim, hilly bike, hilly run

Top-Ranked Athletes

Men

Joe Skipper (Europe #4 / PTO World #10) / Thomas Davis (PTO World #39) / Sam Laidlow (PTO World #42)

Women

Kat Matthews (Europe #5 / PTO World #11) / Imogen Simmonds (Europe #9 / PTO World #23) / Nikki Bartlett (PTO World #33)

Men’s Race

Joe Skipper (Europe #4 / PTO World #10) goes into the race as the top contender and will be looking to take his first victory of 2021 on home soil after a solid sixth place at IM Tulsa. Chasing on a tough bike course and running out of his skin is what he does best, so he’s bound to feature in the final standings.

Sam Laidlow (PTO World #42) is a star on the rise having taken victory at the PTO-supported 140.6Inn International Triathlon. The Anglo-Frenchman and has made public that it’s his mission to take down Skipper at the race – and with all-around swim-bike-run talent, he could do just that.

Thomas Davis (PTO World #39) had a tough time with mechanicals in his first iron-distance attempt at the 140.6Inn, but bounced back with the win at the PTO-support Eton Dorney Triathlon. Look for him to feature as a swim-bike duo with Laidlow.

Don’t count out Adam Bowden (PTO World #50), who’s bound to have learned a lot at his iron-distance debut in Tulsa – nor a proven performer like Tim Don (PTO World #100) to or the youthful talents of Elliot Smales (PTO World #82).

Women’s Race

After setting the fifth-fastest IM run split of all time to come second to PTO World #1 Daniela Ryf at IM Tulsa in May, Katrina Matthews (Europe #5 / PTO World #10) is certainly a big name to watch in Bolton – with the swim now her only Achilles’ heel.

The Brit’s biggest competition is likely to be Imogen Simmonds (Europe #6 / PTO World #22), who will likely be ahead after the swim and who’s also shown fantastic form in 2021, most recently coming second at Challenge St Polten to Anne Haug (PTO World #3).

Nikki Bartlett (PTO World #32) has already shown great long-course form this year at the ultra-tough 140.6Inn International Triathlon where she came third. The Brit has also tasted the podium at IM UK after coming third in 2017 so has experience racing in Bolton that her other competitors lack.

Ironman Lanzarote 2021 Race Preview

Lanzarote has been on the M-dot calendar for nearly three decades and is known as one of – if not the – toughest race on the circuit. It could be even hotter this year with a move from May to July.

Matt Trautman (PTO World #34) is the top seed but will face tough competition from and Nick Kastelein (PTO World #40). Meanwhile, the top-ranked woman is Manon Genet (PTO World #35), who will be up against Laura Siddall (PTO World #63) and previous Lanzarote age-group winner turned pro, Simone Mitchell.

Date: 3 July 2021
Location: Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Time: 06:00 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $50,000 – pays 8 deep $7,500 to $1,000
Course: Ocean swim, hilly bike, flat run

Top-Ranked Athletes

Men

Matt Trautman (PTO World #34) / Pieter Heemeryck (PTO World #36) / Nick Kastelein (PTO World #40)

Women

Manon Genet (PTO World #35) / Laura Siddall (PTO World #62) / Jenny Schulz (PTO World #77)

Men’s Race

Matt Trautman (PTO World #36) has shown his talents on tough courses with the win at IM Wales in 2018 and the South African is no stranger to hot conditions, either. Trautman is also coming off a strong performance at the middle-distance Challenge Gdansk a couple of weeks ago, where he finished in second.

Like Nilsson, Nick Kastelein (PTO World #40) is another iron-distance focused athlete whose stellar swimming, solid biking and swift-running could keep him in the mix right to the line. The Girona-based Australian is used to heat and came third at Challenge Gran Canaria in April.

Other athletes to look out for include seasoned competitors Andi Boecherer (PTO World #62) and Nils Frommhold (PTO World #87) while Pieter Heemeryck (PTO World #36) is making his iron-distance debut in Lanzarote but has the talent to run away with victory.

Women’s Race

Manon Genet (PTO World #35) is the highest-ranked athlete in Lanzarote and recently took the top spot at the PTO-supported TriGames Cagnes-Sur-Mer. Her last IM competition was in Wales in 2019 where she came second, proving her legs over an equally tough course to the one she’ll face in Lanzarote.

As an athlete coming back from injury, the rank of Laura Siddall (PTO World #63) doesn’t really reflect her true talent. The Brit didn’t race in 2020, but she has plenty of wins among her palmares including two victories in the heat at IM Australia.

While Simone Mitchell is currently outside the top 100, she only turned pro towards the end of 2019 when she came first at Ironman Wales. Mitchell is, however, a proven performer in Lanzarote having come second overall as an age-grouper in 2018 – so winning this year certainly isn’t out of the question.

Also look out for Jenny Schulz (PTO World #76), who’s had three top-five finishes at 70.3 Lanzarote and took fourth in 2019 at the full distance. We’ll also get to see Michelle Vesterby back in action, a previous IM Lanzarote winner who finished just behind Simone Mitchell in 2018.

Outlaw Half Holkham 2021 Race Preview

This PTO-supported event will see a strong, British-dominated field go head-to-head over the 70.3 distance.

Date: 4 July 2021
Location: Holkham Hall, Norfolk, UK
Time: 05:00 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: £12,000
Course: Lake swim, undulating bike, undulating run

Women’s Race

With Lucy Charles-Barclay taking her name off the start list, the women’s race should see a fight between uber-biker Kimberley Morrison (PTO World #36) and Ruth Astle (PTO World #65) who came seventh and eighth respectively at IM Tulsa recently.

Men’s Race

The only athlete in the PTO top 100 is Brit James Teagle (PTO World #83), recent winner of Challenge Gdansk, who showed the swim, bike and run splits of a champion in the making.

Ironman 70.3 Andorra 2021 Race Preview

The inaugural Ironman 70.3 Andorra offers athletes a chance to play in the Pyrenees and a selection of PTO-ranked athletes will be grabbing that opportunity this weekend.

Date: 4 July 2021
Location: Andorra
Time: 05:25 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $30,000 – pays 8 deep $4,000 to $750
Course: Lake swim, hilly bike, flat run

Men’s Race

Cam Wurf (PTO #37) will be showing off his WorldTour cycling legs on the bike and testing his running fitness after a tough marathon effort at the recent 140.6Inn International Triathlon. Portugal’s Filipe Azevedo (PTO World #38) is the only other athlete in the top 50 and he’s been on a good run of form with three top-three 70.3 results this season including fourth in Elsinore last weekend. Also look out for two-time Kona podium finisher David McNamee, who’s on the comeback trail following a period of burnout.

Women’s Race

We’ll get our first opportunity to see Ellie Salthouse (Internationals #6 / PTO World #20) racing outside Oceania. The Aussie is just five points from automatic Collins Cup qualification so a dominating win here could see her join the Internationals team. A 70.3 specialist, Salthouse will be challenged by Judith Corachan Varquera (PTO World #30), Els Visser (PTO World #32) and Emma Bilham (PTO World #42).

The post Weekend Preview: IM UK, IM Lanzarote, Outlaw Half Holkham and 70.3 Andorra appeared first on PTO.

The 70.3 European Championship Elsinore in Denmark will give us the chance to see some of Europe’s best going toe-to-toe – with a sprinkling of USA and Internationals athletes thrown in to spice things up ahead of the Collins Cup qualification cut-off on 9 August.

Meanwhile, Coeuironamr d’Alene will see a Sanders versus Long rematch and some top USA females duking it out for Collins Cup points.

Ironman 70.3 European Championship Elsinore 2021 Race Preview

Elsinore, Denmark, has hosted the last three editions of the 70.3 European Championship, which returns after a COVID hiatus to deliver top-class racing action. The course features a harbour swim, solid one-lap bike course with 600m of rolling climbs and a largely flat run circling the historic Kronborg castle.

In the women’s race, we’ll get to see two top Brits go head-to-head with Lucy Charles-Barclay (Europe #3 / PTO World #4) and Holly Lawrence (Europe #4 / PTO World #6) both on the start list.

Meanwhile, the stacked men’s race will see representatives from the USA, Europe and Internationals regions giving us a pre-Collins Cup battle including Rudy von Berg (USA #2 / PTO World #8), Daniel Baekkegard (Europe #5 / PTO World #12) and Max Neumann (Internationals #4 / PTO World #20).

WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 27 June 2021
Location: Elsinore, Denmark
Time: 05:30 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $75,000 – pays 10 deep $12,000 to $1,000
Course: Harbour sea swim, rolling bike, flat run

Top-Ranked Athletes

Women

Lucy Charles-Barclay (Europe #3 / PTO World #4) / Holly Lawrence (Europe #4 / PTO World #6) / Susie Cheetham (PTO World #20)

Men

Rudy von Berg (USA #2 / PTO World #8) / Daniel Baekkegard (Europe #5 / PTO World #12) / Magnus Ditlev (Europe #6 / PTO World #16)

Women’s Race

Lucy Charles-Barclay (Europe #3 / PTO World #4) might not get a pre-Kona test against Daniela Ryf following the PTO Word #1’s withdrawal from the race – but the battle with Holly Lawrence is sure to be a good one. Charles-Barclay will no doubt lead the swim and pushing hard on the bike but she’ll also have extra confidence in her run from her WTCS debut in Leeds recently.

Holly Lawrence (Europe #4 / PTO World #6) will be looking to topple Charles-Barclay to get to the top of the podium and defend her 2019 title at this race. Racing back-to-back weekends after her victory at 70.3 Des Moines could mean she’s in a position of commanding confidence – or that she’ll be slowed by fatigue and transatlantic travel. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a classic footrace to the line.

Highly ranked from her 2019 season, Susie Cheetham (PTO World #20) hasn’t put a result on the scoreboard since Kona that year but her strong bike and run could see her feature on the podium – especially if the top-three falter.

Also, look out for Carolin Lehrieder (PTO World #56) and Maja Stage Nielsen (PTO World #57) as top-five contenders, both women having raced well at middle-distance Challenge events this season.

Men’s Race

Rudy von Berg (USA #2 / PTO World #8) is the top-ranked athlete on the start list and also two-time defending champion in Elsinore. He’s a talent with few weaknesses and at 27, the American is still raising his game. If he can replace his fourth-place finish at 70.3 St. George with a win here, he could very well return to the top of the USA rankings.

Daniel Baekkegard (Europe #5 / PTO World #12) will be looking to claim the European title in his native Denmark. The Dane won 70.3 Dubai, was right in the mix until his penalty-mix up-DQ at 70.3 St. George and claimed third on a tough day at IM Tulsa. In short, he’s a true talent to watch. Baekkegard is also just two points shy of automatic Collins Cup qualification so will be gunning to overtake Joe Skipper on the European rankings.

Magnus Ditlev (Europe #6 / PTO World #16) is another star on the rise and another racer wanting to take the win on home soil in Denmark. Sitting just behind Baekkegard in the Team Europe rankings, a big result here could equal a Collins Cup spot. Ditlev’s 1:09:58 run in Challenge St Polten recently showed he’s more than just an uber-biker too.

George Goodwin (Europe #7 / PTO World #17) sits behind Ditlev in both the world and Team Europe rankings and his super-strong biking and running skills shouldn’t be overlooked to challenge for the podium or even the win. Things didn’t go his way in St. George, so Goodwin is sure to have the fire to race hard in Elsinore.

Representing Team Internationals, Max Neumann (Internationals #4 / PTO World #20) has made the trip from Down Under to test himself against a top European field. The Australian has come on a lot since his fifth-place finish in Elsinore 2018 and with the all-around swim, bike, run package, he could top the podium this time.

Another athlete from Oceania, Kyle Smith (PTO World #27) is so far unbeaten at the 70.3 distance but it’ll be a tough ask for the Kiwi to keep his winning streak against some of the world’s best. If he manages it, he’ll certainly be on the Collins Cup captains’ watch list for Team Internationals.

We’ve also got the likes of Andreas Dreitz (PTO World #23) and Florian Angert (PTO World #24) who have both factored into race dynamics at big events in 2021, so keep a lookout for these two powerhouses to shake things up on the bike.

Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2021 Race Preview

There hasn’t been a full Ironman in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, since 2015 and a solid field of pros are taking advantage of its return and the chance to race for a slice of the $100,000 prize purse.

With a beautiful lake swim, challenging two-lap bike course – featuring over 2,100m of climbing – and a rolling marathon with another 450m of hills to scale, Coeur d’Alene should offer a tough, fair race suited to the strongest athletes.

In the men’s race, we’ll have a repeat duel between Lionel Sanders (Internationals #1 / PTO World #3) and Sam Long (USA #1, PTO World #5), this time over the full distance. Meanwhile, Patrik Nilsson (PTO World #34) will fly the flag for Europe.

On the women’s side, Sarah Piampiano-Lord (PTO World #11) regains her highly ranked position after returning from maternity leave and will do battle with Heather Jackson (USA #2 / PTO World #17) and Carrie Lester (Internationals #8 / PTO World #25).

WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 27 June 2021
Location: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
Time: 11:00 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $100,000 – pays 10 deep $15,000 to $1,000
Course: Lake swim, hilly bike, hilly run

Top-ranked Athletes

Men

Lionel Sanders (Internationals #1 / PTO World #3) / Sam Long (USA #1, PTO World #5) / Patrik Nilsson (PTO World #34)

Women

Sarah Piampiano-Lord (PTO World #11) / Heather Jackson (USA #2 / PTO World #17) / Carrie Lester (Internationals #8 / PTO World #25)

Men’s Race

Lionel Sanders (Internationals #1 / PTO World #3) is certainly the favourite in Coeur d’Alene. He’s shown great form throughout 2021, winning at 70.3 Texas and St. George. With an improved swim, Sanders has put all his focus into his iron-distance prep for Coeur d’Alene where he’ll try to bag a Kona slot. But he’s also got the Zwift Tri Battle Royale against Jan Frodeno (Europe #1 / PTO World #1) in three weeks’ time, which might temper his efforts here.

Sam Long (USA #1, PTO World #5) went mano-a-mano with Lionel Sanders in St. George, both athletes pushing to their limits in an unforgettable duel to the line. Going to the well there seemed to cost the American at Ironman Tulsa, where he finished 13th. So, Coeur d’Alene will be part redemption, part experimentation for Long as the 25-year-old hones his craft over the full distance. He’ll likely be down out the swim, but his bike strength could see him redress that deficit well before the run.

Next on the rankings is Patrik Nilsson (PTO World #34) who, after a DNF at Tulsa, will be looking to show his true calibre here in Idaho and earn a slot for Hawaii. We’ve not seen him in full flight since 2019 but the swim-bike-run talents of this BMC Pro Triathlon Team athlete make him a real contender.

Other athletes with the talent to threaten the podium include Cody Beals (PTO #48) and Justin Metzler (PTO #72) both solid all-rounders looking for a good post-COVID-year result and worlds qualification.

Women’s Race

Sarah Piampiano-Lord (PTO World #11) returns from maternity leave and straight back into the top-ranked position for Coeur d’Alene. By her own admission, she’s still carrying 10-plus pounds of baby weight but if she’s managed to get anywhere near her 2019 fitness, she could be right up there. Simply completing her first 2021 race should see Piampiano-Lord jump straight into an automatic qualification spot for the Collins Cup too.

Based on the Collins Cup ranking points, Heather Jackson (USA #2 / PTO World #17) is one of the athletes that Piampiano-Lord could leapfrog, so she’ll be looking for a win here to safeguard her spot on Team USA. Jackson, who won here in 2015, has made no secrets of her iron-distance focus and her work with coach Ryan Bolton has already seen the American run her first-ever sub-three marathon at IM Tulsa, where she finished fourth.

Carrie Lester (Internationals #8 / PTO World #25) is flying the flag for Team Internationals in Idaho, and certainly has the class and consistency to win here. While she’s another long-course specialist who’s not raced too much recently, the Australian took three M-dot victories in 2019 and is always a tough competitor. She might not reach the Collins Cup based on points, but the captains are sure to have her in mind as a potential pick.

Other athletes to look out for include Fenella Langridge (PTO World #36) making her pro-iron-distance debut, stellar swimmer Lauren Brandon (PTO World #66) and multiple IM champ Linsey Corbin.

The post Weekend Preview: Ironman 70.3 European Championship & Ironman Coeur d’Alene appeared first on PTO.

The championship races continue to pile up in 2021 with the Ironman Cairns Asia-Pacific Championship this weekend. The full-distance event, held in northeast Queensland, Australia will give Team Internationals hopefuls the chance to earn Collins Cup ranking points along with their share of the $100,000 prize purse.

The field is packed with Aussie talent but the highest-ranked athletes in both the men’s and women’s races are Kiwis. Mike Phillips (PTO #29) and Amelia Watkinson (PTO #21) both sit in sixth place on the Team Internationals Collins Cup rankings and only need a handful of points to squeeze into the top four and the automatic qualification zone.

WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 6 June 2021
Location: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Time: 20:35 UTC (Friday)
Prize Money: $100,000 – pays 10 deep $15,000 to $1,000
Course: Sea swim, rolling bike, flat run

Key World Ranked Athletes

INTERNATIONALS

Mike Phillips (INT #6 / PTO #29) / Matt Burton (PTO #40) / Tim Reed (PTO #52)
Amelia Watkinson (INT #6 / PTO #21) / Rebecca Clarke (PTO #68) / Renee Kiley (PTO #79)

Men’s Race

New Zealand’s Mike Phillips (INT #6 / PTO #29) put in a complete performance at Ironman New Zealand in March, going sub-eight to take second place and showing he’s got serious form this year. As sixth on the Team International rankings, a win at this championship race would certainly boost his chances of automatic qualification for the Collins Cup.

Although he’s not next in terms of PTO World Rankings, Phillips’ biggest rival in Cairns is likely to be defending champ, Max Neumann (PTO #53). A great swimmer who can back it up on the bike and run, not only did Neumann take down many of this year’s Cairns field to win in 2020, he did it again in April to stand atop the podium at Challenge Shepparton.

Tim Reed (PTO #52) has had a great 2021 season so far, making the podium at every race he’s toed the line at including third at Hell of the West, second at the PTO-supported Husky Australian champs and third at 70.3 Geelong. He was also fourth in Cairns last year, so knows how to race well on this hot course.

Tim Van Berkel (PTO #62) is a consistent performer who’s always a podium threat. He also came second in Cairns last year – his run split only bested by Neumann – so he’s bound to have the drive to go up one step and take his second Cairns victory, five years after his first.

One of the sport’s star swimmers, Josh Amberger (PTO #71) is the last podium getter from Cairns 2020 and recently came second to Neumann at Challenge Shepparton. Having won this race in 2017, he knows what it takes to grab victory. If he can create a significant gap after the swim and race his own race up front, he could certainly take the top spot.

Based on his rankings, Matt Burton (PTO #40) could be a dark horse for in Cairns. He came fourth here in 2019 and showed real class to take second behind Alistair Brownlee (PTO #2) in IM Western Australia the same year, going 7:55 in the process. In early May, Burton won the Western Australia State Long Course Championships, showing solid form in 2021.

Women’s Race

There’s no doubt that Amelia Watkinson (INT #6 / PTO #21) will be the one to beat in Cairns. The defending Cairns champs followed up a strong fifth at the 2020 PTO Championship in Daytona last December with three second place finishes in Australia at Hell of the West, Husky Long Course and 70.3 Geelong. She’s only a handful of points away from leapfrogging up the leader board to snatch Sarah Crowley’s fourth-place spot on Team Internationals, too.

Rebecca Clarke (PTO #68) will be determined to reach the finish before fellow Kiwi Watkinson. Clarke already has three podiums in the bag this season: third at the Port of Tauranga Half, second at Challenge Wanaka and second at Ironman New Zealand, showing her long-course legs are in good form. She’ll need to bike off the front to a strong lead if she wants to hold off Watkinson on the run.

Renee Kiley (PTO #79) was third in Cairns last year, her best full-distance result to date and will surely want to go better this year and earn her first M-dot title. Fourth in Challenge Shepparton in April showed improving form, so she could be in with a shot. She had the fastest bike split here in 2020, so could be a big factor in how the race plays out on the way to T2.

Kylie Simpson might not be ranked yet, but fourth in Cairns last year shows real promise, especially considering it was the Australian’s neo-pro year. Despite the hot and humid weather in 2020, she ran an incredible 2:57:06, over 20 minutes faster than the rest of the field, so expect her to run-up the rankings again this year.

What the Pros Say

Amelia Watkinson on coming to Cairns as defending champion: “I like a little bit of pressure, I know how use it to my advantage. I’m not the best in any of the three disciplines but I don’t have a weakness, and that’s hard to beat.”

Renee Kiley on gunning for the win in Cairns:
“I’ve had a really solid four months of training and am the fittest and strongest I’ve ever been. I love racing the full distance and I am here in Cairns believing that if I focus on myself and have the day I am capable of, I can win”

Rebecca Clarke on what her second at IM New Zealand means for her race in Cairns:
“I can build on the confidence it gave me in that I can put together a strong swim, bike and finish strongly on the run in the Ironman distance. Also, any small mistakes made in Taupo I can rectify and improve on in Cairns.”

Mike Phillips on risk and reward in Cairns: “There’s a large Australian contingent racing here in Cairns, I have raced most of the contenders a lot over the years. With my Kona qualification sorted, it allows me take some risks with pacing, and that might be what’s needed to give me a chance of coming out on top!”

The post Race Preview: Ironman Cairns appeared first on PTO.

The TradeInn International Triathlon in Girona inaugurated a challenging new iron-distance event on the pro triathlon calendar at the weekend, with the PTO contributing €12,000 to the race’s €42,000 total and putting Collins Cup points on the line, too.

The men’s race gave us a new name to watch in France’s Sam Laidlow, who thrived on the tough, mountainous course to take a five-minute victory. Meanwhile, Emma Bilham put herself in a winning position early on the bike and held the lead all the way to the line.

Men’s Podium

Women’s Podium

Men’s Race

In the men’s race, Sam Laidlow was the first contender from the water in 48:45 but Cameron Wurf (PTO #7) – 2:48 down out the swim – soon made up his deficit on the bike course, hitting the front by the 48km time check.

Over the remainder of the tough 180km course, which features nearly 2,400m of climbing, the Australian upped his five-second advantage on Laidlow to 3:37 by the dismount line. Meanwhile, Laidlow had an impressive buffer of over 17-minutes to Romain Guillaume, who was third onto the run.

Laidlow steadily chipped away at Wurf’s advantage during the marathon, which was a flat but challenging multi-terrain route. The front pair looked assured of the top two steps on the podium but Morten Brammer Olesen was the fastest mover on course. The Dane moved from 10th to third by 13km while Victor Arroyo Bugallo – the top Spanish competitor and the only other athlete threatening a 2:40 marathon – soon moved into fourth.

Up ahead, Laidlow’s efforts to reel in Wurf were rewarded with the catch at 19km. From there, Wurf began to haemorrhage time and was eventually overtaken by Arroyo Bugallo, Brammer Olesen and Roger Manya Valenzuela.

After his impressive bike, Laidlow’s 2:54:35 marathon gave him a comfortable win, the Frenchman crossing the line in 8:41:46 for a five-minute victory over Arroyo Bugallo with Brammer Olesen in third, Manya Valenzuela in fourth and Wurf holding on for fifth.

Women’s Race

In the women’s race, Lucia Blanco Arriola put in a monumental 47:24 swim to out-split the men’s race winner and create a lead of nearly nine minutes to Judith Corachan Vaquera (PTO #41), who left the water in second.

Blanco Arriola soon fell off the pace on the bike, with the race’s top competitors establishing themselves by 50km in – Emma Bilham and Corachan Vaquera holding a 90-second lead to Nikki Bartlett (PTO #44) and Chantal Cummings.

Throughout the rest of the bike, the positions remained but the racers spread out. By the start of the run, Bilham had over two minutes to Corachan Vaquera with Bartlett less than a minute behind and 12:33 in hand to Cummings.

While Bilham maintained her lead during the run, Bartlett caught Corachan Vaquera at around 15km. Getting into a long shoulder-to-shoulder battle, the pair ran within a few seconds of each other until 10km to go when the Spanish athlete pulled clear of the Brit.

Bilham crossed the line first in 9:32:11, her 2:58:22 split the fastest of the day to complement her number one ranking on the bike. Corachan Vaquera was second with Bartlett 30 minutes clear of Cummings by the finish.

The post Race Results: TradeInn International Triathlon 2021 appeared first on PTO.

Switching from M-dot to Challenge Family for 2021, the inaugural Challenge St. Pölten provided an action-packed race with race-starved athletes turning out in force for Collins Cup rankings, a slice of the €19,000 prize purse and the chance to put a marker down towards Challenge Family’s €150,000 bonus payout at the end of the season.

Frederic Funk (PTO #48) dominated the men’s race, showing his strength on the bike and holding strong on the run to make a statement with a victory margin of over four minutes to Jan Stratmann and Maurice Clavel (#42).

Anne Haug (EUR #2 / PTO #3) had to dig deep to hunt down Imogen Simmonds (EUR #7 / PTO #22) but timed her awesome running pace to perfection to take the win and show she’ll make a fearsome matchup at the Collins Cup.

Men’s Podium

Women’s Podium

Men’s Race

In the men’s race, Germany’s Timo Hackenjos put in a swift swim to earn a 36-second lead by T1 over his pursuers. His time in front of the cameras was limited however as within 20km, Magnus Ditlev (EUR # 6 / PTO #17) had made up 16 places to take the lead.

While seeing Ditlev power to the front has become a regular occurrence, it was a surprise to see him quickly overhauled by Frederic Funk (PTO #48), who stormed ahead at 25km and didn’t look back from there, creating a lead of 4:45 on Philipp Bahlke, 5:19 on Jan Stratmann and 5:40 on Maurice Clavel (PTO #42) by T2.

As Funk used his first-place position to fuel a solid run pace, the rest of the race became about the remaining podium spots. Stratmann and Clavel battled hard for much of the run, but it was Stratmann who managed to edge away in the closing 5km while Pablo Dapena (PTO #28) was quickly reeling in Clavel.
Funk crossed the line in 3:44:49 to take an emphatic win, his first major victory since 70.3 Lanzarote in 2019. Stratmann was second, 4:35 behind, while Clavel secured the final podium spot 21 seconds later, staying clear of Dapena by just eight seconds. Challenge Riccione winner Thomas Steger (PTO #46) rounded out the top-five with another scorching run, his 1:07:54 split the day’s fastest.

Collins Cup Considerations

Frederic Funk might be well down on Collins Cup points, but his hugely capable performance in St. Pölten won’t pass by the Team Europe captains unnoticed.

As wildcards go, Thomas Steger is quickly making a name for himself as one of the sport’s premier runners – perhaps the only Team Europe athlete who could challenge Matt Hanson (USA #3) on the final leg.

Magnus Ditlev, 11th, suffered a puncture on the bike that cost him podium contention in St. Pölten but his improving swim and new run PB of 1:09:58 continue to show the Dane’s astonishingly rapid improvement. Collins Cup captains are surely asking themselves just how much faster he could be by August.

Sebastian Kienle (EUR #10 / PTO #22) finished ninth in St. Pölten and while his sights are set on peaking in August and October, he’s now in desperate need of a big result to shoot him back up the European rankings ahead of the Collins Cup.

Women’s Race

In the women’s race, Anna-Lena Best-Pohl led from the water in 28:41 with Lisa Norden (PTO #37) and Imogen Simmons (EUR #7 / PTO #22) both within 30 seconds and Maja Stage-Nielsen and Anne Haug (EUR #2 / PTO #3) another 40 seconds back.

On the bike, Simmonds and Norden rode hard together, creating a lead of over two minutes before Simmonds pushed ahead on a solo mission. Riding faster than anyone, Haug initially ate into Simmonds’ lead, but the Swiss athlete put on the afterburners in the final 30km to give herself a gap of 2:20 by T2. Her advantage was then given another boost when Haug was handed a one-minute penalty for not using the correct changing area in transition.

By the time Haug hit the road, she had 3:46 to make up – but as ever, her pace was the most ferocious on course. Giving a masterclass in running form, the diminutive superstar shaved time off Simmonds’ lead and finally got the Swiss athlete in sight in the final few hundred metres. Haug went into a full sprint, a knowing grimace from Simmonds as the German passed at speed and flew to the win in 4:20:17, just 14-seconds clear.

There was another close call nine minutes later, Maja Stage-Nielsen managing to hold off a fast-closing Laura Siddall (PTO #40) by just 10 seconds to secure the final spot on the podium.

Collins Cup Considerations

Anne Haug put in a staggering 1:14:07 run to underline her credentials as the sport’s pre-eminent runner, but it’s her continued bike improvements that make her an ever more threatening proposition at the Collins Cup. However the match-up goes, she’ll be nigh-on unbeatable.

Imogen Simmonds also reinforced her position as one of Europe’s best. While this second-place finish won’t necessarily see her jump up to automatic qualification, there’s no doubt she’ll be on the minds of Team Europe captains Chrissie Wellington and Normann Stadler when they come to make their picks.

The post Race Results: Challenge St. Pölten 2021 appeared first on PTO.

A great field is set to turn out for Challenge St. Pölten this Sunday with German stars Anne Haug (EUR #2) and Sebastian Kienle (EUR #10) topping the bill.

Challenge St. Pölten 2021 Race Preview

This weekend’s event in St. Pölten continues a tradition of middle-distance racing in the Austrian city that dates back to 2007. Previously an M-dot race, the inaugural Challenge St. Pölten is drawing some quality athletes seeking to test growing fitness as the European season gets into full swing.

The women’s field is headlined by 2019 Ironman world champ, Anne Haug (EUR #2), who will be challenged by the likes of Imogen Simmonds (EUR #7) and Lisa Norden – both keen to make the stacked Team Europe squad for the Collins Cup.

The men’s race has a packed field with over 80 pros on the start list, but it’s the familiar names among them who’re sure to light things up. These include Sebastian Kienle (EUR #10), Thomas Steger, Pablo Dapena, Pieter Heemeryck and Nick Kastelein (INT #10).

With a unique 1.9km swim split over two lakes, a rolling single-lap 90km bike course with one particularly meaty climb and a flat half-marathon run, it should be a course for all-rounders to flourish.

WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 30 May 2021
Location: St. Pölten, Austria
Time: 08:30 UTC
Prize Money: €19,000 – pays 6 deep €3,500 to €500
Course: Twin lake swim, rolling bike, flat run

Key Collins Cup Athletes

EUROPE

Magnus Ditlev (EUR #6) Sebastian Kienle (EUR #10)
Anne Haug (EUR #2) / Imogen Simmonds (EUR #7)

Men’s race

If the field is as packed as the start list suggests, the day could begin with a chaotic swim before settling in on the bike. Once on two wheels, rolling hills could break things up for the front pack while stronger riders play catch-up. There’s no doubt we’ll see fast runs from some of the sport’s best to decide who’ll climb on the podium.

Sebastian Kienle (EUR #6) will be looking to build on his third place at Challenge Riccione earlier this month and secure a dominating win to boost him back into automatic qualification for the Collins Cup following a three-place drop down the table.

However, after Thomas Steger’s outstanding 1:08:19 run to win in Riccione – and the fact he’ll be racing on home soil – the Austrian could well deny Kienle the top step and back things up with another victory here.

Pablo Dapena was sandwiched between Steger and Kienle at the finish in Riccione and also took second in Gran Canaria last month. The Spaniard is showing ever more consistent performances so the leap to the top of the podium is certainly within reach.

Third behind Dapena at Challenge Gran Canaria in April, Australia’s Nick Kastelein is the only Team Internationals hopeful racing. This is exactly the kind of course that could reward his strong swimming, power-to-weight on the climbs and stellar running.

Pieter Heemeryck is yet to recapture the form that saw him take five Challenge titles in 2019, but the moment it clicks for him, this Belgian star will be a big threat. If that’s the case in St. Pölten, the rest of the field could be in trouble.

Finally, don’t count out the reigning St. Pölten champ, Franz Loeschke of Germany, who beat a quality field here – including Thomas Steger – in 2019.

Women’s race

The women’s race is full of class, which should provide an entertaining dynamic throughout as strong swim bikers seek to create distance to hold off high-velocity runners on the way to the finish line.

St. Pölten will be the first race this year for Anne Haug (EUR #2) and there’s no doubting her status as the race favourite. The German Kona winner will be down out the water but this pocket powerhouse should go well on the climbs and as the sport’s fastest runner, she’ll likely be on track to take the lead by the finish.

There will be plenty of women hoping to stop Haug from crossing the line first and the German’s biggest rival could come from neighbouring Switzerland in the form of Imogen Simmonds (EUR #7). Second only to Daniel Ryf (EUR #1) at 70.3 Dubai, Simmonds also took silver at Ironman Frankfurt and third at the 70.3 worlds in 2019.

Third in Gran Canaria, Sweden’s Lisa Norden is once again on the rise and as one of the sport’s strongest cyclists, she might well get away to a lead by T2. It’ll need to be significant to hold off Haug, but Norden’s always one to watch for the podium.

India Lee seems to be another athlete who’s found form through lockdown. The former ETU European Champion put in a rounded swim, bike, run performance in Riccione to take second behind De Vries. With a more competitive field, the Brit will certainly face a bigger test here St. Pölten.

What The Pros Say

Sebastian Kienle on his approach to moving up the Collins Cup rankings: “It was pretty clear that I would lose quite a few positions in the ranking if I start racing again without being able to win with a big margin. For me right now, it’s just important to be able to race again – I will go as hard as I can in any race. Ultimately this will also bring in the points necessary.”

Anne Haug on being a key player for Team Europe at the Collins Cup: “I’m very proud to be part of the super strong Team Europe and race side by side with the world’s best athletes. Daniela is a multiple world champion and maybe one of the greatest athletes of all time. I focus on myself and try to show the best performance I’m capable of at every race.  That’s all I can do.”

Thomas Steger on his incredible 1:08 run split and racing in St. Pölten: “I had a really great run in Riccione. Of course, I am very happy with that, but on the other hand it feels like I saved too much energy for the run, because the swim and the bike weren’t too great! St. Pölten is not my favourite race. I think the course doesn’t suit me – and the field will be strong.”

Pablo Dapena on racing in 2021: “Every race this year is like a little world championship and you never know how the race will be. I just to try to push hard from the start until I cross the finish line, there are no secrets!”

Imogen Simmonds on what it’ll take to make the Collins Cup team: “I need to make a statement, and show that I’m here, ready and eager to race, and that my form is building over all three disciplines. Although Ironman Coeur d’Alene at the end of June is my main focus, St Pölten is the perfect opportunity to test myself under some fierce competition. Above all, I’m looking forward to racing and laying it out there this weekend.”

The post Race Preview: Challenge St. Pölten appeared first on PTO.

It’s been over six months since a full Ironman event has taken place in the USA and there are plenty of quality athletes pumped to hit the full 140.6 in Tulsa. It’s not only a return to iron-distance racing, but the chance to claim the regional championship title, take away a cool $25k payday from the $150,000 purse and bump up their Collins Cup rankings.

With strength in depth across both the men’s and women’s races – and a tough bike course including 1500m climbing – whoever makes the podium is really going to have to fight for it.

The women’s race will be all about living legend Daniela Ryf (EUR #1) and just how big a gap this superstar can create to her nearest pursuers. The men’s race should be more open with Sam Long (USA #1) taking on strong competition from the likes of Florian Angert (EUR #8), Chris Leiferman (USA #5) and Daniel Baekkegard (EUR).

WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 23 May 2021
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Time: 11:30 UTC
Prize Money: Prize Money: $150,000 – pays 10 deep $25,000 to $1,500
Format: 3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run
Course: Lake swim, hilly bike, flat run

Key Athletes:

EUROPE
Florian Angert (EUR #8)
Daniela Ryf (EUR #1)

INTERNATIONALS
Sarah Crowley (INT #4)
Tyler Butterfield (INT #4)

USA
Sam Long (USA #1) / Chris Leiferman (USA #5)
Skye Moench (USA #1) / Heather Jackson (USA #3) / Meredith Kessler (USA #6)

Men’s Race

The men’s start list includes some 66 athletes and there are several proven performers in the bunch.

Eyes will be on Sam Long (USA #1) who rocketed to the top of the USA’s Collins Cup automatic qualification list thanks to his second-places shoulder-to-shoulder pain fest against Lionel Sanders at 70.3 St George.

Fellow American, Chris Leiferman (USA #5) was recently leapfrogged in the rankings by Long, but when the duo last raced 140.6 in Florida last November, Leiferman was the victor. He’ll surely want to get back into the auto-qualification zone.

Among the others who’ll be determined to stop the Sam ‘The Big Unit’ Long from crossing the line first will be Daniel Baekkegard (EUR) – a strong all-rounder who comes to the race angry after a penalty mix-up put him out of the running in St George.

However, it’s Florian Angert (EUR #8) who’s the highest-ranked European in the men’s race. While the German might not have the longest list of palmares he does hold the fastest ever debut Ironman – 7:45:04 in Barcelona 2019.

Always ready to direct a little smack talk at Long, Joe Skipper (EUR) has dropped down the rankings after recent DNFs in Dubai and Texas so will be searching for redemption and ranking points at the full distance this weekend.

Two-time Kona winner Patrick Lange (EUR) will also be on the hunt. The German rarely races to his potential outside Kona, but if he’s improved his form since Challenge Gran Canaria, he could run through to the top.

Tyler Butterfield (INT #4) is the highest-ranked Internationals athlete lining up this weekend and his experience could pay dividends in what could be a highly tactical race.

The Women’s Race

After her dominating performance at 70.3 St. George, Daniela Ryf (EUR #1) has put even more of a physical and psychological barrier between herself and the rest of the field. That means the second and third spots will become even more highly coveted than usual – and there are several in-form athletes who could grab them.

Being the North American Championship more than half the start list will be racing under the stars and stripes. Among them are Skye Moench (USA #1), who won 70.3 Texas and came fourth in St. George in recent weeks – races which she’s been using to prep for this full-distance battle.

Aiming to knock Moench of the top US spot will be Heather Jackson (USA #3), who gave St. George a miss to focus completely on Tulsa. A proven big-day performer, Jackson – who is also one of the athletes followed by the PTO’s Beyond Human documentary – will be wanting to solidify her Collins Cup qualification.

The evergreen Meredith Kessler (USA #6) rounds out the country’s top-ranked trio in Tulsa. However, there are a selection of other high-scoring USA athletes who are yet to race in 2021 and will overtake Kessler the moment they do. So, Kessler will need a big performance in Tulsa to catch the eyes of the Team USA captains if she wants to be selected for the Collins Cup in August.

On the Internationals side, Sarah Crowley (INT #4) leads the pack. While the Aussie’s standings are currently propped up by her stellar 2019-2020 season, the Crowley we’ve seen racing of late isn’t the full-gas version we’ve seen in the past. Perhaps the full 140.6 in Tulsa will the vast potential that’s seen her twice reach the Kona podium.

The last time there was a full Ironman on American soil – Florida in November 2020 – it was a European victor in Britain’s Katrina Matthews. She recently came fourth in a strong field at Challenge Gran Canaria but is certainly an iron-distance specialist, so she’ll be looking to check her form against Ryf and her other Hawaii-bound competition.

What the Pros Say

Proven 70.3 performer Adam Bowden (EUR) on taking the plunge in his first iron-distance race: “I’m super excited to be doing my first full Ironman. My training has gone well. I have a nutrition plan in place, which I believe is the critical part of getting an Ironman right – obviously along with pacing. There is no pressure on me I’m just excited to get out there and give it my all.”

Sarah Crowley on getting back to iron-distance racing this weekend: “I’m looking forward to an extremely competitive field in Tulsa, it lifts the standard. This will be one of the only long distance races before the Collins Cup, so I am going to push to test my limits so that I will be ready by August.”

Skye Moench on rising to the top of the sport: “I want to show that I am one to watch no matter the field or distance. It’s nice to be sitting as the top USA athlete right now, but my goal is to be one of the best in the world, not just in America. The Europeans have set the bar very high, and that’s a level I want to rise to.”

The post Race Preview: Ironman Tulsa 2021 appeared first on PTO.

The pure grit of Lionel Sanders (INT #1) was decisive in a nail-biting run battle with Sam Long (USA #5) while Daniela Ryf (EUR #1) was utterly dominant once again – both winners underlining their positions as the number-one ranked athletes for Team Internationals and Team Europe.

Men’s Podium

Lionel Sanders (INT #1) – 3:42:55 (swim 25:00 / bike 2:02:55 / run 1:11:03)
Sam Long (USA #5) – 3:43:01 (swim 25:23 / bike 2:02:38 / run 1:11:03)
Magnus Ditlev (EUR #12) 3:45:10 (swim 23:24 / bike 2:01:25 / run 1:16:05)

Women’s Podium

Daniela Ryf (EUR #1) – 4:05:46 (swim 24:44 / bike 2:14:11 / run 1:22:15)
Jeanni Metzler (INT #6) – 4:10:14 (swim 24:43 / bike 2:21:32 / run 1:19:31)
Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15) – 4:11:02 (swim 26:07 / bike 2:19:16 / 1:21:24)

Men’s Race

An early lead for von Berg and Ditlev

Sam Appleton (INT #4) was first back onto dry land after the 1.9km wetsuit swim around Sand Hollow Reservoir but it was Rudy von Berg (USA #1) who led onto the bike, pushing the pedals hard to create an early lead on the other front-pack swimmers.

The ferocious pace of defending champion von Berg was such that only a magnificent Magnus Ditlev (EUR #12) could bridge up, the two riding hard to a 90-second lead by midway through the point-to-point bike course.

Sanders chases hard

Behind, Lionel Sanders (INT #1) had put in a strong swim to limit his losses to 1:52 before charging through the field on the strongman’s course to establish himself at the front of the chase pack. The Canadian was in good company with the likes of Sam Long (USA #5) and recent 70.3 Dubai winner, Daniel Baekkegard (EUR #11) along with a host of other class performers.

Following the climb up Snow Canyon with its striking red Navajo sandstone cliffs and black lava-rock field, Ditlev dropped von Berg in the last 15km of the bike to start the hilly run with nearly 30 seconds’ lead to the American.

A crushing quartet

The chase group dismounted nearly three minutes back and Sanders flew out of T2, The Lion slashing time from his deficit with Long and Baekkegard trailing in his wake.

After passing von Berg with ease, Sanders surged into first around 12km in, but Ditlev, showing impressive running strength, hung on to the Canadian with Long and Baekkegard joining to form a pack of four travelling at awesome pace.

Eventually, Ditlev was the first to succumb, Sanders and Baekkegard going off the front as Long slowed on the uphills and edged closer on the downs. However, Baekkegard failed to serve a bike penalty and would go on to be DQ’d with no Collins Cup points added to his tally.

Sanders and Long shoulder-to-shoulder

Then, in the last 3km, it was suddenly all about Sanders and Long, the Internationals and USA stars running an inch apart. Teeth grit in a grimace, Sanders stormed through the final aid station as Long slowed a second to douse himself with water, giving Sanders a metre, then two as he flicked his eyes back to see the damage he was doing to the younger athlete.

Then he was clear, Sanders taking to the red carpet for his 22nd Ironman 70.3 win and crossing the line in 3:42:55. Unable to lift the tape from exhaustion, Sanders had to wait only six seconds for Long – the pair having an emotional embrace from the effort. Behind them, Ditlev hung on for third over two minutes back but 17 seconds clear of von Berg.

“I was nervous for this,” said Sanders at the finish. “That’s the most I’ve ever suffered – it’s probably the best battle, I never went that deep that far into the race.”

“I dreamed about this day for five years,” said Long. “Coming out and racing stride for stride with my idol – and sure I got second, but that was everything I ever dreamed about, so couldn’t be more happy…”

Collins Cup considerations

The closely fought men’s race delivered a stunning four-way battle on the run with athletes in the mix from the USA, Europe and Internationals regions. Multiply that excitement by the 12 races at the Collins Cup this August and we’re in for something truly special.

Sam Long, fifth in the USA rankings at the start of the day, will certainly have added some points to his tally but not just that – Team USA captain Mark Allen was chiming in on the coverage and saw exactly how deep this rising star is willing to go in pursuit of victory.

Magnus Ditlev has flown to the top of the uber-biker ranks but it’s his increasing run strength that will worry potential Collins Cup opponents – no longer can they guarantee running him down before the tape.

Women’s race

Chura beasts the swim

Starting two minutes after the men, it didn’t take stellar swimmer Haley Chura (USA #13) long to catch the back of the male pro field, giving herself a 50-second lead coming out of the water.

However, the fact that the chase group of swimmers included Daniela Ryf (EUR #1), PTO 2020 Championship winner Paula Findlay (INT #2) and superstar runner Jeanni Metzler (INT #6) meant her time at the front of the bike would be limited.

Ryf leads, Pallant-Browne charges

Within 10km, Ryf had asserted herself as the firm leader, riding alone 30-seconds clear of Findlay, who had nearly a minute on Metzler. Defending St. George champ Holly Lawrence (EUR #4) was making up time but not as fast as 70.3 Florida winner Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15), who powered over the hilly course to take third on the road by the 26km mark.

While Ryf continued to add chunks of time to what would prove to be an unassailable lead, Pallant-Browne caught and passed Findlay with 30km to go while Skye Moench (USA #3) was also moving through the ranks.

Metzler runs through

Ryf began the run in total control with over six minutes to Pallant-Browne and seven-plus to Moench, Metzler and Findlay. Despite that colossal lead, uber-runners Pallant-Browne and Metzler made the Swiss Miss work for it, taking back over a minute by 4km in.

Metzler was the fastest runner on the course, passing Pallant-Browne after the latter jumped into a portaloo. While the South African continued to slice away at Ryf’s advantage through halfway, the nine-time world champion was never truly in danger.

Ryf ups her game

Despite her buffer, the Angry Bird dug deep in the last 5km to up the pace and extend her lead to Metzler. Ryf took the tape with a spring in her step, crossing the line in 4:05:46 to add to her psychological advantage over the competition ahead of a return to this course in September for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.

Metzler took second 4:28 behind Ryf and Pallant-Browne rounded out the podium another 45-seconds back. Meanwhile, Findlay, who had dropped to sixth, came home strong to re-take Moench and Lawrence for fourth place.

“The field was super strong today and I knew I had to really show my best,” said Ryf. “I really had to push, I gave it all… I went really hard on the bike and I didn’t know if I could still run after that bike but I held it up OK and I’m super happy with my performance today.”

Collins Cup conclusions

In St. George, Ryf showed decisively that she remains the sport’s most dominant athlete. That fact throws up a conundrum for Collins Cup captains – put your best athletes against the Swiss Miss in a potentially doomed challenge or save their strength for another match-up.

Ranked INT #6, Jeanni Metzler is two spots from automatic qualification but with a strong swim, improving bike and savage run, she’s surely a must-pick for one of the two coveted Collins Cup captain’s pick slots.

With the win at 70.3 Florida and third in St. George, Emma Pallant-Browne is showing that her coaching change to Tim Don is paying dividends already – and that she would be a wise choice for Collins Cup captains as a bike-run weapon.

Hot Takes

We’re used to seeing Matt Hanson (USA #2) take the day’s fastest run split, but this time around it was the battle between Sanders and Long that powered both men to the same 1:11:03 time – showing the power to push beyond limits in the heat of competition.

Daniela Ryf once again showed she’s capable of a complete performance, with a top-five swim, the day’s fastest bike of 2:14:11 and the fifth-fastest run – a performance that saw her go faster than 24 of the male pros.

While we’ve been wowed by Jeanni Metzler’s incredible running of late, it was actually newcomer Sophie Watts (USA) – third at 70.3 Texas – who put in the day’s fastest split of 1:18:59, some 32 seconds faster than Metzler.

The post Race Results: Ironman 70.3 St. George North American Championship appeared first on PTO.

Such was the intense heat, Challenge Mogán-Gran Canaria provided a daunting challenge for many stars who had been out of action over the winter.

Jan Frodeno, ranked at #1 for Team Europe ahead of August’s rescheduled Collins Cup, was imperious yet again as he clinched victory in the men’s race, while Nicola Spirig produced a scintillating all-round performance to claim the women’s race.

Surprisingly, Frodeno didn’t register the fastest time for any of the three legs, while Spirig was edged out in the swim before her impressive display ‘on land’.

To highlight the strengths of different athletes across each of the three disciplines, we’ve put together a ‘Dream Relay’ for the both the men’s and women’s races.

Men

Swim: Andrea Salvisberg (21:43)
There was a large contingent exiting the water in close proximity in Gran Canaria, with nine athletes registering sub-22-minute swims.

Eventual race winner Frodeno was amongst the leading group, but it was Switzerland’s Andrea Salvisberg who stopped the clock first.

His time of 21:43 was just two seconds quicker than Frodeno, who was hot on his heels heading into T1.

Bike: Matteo Fontana (2:04:10)
Frodeno then entered into a hard-fought battle with Team Europe #17 Pablo Dapena and Team Internationals #26 Nick Kastelein on the bike leg.

The trio, who were later joined by Team Europe #29 Patrick Lange, jostled for the lead of the race throughout the leg, with Frodeno unable to build a gap to his rivals despite a swift 1:10:04.

The fastest time on the bike came from much further down the field, in the form of Matteo Fontana, who went 1:32 faster than Frodeno to clock a 2:04:10 as he blitzed his way up the standings.

Run: Nick Kastelein (1:09:58)
Frodeno’s sharp transition saw him hit the front at the start of the final leg and begin putting distance between himself and second-placed man Dapena.

Jan romped home as he added yet another title to his ever-growing collection, crossing the line well clear after a 1:10:04 half-marathon.

Further back though, his training partner Nick Kastelein went six seconds quicker in the run as he attempted to overhaul Dapena for second place, an ultimately unsuccessful but admirable effort.

The men’s ‘Dream Relay’ would have finished the race 1:40 ahead of Frodeno, in a total time of 3:39:41.

Women

Swim: Sara Perez (23:25)
The triumphant Spirig was one of three athletes to break the 24:00 barrier for the swim, clocking a 23:35 as she immediately asserted herself at the front of the field.

Team Europe #40 Sarissa de Vries trailed her by three seconds, but it was Spaniard Sara Perez who exited the water first.

The 33-year-old went 10 seconds quicker than Spirig, with the trio roughly a minute clear of the chasing pack.

Bike: Nicola Spirig (2:18:28)
Once on the bike, Nicola produced the sort of dominant performance which has seemingly become second nature during her many years as a professional.

The Swiss athlete raced into an early lead, keeping the likes of de Vries and Team Europe #18 Lisa Norden at bay.

Registering the fastest time for the leg by almost a minute, Spirig was well in control of the race heading into the run – where she would excel once again.

Run: Nicola Spirig (1:19:31)
The 39-year-old was almost a minute quicker than any athlete over the final leg, completing the half-marathon in 1:19:31. She finished 5:25 clear of de Vries in second place as she claimed top step on the podium.

It was yet another magnificent display from Spirig, who was impressive across all three legs, with Perez the only athlete able to better her – albeit narrowly – in any of the disciplines.

The women’s ‘Dream Relay’ would have therefore finished just 10 seconds clear of Nicola, in a time of 4:05:42.

The post Dream Relay: Challenge Mogán-Gran Canaria appeared first on PTO.

The race in Utah has plenty of reasons for top-ranked pros to make the trip: the chance to take the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship, a $100,000 prize purse and the fact this same course will host the 70.3 World Championship on 19 September.

That means some of the world’s best will be in Utah including the USA’s top-five-ranked male athletes, plus Internationals #1 Lionel Sanders and top-10 European contenders. Meanwhile, among a cast of stars, the women’s race features Europe #1 Daniela Ryf, Internationals #2 Paula Findlay and USA #3 Skye Moench, giving us a stellar Collins Cup preview.

The rankings could see a big shake-up after this weekend while the Collins Cup team captains will be glued to the coverage looking for stand-out performances that could give them an edge in the inaugural race this August.

WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 1 May 2021
Location: St. George, Utah, USA
Time: 13:50 BST
Prize Money: Prize Money: $100,000 – pays 10 deep $15,000 to $1,000
Format: 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run
Course: Reservoir swim, hilly bike, hilly run

Athletes

USA

Rudy von Berg (USA #1) / Matt Hanson (USA #2) / Chris Leiferman (USA #3)
Skye Moench (USA #3) / Jackie Hering (USA #5) / Linsey Corbin (USA #7)

Europe

George Goodwin (EUR #7) / Andreas Dreitz (EUR #8) / Florian Angert (EUR #10)
Daniela Ryf (EUR #1) / Holly Lawrence (EUR #4) / Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15)

International

Lionel Sanders (INT #1) / Sam Appleton (INT #4) / Jackson Laundry (INT #16)
Paula Findlay (INT #2) / Sarah Crowley (INT #3) / Jeanni Metzler (INT #6)

THE BIG STORIES

Men’s Race

The depth of the field – and its sheer size with over 75 names on the start list – means we’re guaranteed closely fought and exciting racing with athletes scrambling for Collins Cup ranking points.

Ben Kanute (USA #4)’s usual spot at the head of the swim will be challenged by the likes of Sam Appleton (INT #4) and Daniel Baekkegard, who set a new course record at 70.3 Dubai in March – surpassing the times of Jan Frodeno (EUR #1), Alistair Brownlee (EUR #2) and Javier Gomez (EUR #9).

A fast swim will setup a strong front group with firepower from the likes of Florian Angert (EUR #10) and Rudy von Berg (USA #1) but they’re not likely to stay ahead for too long. A 10m draft rule plus the awesome strength of the second pack ­– with protagonists such as Andreas Dreitz (EUR #8), Lionel Sanders (INT #1), Sam Long (USA #5), Magnus Ditlev (EUR #12) and 70.3 Florida winner Bart Aernouts (EUR #27) – means it could all come together by T2.

If that’s the case, Sanders will surely be the one to beat – his winning form at 70.3 Texas shows he’s got the foot speed to stay ahead. However, he’ll be pushed all the way to the line by Baekkegard and Kanute. Meanwhile, as the sport’s fastest runner, Matt Hanson (USA #2) could oust the Canadian for the top spot – if the American’s back niggles don’t hurt his bike time like in 70.3 Florida.

Don’t count out the all-around talents of George Goodwin (EUR #7) – third at the PTO 2020 Championship – or Chris Leiferman (USA #3) to stay in contention nor the determination of Rudy Von Berg (USA #1) to defend his St. George title from 2019.

Women’s race

If the last five years of racing have taught us anything, it’s that when five-time 70.3 world champ and four-time Kona winner Daniela Ryf (EUR #1) is lining up, the rest of the field starts thinking about second place. Those who can see past Ryf’s star power will see taking her down as a big target, instantly making a bigger name for themselves catching the eyes of Collins Cup captains in the process.

Lauren Brandon (USA #14) and Pamella Oliveira (INT #11) will surely take their usual places leading the swim but the race will really get underway once out of the water with plenty of strong bike-runners ready to take on the challenging course.

Holly Lawrence (EUR #4) and Paula Findlay (INT #2) – who won this race in 2019 and 2018 respectively – will surely want to push the bike hard to get as far up the road as they can before Ryf charges onto the course along with the likes of Skye Moench (USA #3).

Whether those fastest out of T1 can stay away from Ryf until T2 will be a crucial factor in the overall standings – as will the positionings of superstar runners Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15), who just crushed 70.3 Florida, and Jeanni Metzler (INT #6), whose 1:15:26 in Texas a couple of weeks ago is the fourth-fastest 70.3 run of all time in the PTO record books.

Can Ryf be defeated? It’s too close to call, but anyone who can prove she’s human will have a major psychological boost ahead of more big competitions as the season progresses.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

Skye Moench in coming into the race as a real contender: “I think having a win at Texas 70.3 behind me will be to my advantage. Sure, it may put a target on my back with my competitors, but that performance gives me great confidence in my fitness, and will only help me push my hardest all day on the race course.”

George Goodwin on being on the other athletes’ radar: “I don’t think the result in Daytona changes my race planning or strategy at all. It may change how others see me now or plan their races but I can’t control that. The races are so fast and dynamic now you need to be flexible. As Mike Tyson once said – everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth!”

Sam Long on taking the USA #1 spot: “To earn the number one ranking I have to beat the best. St. George is an excellent opportunity to do that. Ultimately, the recipe is pretty simple. I need to position myself well at the start of the swim and execute. Then I just need to ride and run how I’m capable of.”

Rudy Von Berg on staying at the top: “I’m just focused on having my best performance on the day in St George, and even though I want to be as high as possible in the rankings, it all comes from my performances in racing… just me being competitive and wanting to beat everyone at any given race.”

Emma Pallant-Browne on racing St. George after her Florida victory: “I was really happy with my result in Florida, the conditions making for some tough racing and it was a good start to our short stint in America… Ironman 70.3 St. George has a super stacked field which will make for some awesome racing… I’m excited to push my body to the limit and see where I can end up, the game plan is to go hard and finish knowing I had nothing left to give at the end – except for maybe a smile.”

Ben Kanute on racing the best in St. George: “The field in St. George does not really change my race plan. I know to race my race, but will always make race time decisions. I know that if I can put myself in it at the end of the race, I can be competitive.”

Florian Angert on moving up the Team Europe roster: “After Daytona I was more motivated than ever to get back to training and racing… I know if I can put everything together on race day I have a good chance to move up the rankings and that’s my goal for the season!”

The post Race Preview: Ironman 70.3 St. George appeared first on PTO.

Under a scorching 29-degree Canary Islands sun, the day belonged to two Olympic gold medallists. Jan Frodeno (EUR #1) once again proved himself the worthy holder of the world #1 ranking by running away from a strong field to cross the line over a minute clear of Pablo Dapena (EUR #17) and Nick Kastelein (INT #26).

Meanwhile, Nicola Spirig broke away on the bike and put in the day’s fastest run to secure a dominant win by over five minutes, Sarissa de Vries (EUR #40) and Lisa Norden (EUR #18) rounding out the podium.

Men’s Podium
Jan Frodeno (EUR #1) – 3:41:21 (swim 21:45 / bike 2:05:36 / run 1:10:04)
Pablo Dapena (EUR #17) – 3:42:30 (swim 21:52 / bike 2:05:42 / run 1:10:58)
Nick Kastelein (INT #26) – 3:42:42 (swim 21:48 / bike 2:06:45 / run 1:09:58)

Women’s Podium
Nicola Spirig – 4:05:52 (swim 23:35 / bike 2:18:28 / run 1:19:31)
Sarissa de Vries (EUR #40) – 4:11:17 (swim 23:38 / bike 2:20:05 / run 1:23:01)
Lisa Norden (EUR #18) – 4:11:43 (swim 24:20 / bike 2:19:26 / run 1:23:23)

Men’s Race

Andrea Salvisberg led a string of athletes from the water including Jan Frodeno (EUR #1), Pablo Dapena (EUR #17) and Nick Kastelein (INT #26) with two-time Kona winner Patrick Lange (EUR #29) 46 seconds off the pace.

Frodeno initially took the lead on the bike but it wasn’t long before he was joined by the likes of Dapena and a handful of others hoping to stay on the champ’s wheel.

While Lange chased hard to limit his losses, Kastelein in close proximity, Frodeno loudly aired his frustration at being unable to get away from the group. Blitzing his transition, Frodeno was out of T2 first and wasted no time creating a gap on second place Dapena.

Lange and Kastelein dismounted their bikes with just over a minute to make up, running shoulder to shoulder and quickly moving up the order. By halfway, they were just 10 seconds behind Dapena, Frodeno over 90 seconds up the road.

From there, Lange turned the screws to drop Kastelein and Dapena, but it was a short-lived advantage – the Australian and Spanish athletes managed to re-take the German a couple of kilometres later, Dapena going on to eke out a small lead to Kastelein.

Ahead, the undisputed king of triathlon would be crowned winner once again. Frodeno crossed the tape in 3:41:21 after a 1:10:04 half marathon, collapsing to the ground after giving his all.

That winning run split was bested only by Frodeno’s training partner, Kastelein, but it wasn’t quite enough for the Australian to beat Dapena, who came home in second, 1:09 behind the leader. Kastelein rounded out the podium 12 seconds later, more than 20 seconds clear of Lange.

Frodeno’s continued domination shows the 39-year-old German is far from done. An extraordinary athlete with a true competitor’s mindset, anyone who’s going up against him in the Collins Cup will be aiming for second.

“Aw man what a race!” said Frodeno at the finish line. “What a course – it’s spectacular for sure, but I was on my limit… I was suffering hard today it was a very honest course.”

Women’s Race

In a more straightforward affair, the women’s race began with Sara Perez – who shone at Challenge Miami – taking out the swim in 23:25 to gain a slim 10-second lead over Nicola Spirig and Sarissa de Vries while Lisa Norden was 45 seconds behind.

Once out of T2, Spirig showed her biking prowess. On a road bike equipped with tri bars, the Swiss champion powered ahead to an early lead. Behind, Norden chased hard into second place, de Vries sticking close to her wheel.

After the day’s fastest bike split (2:18:28), Spirig got out onto the run with an advantage of 1:40 to de Vries and Norden, the race hers to lose. While de Vries slowly clawed seconds ahead of Norden, Spirig continued to fly, the gap up to over 2:40 by halfway and nearly five minutes as she entered the final kilometre.

Showing she remains one of the fiercest competitors on the circuit, the 39-year-old double Olympic medallist crossed the line in 4:05:52 with the day’s fastest run split of 1:19:31. Second place went to de Vries in 4:11:17, marking her out as one to watch, while Norden’s first outing of the season netted her third in 4:11:43.

While currently un-ranked, Spirig’s continued position as a force to be reckoned with across varying distances will surely have her on the shortlist for a captain’s pick at the Collins Cup this August.

The post Race Results: Challenge Mogán-Gran Canaria 2021 appeared first on PTO.

After a two-lap bay swim in turquoise waters, the bike course features over 1,700m of climbing. With few technical corners, the four-loop ride should favour athlete with a strong power-to-weight ratio. Finally, there’s a four-lap seafront run with plenty of turnarounds for competitors to eye-up the competition.

WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 24 April 2021
Location: Los Caideros, Gran Canaria, Spain
Time: 08:00 BST
Prize Money: €19,000 – pays 6 deep €3,500 to €500
Format: 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run
Course: Bay swim, hilly bike, flat run

Key Athletes:

EUROPE
Jan Frodeno (EUR #1) / Pieter Heemeryck (EUR #14) / Thomas Davis (EUR #15)
Katrina Matthews (EUR #8) / Maja Stage Nielsen (EUR #16) / Lisa Norden (EUR #18)

INTERNATIONAL
Nick Kastelein (INT #26)

THE BIG STORIES

Based on the form book, CHALLENGEGRANCANARIA will be led by world number one Jan Frodeno (EUR #1) but there are certainly a few athletes who will try to push the German out of his comfort zone.

Patrick Lange (EUR #29) is a two-time Kona winner but we’re yet to see him go shoulder to shoulder with Frodo when both are firing on all cylinders. If that’s the case here, we could see a great battle – and if Lange’s near his countryman by the finish, it’ll certainly make Collins Cup captains Normann Stadler and Chrissie Wellington take notice.

Of course, there’s more than this duel alone, with other European talent seeking prize money and points. Pieter Heemeryck (EUR #14) is the second-highest ranked Team Europe athlete on the start line and won this event in 2019. However, Britain’s Thomas Davis (EUR #15) is just one spot behind in the rankings and had a strong race at the PTO 2020 Championship where he beat the Belgian.

Four more top-20 ranked European athletes are also on the start list including Pablo Dapena Gonzalez (EUR # 17) – who won this race in 2018, Adam Bowden (EUR #18) and Frederic Funk (#EUR 19). This highlights the quality of the field in Gran Canaria – and how close the fight for Collins Cup points could be.

The women’s race should be packed with intrigue. Katrina Matthews (EUR #8) is the highest-ranked athlete on the start list and won here as an age grouper two years ago. The 2020 Ironman Florida champ also has her sights set firmly on Collins Cup qualification.

The Brit will face plenty of stiff competition including Maja Stage Nielsen (EUR #16). The Dane has proven form in hot conditions having come second at IM Cozumel and IM Lanzarote in 2019. She’s also been just shy of breaking the top-10 in Kona on three occasions.

We’ll also get to relive a classic rivalry thanks to the presence of 2012 gold and silver Olympic medallists, Lisa Norden (EUR #18) and Nicola Spirig. Norden, whose injury-forced exit from the PTO 2020 Championship last December packed an emotional gut punch, returns reinvigorated from training in neighbouring Fuertaventura. Meanwhile, Spirig, 39, is aiming to represent Switzerland at a fifth Olympic triathlon this summer.

Both women are powerhouses on the bike – Norden certainly has the edge in putting out the watts in the TT position but Spirig is an ace on the climb. Both women are serious runners too, so perhaps another sprint finish could be on the cards!

KEEP AN EYE ON

Nick Kastelein (INT #26) will be seeking to improve on his eighth-place finish at CHALLENGEMIAMI, where he didn’t have the day he wanted. Gran Canaria is also an opportunity for the Australian to get one over on his regular training partner, Frodeno.

While not yet ranked, middle-distance rookie Sara Perez Sala could certainly figure for the win in Gran Canaria. The former Olympic breaststroker showed in CHALLENGEMIAMI that she could hold onto the feet of super swimmer Lucy Charles-Barclay (EUR #3) and bike with her too, finishing in fourth.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

Katrina Matthews on returning to Gran Canaria:
With the Collins Cup selection high on my agenda for the next few months… I need to get some serious points on the board in order to stay in contention for selection. I know this race will offer a lot of great performances to showcase just how competitive Team Europe will be at the Collins Cup!

Nick Kastelein on firing on all cylinders:
I want a performance that reflects what my numbers show in training. If that happens, there’s nothing more I can do and I will be happy! To catch the attention of the captains, obviously to beat a big name or two would do it. But to lead from the front and empty the tank on the race course, that’s an attitude that I feel would impress.

Lisa Norden on returning from injury and contending for the Collins Cup:
Heartbreak is a part of the process in sport… Daytona obviously was a tough one but I bounced back OK… [Gran Canaria] has a really competitive field which is fantastic, it will be a good indicator of where things are at. To make Team Europe at the Collins Cup I’ll have to race out of my skin for a few races this season… as I haven’t raced so much, my ranking is a long way down. But you should never say never, challenge accepted!

The post Race Preview: Challenge Gran Canaria appeared first on PTO.

The men’s race came down to the wire with Bart Aernouts (EUR #27) just holding off a fast-closing Matt Hanson (USA #2) while Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15) took victory by over four minutes, marking her out as a serious Collins Cup contender.

Men’s Podium

Bart Aernouts (EUR #27) – 3:47:41 (swim 29:26 / bike 1:59:46 / run 1:13:01)
Matt Hanson (USA #2) – 3:48:19 (swim 27:51 / bike 2:04:42 / run 1:10:37)
Andreas Dreitz (EUR #8) – 3:49:03 (swim 27:27 / bike 1:58:37 / run 1:17:27)

Women’s Podium

Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15) – 4:18:47 (swim 28:33 / bike 2:17:53 / run 1:26:35)
Lesley Smith (USA #11) – 4:23:04 (swim 28:56 / bike 2:23:01 / run 1:24:12)
Heather Jackson (USA #6) – 4:27:41 (swim 30:32 / bike 2:17:25 / run 1:34:05)

Men’s Race

Neo-pro Alexander Khalamanov led from the water in an impressive 26:28, but the focus was on the uber-biker pairing of Andreas Dreitz (EUR #8) and Magnus Ditlev (EUR #12), who were only a minute down.

Despite racing hard in Texas last weekend, it was no surprise to see Dreitz quickly shoot to the top of the leaderboard on the bike, nor that Ditlev, he would DNF on the run, was on his wheel. The pair stretched their lead throughout the bike to reach T2 three-minutes clear of third-place Bart Aernouts (EUR #27), a talented runner with Kona-podium pedigree.

Dreitz was first off the bike, leaving transition at a storming pace but Aernouts was steadily eating into his lead. Meanwhile, Matt Hanson (USA #2) had 6:06 to make up, a tall order even for the man whose running speed strikes fear into hearts of every other competitor.

By eroding his deficit, Aernouts finally relegated Dreitz to second by 18km. Hanson, 1:16 back at the same point, charged hard, dipping under 3min/km pace as he hunted down Dreitz in the last 500m. While he overtook the German, he was 38 seconds shy of Aernouts, who claimed victory in 3:47:42, Dreitz taking third comfortably.

Aernouts’ strong 70.3 performance is sure to put him on the Collins Cup radar while Hanson yet again reinforces his Team USA auto-qualification spot with the day’s fastest run – a staggering 1:10:37.

Women’s race

More accustomed to sprint-distance racing, Sonja Catano’s swift 27:29 swim would’ve ranked her sixth in the men’s event. But the American’s lead was soon wiped out by Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15), who, as a renowned bike-runner, put in a strong swim herself, 20 seconds clear of the rest of the field.

Heather Jackson (USA #6) ­– two minutes behind out the water – soon pulled into second while Lesley Smith (USA #11) found herself riding away from the rest of the field in cahoots with compatriots Lisa Becharas (USA #19) and Mollie Hebda.

Coming into T2, Pallant-Browne had a 1:43 lead on Jackson despite the latter putting in the day’s fastest bike split – 2:17:25. By halfway through the run, the South Africa-based Brit had a five-minute lead on Jackson, but Pallant-Browne wasn’t the fastest mover on the course. That accolade went to Smith, who chomped away at her six-minute bike deficit to the higher-ranked Jackson, the 37-year-old making a statement of running prowess to the Collins Cup captains.

By 14km, Smith was in second, but Pallant-Browne’s lead was never under threat. The Brit crossed the line in 4:18:47 with a 4:17 margin of victory over Smith, who posted the day’s best run of 1:24:12. Jackson held tough for third, finishing another five minutes back.

While Team Europe is surely the most competitive Collins Cup squad to make, Pallant-Browne’s complete performance in Florida has sent a clear message that all the women above her in the table should watch their backs.

The post Race Results: Ironman 70.3 Florida appeared first on PTO.

Sanders, currently #1 in the Team Internationals rankings for the rescheduled Collins Cup, fulfilled expectations with his win while Team USA #3 Moench produced a typically impressive performance.

Sanders and Moench both finished over a minute clear as they claimed their victories, but it was their consistency across all three legs which was the backbone of their success.

Neither athlete recorded the quickest time for any of the three disciplines, but their unwavering pace throughout the race guaranteed glory.

To highlight the strengths of different athletes throughout the men’s and women’s fields in Texas, we have created a ‘Dream Relay’ for both races, made up of the quickest individuals in each discipline.

Women

Swim: Lauren Brandon (25:55)

Team USA #15 Lauren Brandon was unable to finish the race in Texas, but she set a blistering time for the swim.

Lauren has built a strong reputation for her prowess in the water, and she again came up with the goods in Texas thanks to a stunning 25:55 split.

She was more than 30 seconds clear of compatriot Rachel Olson and Team Internationals #11 Pamella Oliveira as she exited the water, completing the 1.9km leg more than three minutes quicker than eventual race winner Moench.

Bike: Kimberley Morrison (2:15:58)

It was the turn of Team Europe #21 Kimberley Morrison to showcase her ability on the bike, as she scorched to the front of the field from eighth position.

Morrison set a scintillating pace over the 90km leg, clocking a 2:15:58 split as she overhauled Brandon to open up a healthy lead.

The British athlete was nearly two minutes clear of veteran Dede Griesbauer and even further ahead of Moench heading into T2.

Run: Jeanni Metzler (1:15:26)

Moench set about reeling in the frontrunners on foot, forcing her way into the lead by the halfway point of the 21.1km run.

Her pace over the final leg was enough to see her clinch a well-deserved victory, but it was second-placed Jeanni Metzler who recorded the fastest time for the run.

Astonishingly, the Team Internationals #6 shaved over five minutes off Moench’s time for the leg, stopping the clock at a staggering 1:15:26.

The women’s ‘Dream Relay’ would have finished 9:38 ahead of Moench, in a time of 4:00:23

Men

Swim: Ben Kanute (24:59)

Ben Kanute powered into an early lead in Texas with a phenomenal effort over the 1.9km swim.

The Team USA #6 exhibited his world-class ability in the water to clock a 24:59 and head into T1 with a 15-second lead over the chasing trio of Andre Kelly, Justin Metzler and Michael Arishata.

Kanute was more than a minute and a half quicker than race winner Sanders over the leg, with the eventual victory going into the transition in 15th position.

Bike: Sam Long (1:59:57)

Sam Long and Sanders enjoyed a series of ‘King of the Mountain’ Strava battles during lockdown last year, and the pair were two of the three quickest athletes on the bike in Texas.

Sanders worked his way up the field to register a swift 2:01:44, but it was Long who clocked the quickest time over the leg as he was the only athlete to go sub-two hours.

Team USA #5 Long was well down the field after the swim, but forced himself into contention with a time of 1:59:57 for the 90km bike leg.

Run: Matthew Hanson (1:09:15)

Sanders was quick to assert himself on the run, moving to the front of the pack and opening a small gap to Long.

The American fought to stay in touch but couldn’t match Sanders’ fabled speed on foot as the Canadian romped to victory.

One athlete who did manage to surpass Sanders’ pace though was Matt Hanson, who clocked a 1:09:15 split – more than two minutes faster than Sanders.

The Team USA #2 was just a handful of seconds off a podium finish as he produced a ferocious run to overtake Team Europe #8 Andreas Dreitz and Marcus Herbst to cross the line in fourth.

The men’s ‘Dream Relay’ would have been 5:20 quicker than Sanders, completing the race in a time of 3:37:00.

The post Dream Relay: Ironman 70.3 Texas appeared first on PTO.

Salthouse, currently #4 in the Team Internationals rankings for the rescheduled Collins Cup, was impressive once again as she added yet another win to her 2021 haul, while Neumann produced a powerful run to clinch his first victory of the year.

Despite Neumann (ranked #12 for Team Internationals) crossing the line almost four minutes clear, he wasn’t the quickest athlete over any of the three legs. Instead his consistent pace throughout the day proved decisive.

Salthouse’s times for the bike and run legs were also eclipsed by athletes further down the finishing order, but she still claimed a dominant success overall.

We have created a ‘Dream Relay’ for both the men’s and women’s races, made up of the quickest athletes in each discipline.

Women

Swim: Ellie Salthouse (27:11)

Coming into the race off the back of victories at Hell of the West, Geelong and Big Husky, Salthouse was a strong favourite at Shepparton.

It was perhaps no surprise then that she emerged from the waters of Victoria Park Lake leading the field – albeit just two seconds clear of Team Internationals #14 Grace Thek.

The duo opened up a lead of well over a minute to the chasing pack, with Salthouse clocking a time of 27:11 for the leg.

Bike: Penny Slater (2:18:13)    

Once on the bike, Ellie was formidable once again as she managed to race clear of Thek, building a 1:15 lead by the halfway point of the 90km leg.

Penny Slater was by then her nearest competitor, with the Australian overhauling Thek as she set a blistering pace to force herself into contention.

After registering a 2:18:13 split – the fastest of any athlete – Slater had Salthouse in her sights heading into T2.

Run: Grace Thek (1:18:34)       

Despite pressure from Slater heading into the early stages of the run, Salthouse was in complete control as she capped an imperious display with another fine leg.

She finished almost four minutes clear of her rival, crossing the line in an excellent time of 4:09:13.

But it was Thek who claimed the fastest time for the run, as she stormed past Team Internationals #22 Renee Kiley into third to earn a spot on the podium, clocking a 1:18:34 for the 21.1km leg.

The women’s ‘Dream Relay’ would have finished 2:30 ahead of race winner Salthouse, in a time of 4:06:43.

Men

Swim: Trent Thorpe (23:15)

Josh Amberger (Team Internationals #21) and Trent Thorpe (Internationals #24) demonstrated their considerable strength through the water as the pair powered into an early lead in Shepparton.

Opening up a gap of over a minute to their rivals, the duo exited the water in close proximity, with Thorpe stopping the clock at 23:15 for the leg.

Unfortunately, after such an imposing start, Thorpe later pulled up on the run and was unable to finish the race.

Bike: Josh Amberger (2:04:14)

Amberger went on to take command of the race on the bike, pulling away from Thorpe in a statement of intent.

Behind him, eventual race winner Neumann made a move for second place, moving to within striking distance of Amberger by the time the leader had reached T2.

Despite Neumann’s resurgent effort, Amberger was still the quickest athlete over the leg, registering a time of 2:04:14, just over half a minute superior to his rival for the win.

Run: Caleb Noble (1:09:57)    

Neumann may have taken the plaudits after romping home to claim victory with a barnstorming run, but it was an athlete further down the field who was fastest of all over the leg.

Caleb Noble earned the accolade of quickest run time for the day as he forced his way into a commendable fifth-place finish.

Neumann averaged an eye-watering 3:20 per km to clock 1:10:23 for the 21.1km course, but such was Noble’s speed that he shaved 26 seconds off the winner’s time for the leg.

The men’s ‘’Dream Relay’ would have been 2:26 quicker than Neumann, finishing in a time of 3:40:11.

The post Dream Relay: CHALLENGESHEPPARTON appeared first on PTO.

This year’s event in Haines City is the first edition to have a pro field since 2014 and with the enormous appetite to race any solid fixture on the calendar, nearly 40 men and 20 women are ready to fight it out.

Some highly ranked PTO athletes will be making the trip to gain Collins Cup qualification points as well as to fast-track race experience after a barren season before major competitions later in the year.

WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: April 18
Location: Haines City, Florida, USA
Time: 11:50am BST
Prize Money: $30,000 – pays 9 deep $4,000 to $750
Format: 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run
Course: Lake swim, flat bike, flat run

KEY ATHLETES

USA

Matt Hanson (USA #2) / Justin Metzler (USA 11)
Skye Moench (USA #3) / Heather Jackson (USA #6) / Lesley Smith (USA #11)

Europe

Joe Skipper (EUR #5) / Andreas Dreitz (EUR #8)
Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15)

International

Jackson Laundry (INT #16) / Taylor Reid (INT #20) / Bradley Weiss (INT #27)
Jeanni Metzler (INT #6)

THE BIG STORIES

In the men’s race, seven of the top 10 in Texas are down to start in Florida. Matt Hanson (USA #2) is the top seed and will be searching for less of a deficit coming off the bike than in Galveston. That could be a tough ask, though, as Joe Skipper (EUR #5), Andreas Dreitz (EUR #8) and Magnus Ditlev (EUR #12) are sure to push the pace on two wheels.

If Hanson can limit his losses, however, his current position of being the sport’s fastest runner could well give him victory and add yet more points to back-up his Collins Cup auto qualification. We can only hope that a close-knit pack comes out of T2 together so we can see a serious battle – hopefully between Hanson for Team USA, Skipper for Team Europe and Jackson Laundry (INT #16), the highest-ranked Internationals athlete.

The women’s race also has several Texas finishers on the start list including the winner in Galveston, Skye Moench (USA #3), second place Jeanni Metzler (INT #6) and fourth place Heather Jackson (USA #6). Add in a return to racing for the fresh legs of Emma Pallant-Browne (EUR #15) and there’s plenty of depth in the field.

With Metzler being the swifter swimmer, it’s likely she’ll have the bike course to herself to begin with, but given Moench rode 7:43 into her in Texas, it’s a fair bet the South African will be playing catch-up by the run. However, with the bike-run prowess of Pallant-Browne in the mix, the women’s race could deliver a fascinating pre-Collins Cup matchup.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Jackson Laundry (INT #16) had the day’s second-fastest run in Texas, his 1:10:52 half marathon faster than winner Lionel Sanders (INT #1) and bested only by Hanson. That’s a split that’s sure to catch the attention of Collins Cup Team Internationals captains.

Taylor Reid (INT #20) had a string of great results in 2019, coming top-five in no less than seven 70.3 events. If he can recapture that form in a post-lockdown world, he’s certainly a podium threat with the consistency to be considered for a captain’s pick.

Lesley Smith (USA #11) has 11 70.3 podiums to her name, was 22nd in Kona 2019, the same placing in Challenge Daytona 2020 and 12th in Miami. She’s got the experience form to threaten the best in Haines City and make a bid for Collins Cup selection.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

Emma Pallant-Browne on getting back to racing: “I am really looking forward to Florida, it’s been a pretty big task to get the travel organised but once we are safely there, I can’t wait to put everything I have into a race and get the best result I can! I love to race and I think all the girls on the start-list will be thinking the same and giving their all!”

Taylor Reid on how to get on the radar of the Collins Cup captains: “With such an amazing Internationals team, the only way to get the attention of the captains is to get to the front and show them you have the guts to race with the best in the world. A few wins and podiums will be key to catching their eye – and I will be giving everything in Florida to get onto the podium.”

Lesley Smith on how she’ll make her mark for the Collins Cup in Florida: “I think I can show the captains that, namely since around Daytona, my fitness and performance level continue to be on the up and up.”

The post Race Preview: Ironman 70.3 Florida appeared first on PTO.

With athletes finally untethered to show their form at a 70.3 event in the USA, there was plenty of action to secure Collins Cup points and the attention of team captains in Galveston while Australian powerhouses vied for Team Internationals recognition down under.

Challenge Shepparton 2021 Race Results

The only Challenge event in Australia, Shepperton was back after a two-year hiatus and provided more competitive racing action with top PTO athletes going head-to-head.

Ellie Salthouse (INT #4) once again dominated to take four wins in a row while Max Neumann (INT #25) put in an outstanding run to secure victory.

Men’s Podium

Max Neumann (INT #25) – 3:42:37 (swim 24:37 / bike 2:04:52 / run 1:10:23)
Josh Amberger (INT #21) – 3:46:14 (swim 23:25 / bike 2:04:15 / run 1:16:14)
Steve McKenna (INT #12) – 3:47:07 (swim 24:37 / bike 02:07:36 / run 1:12:33)

Women’s Podium

Ellie Salthouse (INT #4) – 4:09:13 (swim 27:11 / bike 2:18:53 / run 1:20:24)
Penny Slater (INT) – 4:14:02 (swim 28:33 / bike 2:18:13 / run 1:24:11)
Grace Thek (INT #13) – 4:15:33 (swim 27:13 / bike 2:26:52 / run 1:18:34)

THE BIG STORIES

Men’s Race

Trent Thorpe (INT #24) and Josh Amberger (INT #21) were the first to sprint from Victoria Park Lake, the young Kiwi once again edging ahead of Amberger to signal his place as one of the sport’s finest swimmers – a fact that’s sure to resonate with Collins Cup captains.

Once on the bike, however, Amberger hit back and revealed his game plan – go all out. Riding away from Thorpe, who would later DNF, he powered ahead to a minute’s lead while Max Neumann (INT #25) chased hard into second place.

Amberger’s 2:04:15 bike split was the best of the day, giving him a lead of two minutes as he began the run – backing up his credentials as a swim-bike powerhouse and his potential worth to Team Internationals at the Collins Cup.

Neumann’s terrifying pace out of T2 quickly chomped away at the deficit while 70.3 Geelong winner Steve McKenna (INT #12) – who had dislocated his toe coming out of the swim – moved into third.

Having cruised past Amberger into first, Neumann didn’t let up for a moment, his 1:10:23 run six minutes faster than his compatriot. The current Ironman Asia-Pacific Champion crossed the line in 3:46:14 with a comfortable winning margin of over three-and-a-half minutes to Amberger, who just managed to stay clear of McKenna, besting him by less than a minute.

“Long few months between one of these but happy to get the first win of 2021,” posted Neumann afterwards. “Tough old day out and 20m draft rule made for some ‘everyman for himself’ sort of racing… Onwards to Cairns in June.”

Women’s Race

In the women’s race, Ellie Salthouse (INT #4) underlined her position as the middle-distance athlete of the moment with a wire-to-wire win in Shepparton – and further cementing her chances for automatic Collins Cup selection.

Leading from the water in 27:11 with Grace Thek (INT #13) in tow, Salthouse was soon up the road in solo mode. Penny Slater, sixth out the water, made the biggest in-roads on the bike and would go on to ride the day’s fastest split. By T2, Salthouse had one minute on Slater, almost three to Renee Kiley (INT #22) and over eight minutes on Thek, who had dropped down the rankings on the bike.

Imperious as she’d been in her previous three victories, Salthouse put in a strong, unchallenged run to cross the line 4:09:13, almost five minutes clear of second-place Slater. Behind them, Thek’s ferocious running pace saw her pass Kiley, her 1:18:34 split the day’s fastest and rewarded with the final spot on the podium.

“Feeling relieved, excited, proud and pretty exhausted after today’s efforts,” posted Salthouse after the race. “So happy to have been able to continue my 2021 streak and hold the banner above my head again… I think it’s time to put the legs up and have a bit of a break.”

ROUND-UP

Steve McKenna might’ve been seeking a second win after 70.3 Geelong, but a 1:12 run split with a dislocated toe shows both athleticism and grit that would make any Collins Cup captain take notice!

Caleb Noble once again showed he’s a weapon on the run, the Australian champs bronze medallist clocking the day’s fastest split of 1:09:57.

Grace Thek’s bike time, which she described as “let’s-not-talk-about-it”, might have been a little slower than we’re used to seeing but the day’s fastest 1:18:34 run was simply sensational, outdoing Salthouse by 1:50.

Ironman 70.3 Texas Race Results

The flat, fast course at 70.3 Texas often rewards pure power, but with such a deep, strong field turning out, there was plenty of action to keep up the intrigue.

While Lionel Sanders (INT #1) and Skye Moench (USA #4) proved themselves the event’s class acts, last-moment shake-ups of the podium in both the men’s and women’s races kept us guessing right to the line.

Men’s Podium

Lionel Sanders (INT #1) – 3:42:20 (swim 26:36 / bike 2:01:44 / run 1:11:11)
Ben Kanute (USA #6) – 3:43:21 (swim 24:59 / bike 2:03:47 / run 1:12:06)
Sam Long (USA #4) – 3:43:26 (swim 28:26 / bike 1:59:58 / run 1:12:32)

Women’s Podium

Skye Moench (USA #4) – 4:10:01 (swim 29:06 / bike 2:17:08 / run 1:20:43)
Jeanni Metzler (INT #10) – 4:11:18 (swim 27:40 / bike 2:24:52 / run 1:15:27)
Sophie Watts (USA) – 4:13:00 (swim 27:15 / bike 2:22:31 / run 1:19:45)

THE BIG STORIES

Men’s Race

In the men’s race, a fast swim from Ben Kanute (USA #6) meant a 10-second lead onto the bike, which he began to extend as the flat, fast bike course got underway. Pre-race favourite Lionel Sanders (INT #1) was down by 1:44 when he rolled out of T1 with Sam Long (USA #4) 3:28 from the front.

With plenty of strong bikers and a tailwind for company, Sanders began to rip through the field, pushing to the front of a small, powerful group after the halfway turnaround. But the Canadian star wasn’t the only one showing his bike prowess. Sam Long – 22nd onto the road – was lighting it up and closed the gap despite the buffeting headwind to take the lead by T2 with a 1:59:58 bike split, the day’s fastest.

Once on the run, it took only a couple of kilometres for Sanders to overhaul Long and take the lead while Kanute quickly established himself in third place. Sanders’ unconventional running style proving astoundingly effective, the Canadian stormed onwards, increasing his lead towards the tape to take a convincing win in 3:42:20.

With his improved swim, colossal bike power and outstanding running, Sanders once again backed up his position as Team Internationals’ strongest athlete and a fearsome competitor for any Collins Cup matchup.

“Really good battle out there today – had to fight for every inch!” posted Sanders after the race. “Congrats to @benkanute and @samgolong on great performances. Very thankful to be back racing!”

Behind Sanders, the podium seemed established – but Kanute refused to settle for the bottom step. With around 5km to go, he ratcheted up the pace just as he did in Miami. Giving us a thrilling finish, Kanute got Long in his sights with just 1km to go. Utilising his fast finish – and perhaps Long’s tiring legs after that mammoth bike effort – he edged past his compatriot to take second, a minute behind Sanders and just five seconds ahead of Long.

Women’s Race

Lauren Brandon (USA #15) was first from the water with an impressive 41-second lead but once on the bike, it was all about Kimberley Morrison (EUR #21). The British time trial specialist made short work of wresting the lead and then extending it.

Behind, Skye Moench (USA #4) started to slice time off her 2:25 swim deficit, pushing past defending champion Jeanni Metzler (INT #10), to move up into third.

A fast transition gave Morrison a 2:04 lead onto the run course, which Moench immediately began to chip away at. By halfway, Moench had made the front while 70.3 rookie Sophie Watts moved into third with her sights on Morrison.

Despite ceding 6:30 to Moench on the bike, Metzler found her comfort zone on the run. Clocking a stupendous 3:28/km pace, the South African flew up the rankings and into the podium placings with less than 5km to go.

There was no stopping Moench though, the 2019 Ironman European Champion showing indomitable strength to take the win in 4:10:01. It was certainly a complete performance, outdoing everyone to prove herself the top Team USA competitor in a stacked field.

“SO grateful to cross the line first! Breaking the tape is something special,” posted Moench. Then referring to her finish line photo and reflecting on the shattered elbow that she sustained in a bike crash in September 2019, she added: “Looking at this pic, I can’t help but see my bent elbow, but it’s a sweet reminder of what I’ve overcome since the last time I won a race.”

Behind, Metzler continued her charge, the day’s fastest run split of 1:15:27 easing her into second by the line and marking herself out as a serious weapon in the final discipline. Meanwhile, Watts showed great promise to round out the podium in her first-ever 70.3.

ROUND-UP

True to form, Matt Hanson (USA #2) was once again the fastest mover on the run course. His incredible average pace of 3:11 per km (5:08 per mile) resulted in him cutting his deficit from 3:25 to 1:15 by the time he crossed the line in fourth. He’ll certainly be a match-up to fear in the Collins Cup this August.

Showing laudable commitment to performance, Joe Skipper (EUR #5), who was shown a penalty card on the bike, decided to test himself against the best and be DQ’d rather than sit out for five minutes. He was eighth across the line and is surely in with a good chance of a captain’s pick given he’s both Europe and world #5.

It might have been a debut long-course race for Sophie Watts, but this strong all-around performance means she’s certainly one to watch in future events and a name we’re likely to see rising up the PTO World Rankings.

The post Weekend Wrap – 10-11 April appeared first on PTO.

Ironman 70.3 Texas 2021 Preview

While several postponed races have slowed the start of 70.3 racing in the USA this year, the upside is that a stellar field of highly ranked PTO athletes will be competing in this weekend’s de-facto season opener in Galveston.

There’s $30,000 on the line as well as a chance for athletes to test their fitness and see who’s fared best through this most extraordinary off-season.

RACE INFORMATION – WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 11 April
Location: Galveston, Texas, USA
Time: 11:45 GMT
Prize Money: $30,000 – pays 8 deep $4,000 to $750
Format: 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run
Course: Sea swim, flat bike, flat run

KEY ATHLETES

USA:

Matt Hanson (USA #2) / Sam Long (USA #4) / Ben Kanute (USA #6)
Skye Moench (USA #4) / Jackie Hering (USA #5) / Heather Jackson (USA #7)

Europe:

Joe Skipper (EUR #5) / Andreas Dreitz (EUR #8) / Magnus Ditlev (EUR #12)
Kimberley Morrison (EUR #40)

International:

Lionel Sanders (INT #1) / Sam Appleton (INT #4) / Jackson Laundry (INT #16)
Sarah Crowley (INT #3) / Jeanni Metzler (INT #10) / Pamella Oliveira (INT #16)

THE BIG STORIES

With a who’s who descending on Galveston, there will be plenty of intrigue from big-time performers going blow-for-blow to inter-team rivalries for Collins Cup points.

The men’s race is headlined by Lionel Sanders (INT #1) who showed himself second only to the great Jan Frodeno (EUR #1) at CHALLENGEMIAMI. While some swifter swimmers like Ben Kanute (USA #6) will be up the road, between Sanders, Sam Long (USA #4), Joe Skipper (EUR #5), Matt Hanson (USA #2), Andreas Dreitz (EUR #8) and Magnus Ditlev (EUR #12), there’s some serious firepower on the bike, so expect things to come down to a very competitive run.

Once on that half marathon, everyone will be eyeing Hanson, who’s shown himself – both in Daytona and Miami – as the sport’s fastest runner against the world’s best. The good news for us is that Sanders will turn himself inside out if they hit the course together while Britain’s Joe Skipper could give us a preview of a Collins Cup match-up against his International and USA counterparts.

The women’s race is also stacked. Unable to show her best in Daytona and Miami, Sarah Crowley (INT #3) will be looking to this longer distance to unlock her form and will have tough competition from fellow Internationals team hopeful, Jeanni Metzler (INT #10) – née Seymour – who won 70.3 Texas in 2019.

Meanwhile, the American trio of Skye Moench (USA #4), Jackie Hering (USA #5) and Heather Jackson (USA #7) and will be fighting it out to top the Team USA leaderboard in a race not just for Collins Cup points, but the attention of team captains Karen Smyers and Mark Allen.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Sam Long is one of the sport’s biggest personalities and ‘The Big Unit’, who skipped CHALLENGEMIAMI to continue his prep, will be looking for a big performance. He’s currently ranked USA #4, which means automatic qualification for the Collins Cup, but is only a point ahead of nearest challenger – and Kona podium-getter – Timothy O’Donnell.

Magnus Ditlev has been steadily moving up the rankings and now sits in EUR #12. Galveston’s flat bike course could provide the Dane another chance to show he’s a totally new breed of uber-biker that could force everyone to raise their game or get left behind. That makes him a tempting pick for Collins Cup captains Normann Stadler and Chrissie Wellington.

Much like Ditlev in the men’s race, Britain’s Kimberley Morrison (EUR #40) will likely tear things up on the bike. She has the third-fastest 70.3 bike split ever (2:08:21 in Dubai 2017) and Texas has been good to her with a win here in 2017 and a fifth place at Ironman Texas in 2019.

UP AND COMING

As if the women’s race wasn’t competitive enough, keep an eye out for Great Britain’s Simone Mitchell, who turned pro in 2019 but hasn’t raced since breaking both the bike and overall course record to win at Ironman Wales in September that year.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Rachel Olsen will want to put in a strong home-race performance. She’s been training hard in Tucson, Arizona, with partner Andre Lopes and the likes of Sam Long, sharing their stories on the Chasing Triathlon YouTube channel.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

Sam Long on his first hit-out of the year: “I sat out Miami to properly prep and periodise the year. I am now fit and ready. I want to prove I can compete with the top dogs. An awesome match up at Collins Cup would be Joe Skipper, Lionel and myself. This will be a pre match of what I think could be fireworks.”

Joe Skipper on making his mark for Collins Cup selection:
“To be honest, with Europe being so strong, the only thing that will catch the team Europe captains is a win in dominating fashion, anything else will go unnoticed!

Skye Moench on proving herself the best USA athlete in Texas:
“To come out on top in Texas, it’s going to take my full focus and effort all day. I think the biggest American competition will be Jackie Hering. She showed at Challenge Miami a few weeks ago that she is in good form and ready to race.”

Sarah Crowley on flying the flag for Team Internationals in the USA:
“After Daytona, I realised that there would be more opportunity for racing top-ranked athletes from the other teams in the US. So, I have remained here to put myself amongst it and so that I can adapt my training to be ready and in form for the Collins Cup in August. Texas is one step in this plan.”

CHALLENGESHEPPARTON 2021 Preview

Also taking place this weekend, the Australian triathlon season continues with the country’s next big name triathlon race – CHALLENGESHEPPARTON, which was last run in 2018.

Held around 200km north of Melbourne’s golden beaches, CHALLENGESHEPPARTON offers a rare lake swim and has drawn a strong field of the country’s top long-course talent who will duke it out to take home a slice of the AUD $20,000 prize purse.

RACE INFORMATION – WHAT’S THE LOWDOWN?

Date: 11 April
Location: Shepparton, Victoria, Australia
Time: 22:35 GMT (Saturday 10 April)
Prize Money: AUD $20,000 – pays 5 deep $4,000 to $500
Format: 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run
Course: Lake swim, flat bike, flat run

KEY ATHLETES

International:

Steve McKenna (INT #12) / Simon Hearn (INT #14) / Josh Amberger (INT #21)
Ellie Salthouse (INT #4) / Amelia Watkinson (INT #5) / Grace Thek (INT #13)

THE BIG STORIES

Provided there are no last-minute COVID restrictions put in place, we’ll see the continuing battle of Australia’s top long course triathletes in Shepparton.

The women’s race will offer Kiwi Amelia Watkinson (INT #5) another shot at taking down her Aussie rival Ellie Salthouse (INT #4), who is planning to head stateside to continue her 2021 campaign and reinforce her Collins Cup positioning.

It’ll be a tough ask for Watkinson, however, as Salthouse has shown powerful form to outshine all competition in 2021. Recent victories at the Big Husky Australian champs and 70.3 Geelong put the Kiwi into second on both occasions while Salthouse also won in Shepparton back in 2016.

In the men’s race, Steve McKenna (INT #12) will have the target on his back following his breakthrough win in Geelong. But he’ll face tough competition from Australian champ Simon Hearn (INT #14) and Max Neumann (INT #25), a two-time 70.3 victor and current Ironman Asia-Pacific champion following his maiden long-course victory in Cairns last September.

Josh Amberger (INT #21) and New Zealand’s Trent Thorpe (INT #24) will also be a big factor in setting up the race, with both athletes’ swift swimming offering Team Internationals captains a potential tactical pick for the Collins Cup.

KEEP AN EYE ON

In 2018, the last time Challenge Shepparton took place, Levi Maxwell took a convincing win and course record in 3:46:43 while Grace Thek (INT #13) took silver that year.

Caleb Noble showed real strength to best McKenna and take bronze at the Big Husky a few weeks ago, so he’s certainly one to watch in Shepparton.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

Steve McKenna on proving he’s bigger than his 70.3 Geelong win alone:
“I’m just going to keep aiming to improve as rapidly as I have been and keep telling myself this is just the beginning with the sky being the limit. I still see so much to work on from my Geelong performance, I’m bloody hungry and want captains to expect many more breakthroughs.”

Ellie Salthouse on being the one to beat in Shepparton:
“I feel as though I perform best under pressure, so having a target on my back doesn’t scare me. I plan to go out at Challenge Shepparton and race hard from the start, the way I always do. Of course, there will be other girls on that start line who want to win, but ultimately it will come down to who wants it the most. I hope that another dominant performance can prove that I’m ready to take on the best from Teams Europe and USA come August”

The post Weekend Preview: Ironman 70.3 Texas & Challenge Shepparton appeared first on PTO.

There were impressive performances across the field in both the men’s and women’s races, as the athletes completed the 70.3-mile course.

Steven McKenna’s victory must be largely accredited to a rapid final leg, while Ellie Salthouse’s consistent excellence across all three disciplines saw her claim a dominant win.

We have created a ‘Dream Relay’ for both the men’s and women’s races, made up of the quickest athletes in each discipline.

Men

Swim: Trent Thorpe (21:33)

Trent Thorpe demonstrated his considerable prowess through the water during the opening leg at Geelong.

The New Zealander raced to the front of the field with Josh Amberger, clocking a time of 21:33 as he edged his Australian rival by three seconds out of Corio Bay.

The leading pair were nearly a minute clear of third place, while eventual winner McKenna trailed by almost two minutes.

Bike: Tim Van Berkel (2:08:18)

Tim Van Berkel, who exited the water in close proximity to McKenna, joined his fellow countryman in hunting down Thorpe over the 90km cycle.

The chasing group that also included Tim Reed set a scintillating pace, eating away at Thorpe’s lead before catching him to form a seven-man cluster heading into T2.

There were some exceptionally quick times among the contingent that closed up to Thorpe, but it was Van Berkel who registered the quickest time for the second leg.

The PTO World #39 recorded a time of 2:08:18, just one second quicker than Lachlan Kerin who finished the day in ninth place.

Run: Steven McKenna (1:10:53)

McKenna showcased his pace on the bike to give himself a chance of victory at Geelong, but it was his lightning speed on the run that made his maiden IRONMAN 70.3 triumph a certainty.

Surrounded by a host of top athletes, McKenna slowly ramped up the pace to overhaul Reed and run clear of his rivals.

The 29-year-old finished the 21.1km run in 1:10:53, nearly a minute quicker than second placed Thorpe.

The men’s ‘Dream Relay’ would have finished in 3:44:44, eclipsing McKenna’s time by 2:01.

Women

Swim: Ellie Salthouse (25:00)

Salthouse spearheaded a leading quartet of Grace Thek, Stephanie Demestichas and Amelia Watkinson out of the water at Geelong.

The PTO World #21 clocked 25:00 for the 1.9km leg, just five seconds swifter than Thek.

Demestichas and Watkinson were also within 11 seconds, leaving Salthouse with plenty to do over the remaining two legs to claim top spot on the podium.

Bike: Ellie Salthouse (2:19:18)

In a similar vein to the PTO-supported Big Husky, the duo of Salthouse and Watkinson broke clear on the bike to open up a comfortable lead.

Watkinson briefly threatened to leave Salthouse, but the latter’s pace was too strong over the 90km course.

Salthouse finished the leg in 2:19:18, 1:17 faster than Watkinson who was the next quickest athlete over the second leg.

Run: Ellie Salthouse (1:19:04)

Salthouse was once again superior to all her rivals over the final leg, setting an electrifying pace on the 21.1km run.

The Australian crossed the line over five minutes clear of second placed Watkinson to claim victory and improve on her runner-up finish at Geelong in 2019.

Salthouse’s time of 1:19:04 for the final leg was 1:35 faster than Grace Thek’s effort – the second quickest run of the day.

Our ‘Dream Relay’ consists of Ellie, Ellie and Ellie, as she came home in 4:09:30. – the PTO World #21 did lose 95 seconds to Watkinson over the two transitions. showing there are still areas Salthouse can improve her game.

But based purely on her swim, bike and run times, Salthouse was undoubtedly the fastest athlete at Geelong.

The post Dream Relay: IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong appeared first on PTO.

Both the men’s and women’s races produced some compelling individual battles, with some of the world’s strongest triathletes competing over full distance.

Hannah Wells and Braden Currie produced electrifying pace ‘on land’ to seal their respective victories, but they were made to work hard after some rapid swim times on the opening leg.

We have created a ‘Dream Relay’ for both the men’s and women’s races, made up of the strongest performers in each discipline.

Women

Swim: Rebecca Clarke (48:38)

Rebecca Clarke’s scintillating time for the first leg in New Zealand was a reminder of her frightening pace in the water.

A veteran at middle distance while still a threat over longer races, Rebecca strung together a commendable display to finish second behind Wells.

She led the PTO World Ranked #29 by more than five minutes exiting the fresh, blue waters of Lake Taupo, after completing the 3.8km course in 48:38.

Bike: Hannah Wells (4:50:40)

Hannah Wells began chipping away at the deficit to Clarke as soon as she mounted the bike for the 90km cycle through the Lake Taupo District.

The eventual winner overhauled her compatriot as she asserted herself as by far the quickest athlete ‘on land’.

Her time of 4:50:40 for the bike leg was 11:28 quicker than Clarke, and more than 20 minutes swifter than third-place finisher Emily McNaughtan.

Run: Hannah Wells (3:10:50)

Hannah was all-conquering yet again on the run, as she continued her remarkable streak of finishing on the podium every time she has crossed the finish line in professional triathlon.

Her first full-distance victory will no doubt see her climb the PTO World Rankings, while her blistering time of 3:10:50 for the final leg is sure to catch the eye of the Team Internationals captains ahead of the rescheduled Collins Cup this August.

Wells was some 6:50 quicker than Clarke over the final leg as she claimed victory.

The women’s ‘Dream Relay’ would have finished 5:16 clear of Wells, in a sensational time of 8:56:33.

Men

Swim: Kyle Smith (46:32)

Kyle Smith eventually came home in third position, but the 23-year-old led the field out of the water after a strong opening leg.

The PTO World Ranked #33 completed the 3.8km course in 46:32 and was nearly a minute clear of two former IRONMAN New Zealand winners in Currie and Mike Phillips.

Bike: Mike Phillips (4:23:28)

Once in the saddle, PTO World Ranked #25 Phillips joined Currie in hunting down Smith, and the leading trio ended the 90km leg in close proximity.

Phillips was marginally quickest as he clocked 4:23:28, just 18 seconds faster than eventual winner Currie. Smith was just another two seconds slower than Currie as the race really heated up going into the final leg.

Phillips’ performance on the bike was the basis for his second-place finish.

Run: Braden Currie (2:40:46)

It was Currie who stole the show on the final leg, with his speedy T2 setting the tone for a powerful and decisive run.

The 2017 winner averaged 3:49 per km as he stormed to top step on the podium, finishing the 42.2km run in 2:40:46.

Currie was 9:05 quicker than Phillips, with fourth-placed Jack Moody the closest challenger for the quickest run of the day as he registered a notable 2:42:14.

Small margins would make the difference for the men’s ‘Dream Relay’, which would have completed the course in 7:55:57, 1:15 ahead of Currie.

The post Dream Relay: Ironman New Zealand appeared first on PTO.

At Ironman New Zealand on the shores of Lake Taupo, Braden Currie (PTO #11) and Hannah Wells (PTO #29) proved the best of an all-Kiwi field. Meanwhile, at 70.3 Geelong, southwest of Melbourne, Australia, it was Steve McKenna and Ellie Salthouse (PTO #21) who came out on top.

Finally, PTO #2 Lucy Charles-Barclay proved herself more than a match for her short-course counterparts by taking silver at the Super League Triathlon Arena Games.

Ironman New Zealand 2021 Race Results

Men’s Podium

Braden Currie (PTO #11) – 7:57:13 (swim 47:30 /bike 4:23:47 /run 2:40:47)
Mike Phillips (PTO #25) – 8:06:39 (swim 47:49 /bike 4:23:29 /run 2:49:52)
Kyle Smith (PTO #33) – 8:08:54 (swim 46:33 /bike 4:23:49 /run 2:51:40)

Women’s Podium

Hannah Wells (PTO #29) – 9:01:50 (swim 53:55 / bike 4:50:41 / run 3:10:51)
Rebecca Clarke – 9:15:39 (swim 48:39 / bike 5:02:09 / run 3:17:41)
Emily McNaughtan – 9:38:43 (swim 1:01:05 / bike 5:12:23 / run 3:17:49)

The Big Stories

Men’s race

While 23-year-old Kyle Smith (PTO #33) had nearly a minute’s lead coming out of Lake Taupo, previous IM NZ winners Braden Currie (PTO #11) and Mike Phillips (PTO #25) were in hot pursuit once on two wheels.

2017 champ Currie took first by 90km and the trio rolled together until T2 where Currie’s snappy T2 was decisive, putting him 20-seconds up the road and out of sight. From here, Currie’s swift 3:49/km average pace put him on track for a stellar 2:40:47 marathon and victory in 7:57:13. This was just three minutes shy of the Ironman New Zealand course record of 7:54:17, set by Joe Skipper (PTO #7) in 2020.

Behind, Smith paced off 2019 winner Phillips until the elastic snapped around 15km in. Phillips ran on strong for second while Smith came home two minutes back with a creditable first-time Ironman marathon of 2:51:40.

Having lost his last two middle-distance races to Smith, Currie’s victory reasserts his position as New Zealand’s strongest full-distance athlete. But with the Collins Cup being shorter, Smith could well be on the shortlist for a Captain’s pick.

Women’s race

 The women’s race was a show of class for first time Ironman Hannah Wells, who came into the event having won her last four middle-distance races.

Despite coming out the water over five minutes behind Rebecca Clarke, who blitzed the 3.8km swim in 48:39, Wells found the front of the race just past halfway on the bike and only built on her advantage from there.

Already seven minutes ahead of Clarke coming out of T2, a 3:10:51 marathon meant she crossed the line in 9:01:50, a victory margin of nearly 14 minutes. Clarke meanwhile enjoyed a second-place buffer of over 20 minutes to iron-rookie Emily McNaughton.

This first full-distance victory will surely provide a PTO World Rankings boost, but Wells is no stranger to the top of the podium. Since 2017, Wells, who holds a doctorate in engineering, has won nine middle-distance events, including four 70.3s, and been on the podium every time she’s crossed the finish line. That’s a serious resume for the Team Internationals captains to take notice of.

Ironman 70.3 Geelong 2021 Race Results

Men’s Podium

Steve McKenna – 3:46:46 (swim 23:18 / bike 2:08:36 / run 1:10:54)
Trent Thorpe – 3:47:39 (swim 21:34 / bike 2:10:04 / run 1:11:48)
Tim Reed (PTO #31) – 3:49:23 (swim 23:21 / bike 2:08:27 / run 1:13:29)

Women’s Podium

Ellie Salthouse (PTO #21) – 4:09:30 (swim 25:01 / bike 2:19:19 / run 1:19:05)
Amelia Watkinson (PTO #18) – 4:14:18 (swim 25:12 / bike 2:20:36 / run 1:24:18)
Grace Thek – 4:18:52 (swim 25:06 / bike 2:28:30 / run 1:20:40)

The Big Stories

Men’s race

In the men’s race, the field’s lone Kiwi, Trent Thorpe led out the water with regular merman Josh Amberger. The pair started the bike with a 50-second advantage, which was slowly eroded by chasers including Steve McKenna, Tim Van Berkel and Tim Reed.

McKenna put in a big turn to help the group close to the leaders by around 70km, forming a group of seven that went on to hit T2 in procession.

Tim Reed set the pace out of transition, clocking 3:20/km to quickly dispatch all but McKenna, Van Berkel and Thorpe. McKenna pushed ahead by the 7km mark, slicing another 10sec/km off the pace to turn up the heat and put Van Berkel out of podium contention.

From there, McKenna continued to solidify his lead, crossing the line to take his first ever 70.3 victory in 3:41:53, 50 seconds clear of Thorpe, while Tim Reed secured third.

“I made many tactical errors in Husky,” reflected McKenna at the finish. “I’ve gone no-socks to make sure I’m not as slow in transition and I’ve paced myself. Instead of running 3:05 per K, I jogged the start… and then didn’t really put the hammer down, just stayed at the same level and everyone started dropping off.”

While already ranked #58 and recognised as a powerful force at races down under, this first M-dot win for McKenna will certainly catch the eyes of the Collins Cup’s Team Internationals captains.

Women’s race

In the women’s race, Ellie Salthouse was first out the water with company including Grace Thek, Stephanie Demestichas and Amelia Watkinson for company, the quartet one minute clear.

Once they’d hit the highway, we had something of a re-run from the PTO-supported Big Husky race a few weeks prior. Salthouse and Watkinson proved themselves the best bikers in the event, creating a gap that bloomed to nearly six minutes on third place Penny Slater by T2.

Watkinson hit the run first, but Salthouse soon had a commanding lead that no-one could match. Meanwhile Thek overcame a 1:50 deficit to take the third spot from Slater.

Ahead, Salthouse didn’t look under pressure for a moment as her advantage stretched to over five minutes. The Australian Long-Course Champion took the tape in 4:09:30, adding the Ironman 70.3 Geelong title to her resume after coming second here in 2019.

“I was a bit surprised with that actually,” said Salthouse at the finish. “I had a less than ideal prep leading into this after Husky a few weeks back, so to come out and run a 1:19 – I was super stoked with that and definitely wasn’t expecting it. This is my third win of the year so I couldn’t be happier with that.”

Second place went to Watkinson, the Kiwi once again denied victory by her Collins Cup Team Internationals rival. Another four minutes back and having closed the gap to Watkinson by that same figure on the run, Grace Thek took third – her fourth consecutive podium in Geelong.

Salthouse is now two-for-two against Watkinson and with both athletes hovering around the borderline for automatic Collins Cup qualification, this could tip the tables in the Australian’s favour.

Charles-Barclay ‘Goes Short’

Following her second place at CHALLENGEMIAMI, Lucy Charles-Barclay (PTO #2) decided to shake things up at the Super League Triathlon Arena Games in London last weekend.

Known for her exceptional swimming ability, Charles-Barclay battled against former Olympic runner Beth Potter, 2020 World Triathlon Champion, Georgia Taylor-Brown and other short-course class-acts like Rachel Klamer and Sophie Coldwell. The event featured three short back-to-back races including a 200m swim, 3.8km bike and 1km run.

In the first swim-run-bike event, Charles-Barclay led out the water – breaking Jessica Learmonth’s swim record set in Rotterdam – but was pipped to third by Potter and Coldwell on the bike. She came back strong in the second round’s run-bike-swim format, destroying the competition in the pool to take the win.

In the final bike-swim-run event, Charles-Barclay took a few seconds’ lead onto the final 1km run and while Potter’s foot speed proved too fast for her, she held off two-time Olympian Rachel Klamer to secure second overall.

While it’s super short and there were no PTO World Rankings points on offer, the performance underlines Charles-Barclay’s versatility and tactical mindset. These characteristics could be key ingredients in whichever match-up she faces in the Collins Cup this August.

The post Weekend Wrap – 27-28 March 2021 appeared first on PTO.

Ironman New Zealand 2021 Preview

Date: 27 March
Location: Taupo, New Zealand
Time: 18:50 GMT (26 March)
Prize Money: $50,000 – pays 8 deep $7,500 to $1,000
Format: 3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run
Course: Lake swim, rolling bike, flat run

Key Athletes:

International:
Braden Currie (PTO #11) / Mike Phillips (PTO #25) / Kyle Smith (PTO #33)
Hannah Wells (PTO #29)

The traditional Ironman season opener returns just a few weeks after its original COVID-disrupted date, meaning the all-Kiwi line-up gets the chance to fight it out on home soil for a slice of the $50,000 prize purse.

THE BIG STORIES
While the men’s race is packed with talent – including Uber-biker Mike Phillips (PTO #25), who was second last year, and 48-year-old legend Cameron Brown – the story of the event could well be the on-going rivalry between Braden Currie (PTO #11) and young gun Kyle Smith (PTO #33).

The 23-year-old is unbeaten at half distance and has kept Currie from the top step at the Tauranga Half and Challenge Wanaka this year. That said, this will be Smith’s first full-distance race and he’s only just stayed ahead of the fast-charging Currie when they’ve gone head-to-head, so it should be a classic clash in Taupo.

Between Currie, Smith and Phillips, we could potentially see three Kiwis line up for Team Internationals men’s squad at the Collins Cup this August.

In the women’s race, it’s a four-strong line-up with Hannah Wells (PTO #29), Rebecca Clarke, Melanie Burke and neo-pro Emily McNaughtan. While Burke has the most Ironman experience and Clarke the highest position at Ironman New Zealand (fifth in 2019), eyes will be on Wells for her full-distance debut following a string of 70.3 wins. A win here would put even more attention on her as one to watch for the Team Internationals captains.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

Kyle Smith on going long:
“My foray into long course has been amazingly rewarding so far. It suits my body and style of racing… So far in my long course career I have led from start to finish by myself, the only thing I can do is keep racing the way I have and hope that the International Captains see me as an asset for the team at the Collins Cup….[This weekend] It’s going to take everything I have to win and all I know is that I can push my body into some very dark places and hopefully that’s what will make the difference at the finish.”

Ironman 70.3 Geelong 2021 Preview

Date: 28 March
Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Time: 20:32 GMT (27 March)
Prize Money: $30,000 – pays 8 deep $4,000 to $750
Format: 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run
Course: Sea swim, rolling bike, rolling run

Key Athletes:

International:
Josh Amberger (PTO #30) / Tim Reed (PTO #31) / Tim Van Berkel (PTO #39)
Amelia Watkinson (PTO #18) / Ellie Salthouse (PTO #21)

Across the water from New Zealand, we’ve also got racing at Ironman 70.3 Geelong, which has courted a deep field of Team Internationals prospects.

THE BIG STORIES

In the men’s event, Josh Amberger (PTO #30) is bound to showcase his swim-bike props at the head of the race, but the 11-time 70.3 champ, who’s also on the verge of automatic Collins Cup selection, won’t have it all his own way. Tim Reed (PTO #31) sits just one place behind Amberger on the PTO World Rankings while Tim Van Berkel (PTO #39) and Matt Burton (PTO #42) are also in the mix.

Let’s not forget Simon Hearn either, who showed great form at the PTO-supported Big Husky to take the Australian long-course champs away from 2020 title holder Amberger in February.

The women’s race should be a scorcher with the recently crowned Australian long-course champ Ellie Salthouse looking to back-up her Big Husky victory and get ever closer to an automatic qualification spot for the Collins Cup.

However, the event also gives an opportunity for the likes of Amelia Watkinson (PTO #18) and returning supermum Annabel Luxford to take another pop at Salthouse (PTO #21) – so it could be a make-or-break race to show who’s the form athlete for 2021.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

Ellie Salthouse on taking her Husky form into Geelong:
“I know that in order to cement my spot on Team International I need to continue to earn valuable points and impress Team Captain, Craig Alexander… I intend to go into 70.3 Geelong with the same intentions and race plan as Husky, but with an additional four weeks of training and improved fitness.”

Josh Amberger on his versatility as a Collins Cup competitor:
“My skillset should be seen as an asset to the Internationals Collins Cup team as I have reliability in all three legs. I can set the terms of races with my dominant swim, yet my all-round agility means I can also respond to races. 70.3 Geelong this weekend gives me a shot to show this once more – that I punch above my weight in the middle distance over a host of strong men.”

Super League Triathlon Arena Games London 2021 Preview

Date: 27 March
Location: London, UK
Time: 15:00 GMT
Format: 200m swim, 4km bike, 1km run
Course: Pool swim, Zwift bike, Zwift run

Key Athletes:

Europe:
Lucy Charles-Barclay (PTO #2)
George Goodwin (PTO #15)

Now for a literal change of pace as some of the world’s top long-course specialists go toe-to-toe with the short course triathletes in the second-ever SLT Arena Games.

THE BIG STORIES

This race format combines various combinations of 200m pool swims, 4km Zwift rides and 1km Zwift runs – with three short races and minimal recovery.

Held at the London Aquatics Centre, the venue is the current training pool of PTO all-star Lucy Charles-Barclay (PTO #2). Along with fellow long-distance athlete Ruth Astle, Charles-Barclay will be pitching her strength against some of World Triathlon’s fastest athletes including 2020 World Triathlon Champion Georgia Taylor-Brown.

Meanwhile, bona fide triathlon royalty Tim Don, PTO 2020 Championship podium-getter George Goodwin (PTO #15) and Reece Charles-Barclay will fly the flag for non-drafting athletes in the men’s race.

There might not be PTO World Rankings points on the line, but a good performance here demands versatility, coolness under pressure and serious speed – all of which could catch the eye of the Team Europe Collins Cup captains.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

Lucy Charles-Barclay on racing short course:
“[It’s] the complete opposite end of the triathlon spectrum from my normal distance but I like to think swim, bike, run are disciplines I know well and can perform in. My skill at fast swimming should allow me to mix it with the short course ladies, with the bike and run sections looking like a complete sufferfest which I love to get stuck into… I don’t believe in racing in your comfort zone.”

George Goodwin on how the SLT Arena Games will prepare him for the Collins Cup:
“The Collins Cup is going to push people to their limit and although the SLT Arena games has very little in common with a middle-distance race, I’ll be outside my natural comfort zone. It’s another opportunity for me to push those limits as that’s what it will take for The Collins Cup in August”

The post Weekend Race Preview appeared first on PTO.

With a strong field headlined by New Zealand triathlete Amelia Watkinson and Aussie Ellie Salthouse, the women’s race was going to be an epic battle. Meanwhile on the men’s side the likes of Tim Reed and Tim Van Berkel were battling it out with the up and coming Simon Hearn and Caleb Noble.

All the action unfolded in front of Collins Cup Team Internationals captain Craig ‘Crowie’ Alexander as he got to assess potential candidates for the side.

The post Shimano Husky Australian Triathlon Championships 2021 | Race Highlights appeared first on PTO.

With elite swimmers, cyclists and runners – as well as the exceptional all-rounders – all vying for a share of the €50,000 prize purse, we have created an ‘Ultimate Miami Triathlete’ for both the men’s and women’s races consisting of the standout performers for each discipline.

The ‘Ultimate Miami Triathlete’ would be a strong favourite to make the start-line at the inaugural Collins Cup scheduled for August in Samorin, Slovakia.

WOMEN’S ‘ULTIMATE MIAMI TRIATHLETE’

Swim: Lucy Charles-Barclay (21:05)

PTO World Ranked #2 Lucy Charles-Barclay headed into CHALLENGEMIAMI® after 15 months without racing, though you couldn’t tell by the performance she produced.

She led from the front, taking control of the swim in the early stages and leaving the entire field – other than Spaniard Sara Perez Sala – in her wake.

The three-times IRONMAN World Championship silver-medalist opened a gap of 1:25 from the chasing pack during the one-mile (1.6km) swim to put her in pole position.

With her prowess in the water, our women’s ‘Ultimate Miami Triathlete’ would have got off to a scintillating start at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Bike: Lucy Charles-Barclay (1:34:49)

The British triathlon behemoth was once again in charge through the bike leg of the event, recording a field-leading time of 1:34:49 – five seconds quicker than her frontrunning rival Perez Sala.

Prior to the bike leg Perez Sala spent a mere 49 seconds in transition, overtaking Lucy prior to saddling up for the 39-mile (62km) course – forcing the Brit to click into gear quickly.

The former Olympian Perez Sala did set a time of 1:34:54, and although it was five seconds slower than her front-running rival, Lucy had earned a two-minute time penalty for passing a back-marker on the incorrect side.

The pair were the only women to go under 1:35:00 on the bike, with the American duo of Skye Moench and Lisa Becharas next on the timesheet.

However, only 50 seconds separated the bike splits of the entire top eight, not only setting up a thrilling finish to the race but also showcasing the extraordinary talent in the field.

The ‘Ultimate Miami Triathlete’ at this stage would have recorded a time of 1:56:44 heading into the second transition.

Run: Jodie Stimpson (1:00:54)

Jodie Stimpson stole the show on the 10.5-mile (16.9km) run with a breathtaking display. Some 2:27 behind heading into the final leg, she outpaced the entire field to surge from fourth to first in the process.

The CHALLENGEMIAMI®  victor recorded a split of 1:00:54, some 39 seconds quicker than third-placed Jackie Hering and 3:49 ahead of Charles-Barclay (who had that two-minute penalty).

A sensational time of 2:58:31 would have earned the ‘Ultimate Miami Triathlete’ victory by a margin of 2:33 at the Miami Speedway circuit.

MEN’S ‘ULTIMATE MIAMI TRIATHLETE’

Swim: Ben Kanute (20:16)

American Ben Kanute was the master of the water in the men’s race as he led a lead group of four into the first transition area.

Kanute entered T1 with a time of 20:16, three seconds ahead of Australian Nicholas Kastelein and PTO World #1 Jan Frodeno. Fellow American Tim O’Donnell was a further two seconds behind.

The exceptional swim played a huge part in Ben’s podium finish, as the 28-year-old showcased his pedigree in the water.

Through transition, the fastest time was recorded by Yunior Roseto of the United Starts in just 50 seconds.

A strong start for our ‘Ultimate Miami Triathlete’, and with some exceptional cyclists and runners to come, an incredible aggregate time is now inevitable.

Bike: Magnus Ditlev (1:20:22)

Just like he did at the PTO 2020 Championship in December, Magnus Elbaek Ditlev led the timesheets when it came to the bike leg.

The Danish cycling superstar recorded a split of 1:20:22 to set the fastest time on two wheels, five seconds ahead of American Andrew Starykowicz.

Sixteenth out of the water, Ditlev – just as he had in Daytona – relied on his cycling prowess to get him into contention at the front of the field. He eventually headed into T2 20 seconds behind Starykowicz in second place.

The ‘Ultimate Miami Triathlete’ would have recorded a time of 1:42:17 after swim and bike legs.

Run: Matt Hanson (52:58)

Another repeat of the PTO 2020 Championship here, as PTO World #9 Matt Hanson starred on the run leg.

He produced a phenomenal time of 52:58 – 50 seconds faster than race winner Frodeno and 26 seconds faster than next best, Lionel Sanders – as Matt once again surged through the field on the Speedway.

The American running powerhouse recorded a 5:13 per mile pace over the 10.5-mile (16.9km) distance, but had left himself too much to do to finish among the leaders.

26th out of T2, Hanson managed a creditable 13th in the final race standings – once again earning ‘Ultimate Athlete’ honours for the event in Miami.

Overall, the ‘Ultimate Miami Triathlete’ would have recorded a time of 2:34:15, which would have surpassed Frodeno’s winning effort of 2:37:57 by 3:43.

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The women’s race proved to be a coming of age for Jodie Stimpson in her transition to long course racing while Jan Frodeno put on a masterclass of triathlon perfection on the speedway.

Women’s podium

Jodie Stimpson – 3:01:04 (22:31/1:35:31/1:00:54)
Lucy Charles-Barclay (PTO #2) – 3:02:26 (21:05/1:34:49/1:04:43)
Jackie Hering (PTO #20) – 3:03:25 (24:13/1:35:39/1:01:33)

Men’s podium

Jan Frodeno (PTO #1) – 2:37:57 (20:19/1:21:46/53:48)
Lionel Sanders (PTO #5) – 2:40:28 (22:27/1:22:40/53:24)
Ben Kanute (PTO #47) – 2:41:35 (20:16/1:24:22/55:11)

The Big Stories

In the women’s race, it was no surprise to see Charles-Barclay (PTO #2) lead the swim, but the Brit had company with former Olympic breaststroker and World Triathlon racer Sara Perez. Leaving the water, the pair had a lead of 1:23 to chasers including Paula Findlay (PTO #8) and Jodie Stimpson.

Charles-Barclay and Perez shared the lead for the whole bike but passing a lapped athlete on the left meant Charles-Barclay incurred a two-minute time penalty. As Perez headed out of T2, Charles-Barclay served her time-out meaning she started the run with Stimpson, who had been just over two-minutes back.

The British pair quickly passed a flagging Findlay and averaging 3:43/km pace, Stimpson dropped her compatriot and cruised past Perez into first on lap four of seven. Making it look easy, the Brit ran away to an emotional win, rocketing the former Commonwealth gold medallist into contention Collins Cup selection.

“I am absolutely stoked!” said Stimpson at the finish. “This is an absolutely stellar field… you’ve got Lucy Charles, you’ve got Paula Findlay who absolutely dominated in Daytona… this field is absolutely stacked and of course, I’m so happy to come out on top today.”

Showing her class as PTO #2 and further cementing her automatic qualification spot for the Collins Cup, Charles-Barclay came in second despite the penalty.

“It’s a bit bittersweet,” said Charles-Barclay. “I mean I’m just so happy to be back racing. It’s been 15 months and I was definitely a bit rusty and made a few mistakes, but Jodie was just all class on that run.”

Meanwhile, Jackie Hering (PTO #20) ran up into third, her run split second only to Stimpson – only helping her case as a possible captain’s pick contender.

In the men’s race, Ben Kanute (PTO #47) led out the water with Jan Frodeno (PTO #1) close behind, the German quickly taking the lead on two wheels. By halfway on the bike, Andrew Starykowicz (PTO #34) had stormed into the lead.

The American’s 21-second advantage off the bike was dispatched by Frodeno within 200m. From there, it was clear that the race was sewn up. No-one was able to touch the three-time Hawaii winner on his way to first place, the world number one delivering a physical and psychological blow to any would-be Collins Cup challengers.

“There’s always an expectation,” said Frodeno at the finish. “I always expect the most. I wake up at 3am in the morning because I’m just nervous – I’m a little kid and then I come out and I’ve got good legs… it’s just awesome to be able to push yourself and really go to that limit.”

Behind, Lionel Sanders (PTO #5) tore through the field, snapping the elastic to everyone who tried to hold on to him. While his swim deficit ultimately meant no head-to-head battle with his hero-come-nemesis, the Canadian turned himself inside out in the chase, finishing well ahead of third-placed Kanute.

Once again marking himself out as a fearsome competitor for his Team USA and Team Europe rivals, Sanders spoke about never giving up and racing against Frodeno.

“I’m going to fight to the very last second,” he said. “I think the moment I stop fighting will probably be the end of my career.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m going up against Tiger Woods in his prime… no one was winning against Tiger in his prime and that’s what it’s like with this guy. At the very least it makes you a better athlete and a better person.”

As the top seeds for the European and Internationals Collins Cup teams, the stage is set for another clash of these triathlon titans in August.

Round Up

Paula Findlay’s seventh place might not be what the Canadian was looking for, but the two-time Daytona winner was still the top International region finisher. She came ahead of the two athletes above her in the rankings – Carrie Lester and Sarah Crowley – so is surely a must-have for the Collins Cup.

Skye Moench finished in fifth with a strong all-round race, solidifying her standing as the USA’s top-ranked athlete.

Ben Kanute managed to pass Chris Leiferman for third in the final lap, the ninth-ranked US athlete taking out his fifth-ranked compatriot and giving the team captains some food for thought.

Matt Hanson (PTO #9) once again proved his superior run speed, clocking in at a staggering 3:14/km average pace making him an ideal tactical match-up against Team Europe and Team International’s fastest runners in the Collins Cup.

Another exciting Collins Cup matchup could be the USA’s Andrew Starykowicz and Europe’s Magnus Ditlev (PTO #38), both over a minute faster on the bike than Jan Frodeno, showing their prowess on two wheels.

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